, 1890-11-01
Reports of State Engineer and Fish
Commissioner.
Interesting Data and Crisp Comment
Y BY Prof. Mead.
Louis MlIIer's Account of Work OF
the Hatchery.
PROF MEADE's REPORT.

tratiye duties, including supervision of
work of water commissioners, recording
of DEGREES and records connected with the
engineers certificates had to be attended
to, but aside from these the work of the
office was necessarily limited to such field
work as could not be suspended without
serious loss to the public. In this class
were river guagings and Investigations on
the duty of water. In both cases the
engineer has advanced the money needed.
Observers have been kind In accepting
nominal fees and NJ. R. Johnston has
served without compensation.
An important extension of field work
last year was the establishment Of a
permanent ~Kuaging station on Clear
creek, near Buffalo. This stream supplies
one Of the most important farming dis
tricts in the state and proceedings have
been instituted to have the claims of over
200 appropriations adjudicated.
Investigations conducted by the general
government have aroused interest in Irri-
CATION and in the agricultural sourc
of this section. As a result a large mum
Der Of inquiries have been made at the en-
g%ineer's Office. In reply about I6, 200
copies of the comprehensive report Of 1889
have been forwarded.
The character OF tho public land laws
has made this an runfavorable year for
ditch building or the extension of irri-
gated area. The law Withdrawing public
lands from entry or sale was in effect un-
til midsummer and until repealed was an
absolute barrier to canal construction or
immigration of farmers. Even since its
repeal the uncertainty as to possible fu-
ture action has tended to delay investment
in works OF considerable magnitude.
Most work has been in the western part
of the state. Along the tributaries OF
Green river considerable land has been re-
claimed aud construction begun on one
large canal. In other parts of the state
but little has been accomplished in the
way of building new works, the tendency
being to await further action by congress
in regard to the public land and enact
ment Of state laws controlling public wa
tiers. The year has been a very prosper
Gus one for farmers under completed
bitches. There has been an abundance
of water in the west and but few instances
OF scanty supply elsewhere. Crops have
been heavy and Of excellent quality. A
signal illustration of the advantages of
farming by irrigation is afforded by the
contrast between the results in Western
Wyoming and the rainbelt adjoining this
state on the east
Prof Mead discusses at length the legal
aspect of water disputes and offers some
practical suggestions,
While the attention given the question
OF governments aid to irrigation has not
led to the adoption any definite policy on
the part of the government, or the
bestowal Of any material aid on the arid
states it has on the whole been satisfactory
to those most deeply concerned. The re-
peal of the law segregating the irrigable
lands averted what threatened to be a
serious misfortune to Wyoming and other
states similar physically. Ifleft in opera-
ton 1t would have suspended for an in
definite time expansion OF u aEricultu-
rGi area and seriously Interfered with other
material Interests The conditions attend
ing the OF arid lands came to
be better understood during the discussion
OF this measure and there is now q more