The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-12
TO 1RR1eArE OUR ARID LANDS.
Ths Systems Recommended for Water
STORAGE in the West.

| Storage in the West.
WASHINGTON. May 1.-Two reports are
before the Senate from It's Committee on the
| Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands.
One sets forth that the total area OF tho United
| States. exclusive OF Alaska is little more
than 100000 square miles, and that over one
third OF It must have artificial Irrigation TO In
sure regular annual crops The report there
fore recommends a general system Of storage
reservoirs for the arid lands, and careful des-
ignation OF certain lands now arid az irrigable.
with provisions for their sale as homesteads.
The other report, handed IN by the minority,
agrees In the necessity OF completing the irrl-
cation survey now in progress. and the desig-
nation Of irrigable lands. but lays stress on
preventing the aggregation OF the water sup
ply OF the arid regions in the hands Of cattle
syndlcates great individual land owners. and
mining and other corporations to the detri-
ment OF small farmers. It declares that tho
majority bill is drawn in the interest OF the
great cattle and irrgatinR companies. instead
OF the homestead farmer.
The general policy OF taking possession OF
valleys and Gorges through which streams
pass as reservoir sites. whore the surplus flow
during freshets can be stored and Rfterward
distributed during droughts. has already been
sanctioned BY Congress. Large appropriations
have been made for the survey and segrega-
ton OF SUCH sites. The act of Oct. 9. 1883. APP
OF March .. 1889, gave si50O(O more; the aH.
propriation for the next fiscal year has not yet
sSSn made s 9 il w. +. equal ON S or S
March 1888 that Congress called on the In
terror Department to Investigate the subject,
us action has certainly been prompt and lib
been been reserved II the states q California COZ
Idaho. Utah. and New Mexico.
The Surveyor, General FOR Idaho has, since
IN that Territory and made to produce from
vegetables whereas without storage RESERVOIRS
already nearly been rea%Eed The snryeyor
General for Nevada says that impounding wa
though in some V cases ' It RaS beSn 'hbr rongt
many miles from dams in mountain gorGes
with the effect OF yielding crops TO the value OF
brush grow.
Up TO the present time the preliminary work
Of Investigation aud survey Is all that has been
authorized by Congress-, and this should
nonGGtiess continue to be the character OF the
Government. The necessity H"f Tor 4 its interve .
ton arises. from various causes. In the
Trst place, the matter concerns public lands. |
sites belongs to the general Gov ernme mt alone. |
Again; the Government has in operation a sys- |
fem OF surveys 10 which this work properly be. |
longs. Still another consideration is that the |
enhancement IN value OF public lands. with the |
SaS m n al Gsop yin PrS
veys. Finally. disputed claims over streams |
which water more than ono state or Territory |
require the control OF the general Government |
n On the other hand II will not do for the
pletinR the details of irrigation for an area
which aggregates. as the Senate Committee
says, over a mill Ion square miles. That Is n
private enterprise. What tho Government |
might do Ia TO prevent any needless extensio
OF that system OF water monopoly in the West,
ny which wealthy companies appTopriating all
the water avaiah !" FOR hundreds Of farms dig
bitches for irgigatug LANDS which they control
and sell. to the detriment of others who may
attempt settlement on neighboring lands. To
me states and TO private enterprise may prop
eriy be left all that portion of the problem
which comes after the selection and the seq
regation OF storage sites, and the delineation
81 irrfgahle lands. with arrangements for their
Us homesteads.