Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-12-12
BEST METHOD OF IRRIGATION.
Mai. Powell Submits His Views to New
York Chamber of Commerce.


BEST METHOD OF IRRIGATION.
Maj. Powell Submits His Views to New
York Chamber of Commerce.
NEW YORK, December 5.-MaJ. Powell,
the chief of the federal commission to re-
port upon the best method of irrigation OF
arid country lands read a paper upon the
subject before the chamber of commerce
this afternoon. He began with the state
ment that about One-half of the lands OF
the United States, exclusive of Alaska,
are arid These lands, he said, so far as
they can be brought under cultivation by
irrigation, are the best lands In the coun-
try because crops are certain, not being
subject to changes of extreme wet
and extreme dry seasons as
In the case of lands dependent upon rain
Of one thousand million acres of arid land
in the United States, about six millions
are now under cultivation by irrigation
and about one hundred and twenty mil
lions altogether can be rendered ariable by
that method. Major Powell estimates that
the construction of reservoirs, canals and
other necessary works will cost at the rate
Of ten dollars per acre. Assuming that
one hundred million acres are to be re-
deemed in this way, the cost will aggregate
one thousand millions of dollars
for proper carrying out the work of the
change in the land laws necessary
Where irrigation is unnecessary the land
is cultivated by private initiative. each
farmer being able to raise his crop
in entire independence of his neighbors.
In arid countries the cooperation for the
distribution of water from its sourceis es-
sential. In humid countries the tendency
is toward small holdings, while in the arid
countries it is toward large holdings.
Many large and small streams
run through the arid belt
but the amount of water obtainable is not
large enough to irrigate all of the arid
lands which they traverse, and the ques-
ton arises, what portion of them are en-
titled to use the water. Major Powell
holds that they should be used at points
where it will do the most good This
point, ne says, is where the stream turns
from the rushing crystal mountain torrent
to the low land stream, which mingles with
the soil of the land from which it flows
Iftaken above that point it would be
where the chilly atmosphere Of the high
altitude would make it less useful
In the production of crops If
taken below that point the waters would
be too much evaporated and wasted away.
Thus, taking the Arkansas river as an eX-
ample, water enough to irrigate one mil
lion acres In Colorado would be reduced to
only enough to regulate one or two thous-
and acres across the line In Kansas. The
same rule, Major Powell says, applies to
waters on the upper Missouri, Colorado,
Rio Granne del Norte and Columbia rivers.
He estimates the aggregate value of the
waters of all these rivers at
five thousand millions of dollars
The forests at the headwaters of these
rivers serve as catch-basins and must be
preserved. Provision also must be made
for controlling and protecting the large
body of pasture islands not suitable fer
cultivation. In addition to these are
great tracts of mineral lands, which
should be held by the government until
the minerals have been discovered when
they should be parcelled out In quantities
only large enough for economical working.
When the storage reservoirs and irrigat-
ing canals are completed vast water pow
ers will have been created, suitable for
manufacturing purposes. These will eX-
list at points on canals higher up than
those at which the waters are to be taken
! for irrigation.
The government, Major Powell says,
should not be allowed to furnish any
money for the completion of this great
system of works For the preservation OF
forests and the parcelling out Of
water a great many thousand men would
be necessary, and to put such matter in
the hands of the government would be tc
build up bureaucracy and an army of of
fciaism. The only thing the government
should do is to furnish wise laws to con
troll the operations. For this work IL
hand the people would naturally combine
by photographic basins that is, II ter
ritory that is covered by a single
stream and its tributaries within
a single water shed. Courts should bt
established to adjudicate upon all questions
arising from this condition of affair:
though the government itself should APP
portion the water among the different
states in sach districts, Major Powell
suggests the money for carrying out these
schemes might be raised by the issuance
of community bonds or other similar
methods.