Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-18
IMPORTANT THING PROVED.

The investigation still in progress and
to be completed so far as the field Is con-
cerned at Cheyenne about the 18th inst,
proves number of important facts:
First-1n order then is the significant
conclusion that has been reached to the
effect that the possible supply OF water
Is very much greater than was deemed
probable. And this is true of all parts,
even as to Nevada and the presumed to
be the unreclaimable parts OF California,
Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Second-The largest supply of accessi-
BILE and running water in all the region
is found in the northwest. where the
abundant volume of river supply makes
the engineers problem Of simple char
acter in that direction, however intricate
they may be as to the means Of dlstribut-
ing the same. The same is true to a
considerable extent in southern and GEN.
trail Arizona
Third-The whole question of irriga-
ton resolves itself. simply and abso-
lutely, In the last resort to one of the
storage of the unused storm, winter and
torrential waters. In no place SO far
visited can it be found outside OF the
limited fruit raising area of southern
California that more than Is per cent of
the water actually available for irriga-
ton Is now used. Not per cent OF the
total supply which can be utilized
is now made serviceable. This is
not matter of guessing, but hard-pan,
engineering fact. [ repeat that the final
solution of the reclamation problem is
shown by the current inquiry to be
finally and wholly one of storage alone.
Distribution is easy when storage Is
achieved. By that | mean high altitude
reservoirs and drainage districts. This
Is most important fact, because in all
cases except very limited area are eff
fecUed by unadiudicated Spanish land
grants, the mountain areas still belong
to the national government. That the
final solution OF aridity within the Uni
ted States must be founded in mountain
storage can be seen in these facts. When
the annual precipitation below may be
not over eight inches the mountain
ranges running in the same basin, NAV
and probably will range from 10 to 20
inches; indeed it will in many localities
exceed 100 inches per annXm. 1t is this
striking fact that VIII very largely in
tluence the legislative outcome of this
remarkable inquiry. Of course such
storage can not be the earliest feature of
the policy that is likely to arise. But it
is the ultimate certainty. And it in
wolves of supreme necessity that state
lines will not control. The vast confg-
uration of physical geography and topog
raphy mast dominate all action, engin-
eering, legislative and administrative.
SECONDARY METHODS.
Subordinate to this great concluion it
is, however, evident that very much ir-
rigation can be accomplished by what
can be termed secondary works and
methods. Smaller drainage basins at
moderate attitudes, dams and reservoirs
III river courses, small impoundings in
foot hills, the recovery of lost or sunken
river streams. as in the Santa Cruz, Ari-
IONA, and elsewhere, and a systematic
development of the well supplies and
OTHER subterranean sources. All these
are possible and within the reach of
moderate capital, even of cooperative
enterprise. Let me roughly, perhaps,
but still far within possibility, show the
areas which which the progressing in
quiry considers TO be easily within the
range of reclamation by the secondary
method of irrigation. | leave the Da-
kotas out, as except in their western
fourth they belong to the subhumid re-
gion. The balance is as follows: