The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1890-05-15

Eeporf of the Senate Irrigation Con-
mlttee ON the Subject OF Reclamation Of
the Arid Lands of the west--Miilions OF
Acres Might be Brought Under Cuitlva-
ton Charges Against the Director OF
tho Geological Survey Minority VIEWS
WASHINGTON, May 4 The irrigation
| committee of the Senate will make a
report to-day to the Senate on the sub
| ject of irrigation of the arid lands OF
the West, which it has had under con-
| sideration for several y.enths, The re-
mort gre n.==ssa by the committee flor the
committee is divided in its report on
party lines) says that more than two
ffths of the area of the United States,
excluding Alaska, requires irrigation
to insure regular crops. In at least four
| fifths of the arid region irrigation is
necessary. Tnis region comprises l.
200, 600 to 1900, 600 square miles. With
dams and reservoirs. at suitable places,
a large extent Of this land could be
made productive and the floods Of tho
Lower Mississippi could be alleviated.
The process Of irrigation could be aided
by boring artesian wells. All the coun-
try west of the eastern base OF the
Rocky mountains requires irrigation,
except the part of Washington, Oregon
and Northern California. west of the
Cascade mountains, and small areas in
Eastern Oregon, Washington and North
ern Idaho.
The report charges the director Of tho
| Geological Survey with diverting $780,
600 of the money appropriated for irri-
CATION surveys to typographical sur
vey, which the majority regard as a
plain violation of the statue and mis-
| appropriation of the money.
The committee, in the bill heretofore
reported to the Senate, have recon-
mended the transfer of the subject to
| the jurisdiction of the Department Of
| Agriculture, and the establishment OF
an irrigation bureau in that depart
ment.
The committee submit In conclusion
an estimate of areas under cultivation.
From this it seems that the area under
| ditch is IS, sol, 900 acres, of which 4,000,-
| 600 is in California and 3,000 00o in Col
| orado. The amount cultivated by irri.
| CATION is 1868, 900. OF which 3, 800, 600 is
| in California and 1900, 900 in Colorado.
Projects under way last year and par
| TALLY completed will bring the acreage
under ditch up to Is, 900, 600 acres. The
| total value of the reclaimed land is
nearly S700, 000. 900. Allowing for tho
reclaimability of 100, 900, 600 acres out OF
| the 1900, 600, 900 OF arid land, ard we
| have as a result total real-estate
value of 50, 500, 900, 900. Seven-tenths Of
this whole area is now the property Of
| the United States
| Mr.. Reagan, on behalf of the minor
| ity, submitted report in which he
says the minority find themselves una
| BILE to agree with the majority in many
of it's statements of fact and with some
OF its reasons, and they wholly disagree
/ with most of its important conclusions,
and recommend Congressional action
diane trically opposite to that recon-
mended by the majority. The minority
| says that the arid lands embrace an
area of 1.340, 900 square miles, of which
| 100, 900, 900 acres can be redeemed for
| agriculture by using the total supply OF
| the perennial streams. Tho minority
recommend the adoption of a system OF
| measuring the waters used for
| irrigation to prevent waste. They
urge the necessity of protecting
| the forests which are being rapidly
burned, also the pasture lands. The
irrigable lands should be segregated
and declared such, and the right to use
| water on them established, and prohi-
| bition put to the use of water on other
lands. Irrigation districts should be
established, composed of bodies of lands
and the farmers on these lands should
| control the catchment areas with all
| other values. These districts should be
| laid out by Government survey and nee
essary State legislation, and the
problem OF irrigation should be turned
over to the districts.
| The minority believes the recommen-
| dation to discontinue the topographic
work of the survey unwise, and they
| think it would be unwise to turn over
the photographic branch to the Signal
Service. The minority believe expert
mental boring for artesian waters un-
wise.