Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-10-27
WATER FOR THE WEST.
The Government Work In Good Hands
Objects and Scope OF the Inves-
tigation--The Territory
to be Tested.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27.--The irrigation
Investigation is already under way again.
Authority for it was conferred upon the
secretary of agriculture by the deficiency
bill. That bill was only approved on
the 90tll of September, but the vigorous
head Of the department has already got
his field and home forces organized for
the work. The law says that the in
vestigatlon is "for the purpose of deter
mining tbs bSi tEat tEatent apdo avail bMlty Ii ,,s f9T
waters within the region between the
eastern foothills of the Rocky mountains
and the 9th degree of longitude. That
makes a line drawn southwark along
the eastern boundary of North Dakota
one side Of the region to be il
vestgated. This line passes little west
OF Lincoln, Neb., and about through
Saliua, Kas. The western edge of
the field of inquiry commences on the
British border about 100 miles of Great
Falls, Mont. 1t zigzags eastwardly some
what. passes through Pueblo, Colo, and
ends at Ell Paso, Texas. 1t begins about
the 1l7th meridian, extends as far east az
the l05th me- e'idian and then bends back
to the 10th meridian on the southern
border. These lines include region of
about 700, 900 square miles. The boundary
on the east is the line beyond which rail-
fall can not be depended upon entirely for
crops. At Great Falls the Dakota sand
stone, which is the water bearing stratum
of the arteslan basin, drops out. That
locates the western edge of exploration.
For greater activity and efficiency the
field force, already organized under the
new law, will be kept under the imme-
diate direction of Secretary Rusk himself.
Ibis arrangement has been made at the
request of Col. X. J. Hinton, the special
agent. Col. E. s. Nettleton, of Colorado,
who was supervising engineer OF the pre-
iminary investigation last spring, is now
commissioned as consulting engineer of
the department. Prof. Robert Hay, of
Kansas, the geologist. is commissioned g
chief geologist of the department. Col.
Hinton remains in charge of the office OF
irrigation inquiry and OF all administrative
details.
A report on the progress made is now
being prepared. 1t will embrace close,
but complete account Of all irrigation
work and development in every state and
territory up to the last of October OF this
year. 1t will not exceed 25O pages IN ex-
tent. The intention is to give BIRDS
eye view of the whole subject. The re-
port of the arteslan wells investigation of
last summer is still in the hands of the
government printer. 1t has been delay
cd by the provision of law which requires
that contracts for maps must be adver-
tsed. A month later, it is expected, will
find the report ready for distribution. In
addition to this report, the office Of irri-
CATION inquiry is preparing and will have
ready for submission to congress at the
next session supplemental report on the
underflow and drainage water Of the
artesian region. Col. Hinton will
also get out a report on the conservation
of water for stock purpose on the public
lands. A fourth work will be valuable
collection and analysis of the water laws,
customs and regulations of all countries