Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-08-21

Cheyenne bottom into lake by having
a canal run from the Arkansas river to
the bottom. The committee. IL seems,
has not done its duty in working the
matter up; they have not even called
the attention of congress to the matter.
1t has not been a great while since con-
gress appointed a committee to inves-
tigate The needs of irrigation in west
ern Kansas and the best means to
secure the results desired; this COM
mittee passed through Barton county
to the western part of the state and our
CHEYENNE committee did not SO much
as call their attention to the Cheyenne
bottom project. Now it seems that
new committee should be secured or
more life enthused into the old one.
That the flooding of the Cheyenne
bottom, covering as it does tract Of
land four miles in width by thirteen
miles in length, would increase the
moisture in this vicinity and cool the
atmosphere in summer IS certainly a
fact. A survey has been made and it
has been found that the scheme of
turning the waters of the Arkansas
river into the bottom at times is practic
able and could be done without large
expenditure of money, the bottom
UeI11S IOhOl Gudu LILO OC0 oI thC 11NOI
and the distance to be ditched not over
ten miles. Let us work the matter up
before our representatives in congress
and secure an appropriation, if possible,
that will benefit central Kansas"
This matter is certainly one that all
central Kansas is interested in, as. by
creating a vast lake at the place spoken
of the country for miles around would
be benefited. The Cheyenne bottom is
too low and swampy to ever be of great
value for agricultural or grazing pur
poses, and the natural lay of the land,
it being from twelve 20 fifteen feet
lower than the bed of the Arkansas
river which flows but six miles south of
it, makes it one of the most natural
reservoirs to be found in the west.
The cost of digging canal from the
river so that the bottoms might be
flooded when the river is up. and the
building of two Or three short dams or
levees to keep the water from backing
up the valleys and to confne it to the
natural area five by thirteen miles,
would not be very ygreat-comparativl
nothing to the expense of building some
of the western government reservoirs
that are contemplated.
Besides the advantages of such an
inland lake in the way of creator of
rainfall, there are thousands of acres
of bottom lands below this natural res
ervo1r that could be irrigated from it
and made the most valuable farming
lands in the world.
Gentlemen of the press, and readers
generally, can we not unite in a con-
cert of action to have the matters
herein advocated thoroughly investi-
gated and brought before the .. S. con-
gress? 1t is not a matter of local
Importance to this county alone, but
one that may be made to benefit thou
sands of people in this part of the
state.
We would suggest as plan of action
| that public meeting be called; that
| delegates from the various counties
adjacent to Barton join with us in
getting up petitions, laying plans, and
placing the matter in such shape before
the members of congress that they can
not neglect acting and giving it at least
fair investigation.