The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-29
IRRIG ALTON.


Irrigation Company controls 1900 acres
which it proposes TO reclaim by sinking
artesian wells. In Kittitas county great
irrigation ditch has been projected, which,
when completed, will irrigate a large num-
Der of the best acres in the valley hitherto
uncultivated on account of no water. The
total number of acres redeemable with
water, in Eastern Washington and Oregon,
including arid and semi-arid lands, is esti.
mated at IS, 000 900.
Major Powell estimates that by proper
system of hydraulic works the Snake river
can be made to irrigate from 100000 to
5000, 900 of acres in Idaho, Oregon and
Washington. The artesian we'll has
greater capabilities Of irrigation than is
popularity supposed, for according to the
estimates of experts water filling q one
inch pipe, and flowing through it at the
speed Of four miles an hour, would cover
one acre of land to the depth Of one inch
in twenty-four hours. This would be am
pie water supply to crops for one week. OF
course the water would not be thrown one
inch deep over the entire acre, but the
quantity sufficient to have SO covered it
would be run into bitches between the
plant beds, and allowed to soak to the
roots of plants from the sides of the
bitches. By dividing the field into seven
plats and watering each plat every twenty
four hours, a one-inch flow would COM
pletely jrrigate seven acres of land.
By storing the water in suitable reser-
voir and turning it upon the ground only
when needed on account of rain deficiency,
1t might be made to irrigate near double
that acreage.
Irrigation has saved Colorado from the
fate of Western Kansas and Nebraska. In
Colorado there are no defaulted mortgages
among irrigated farm owners, for there is
really no possible way of farmer losing
his crop unless he is too lazy to turn on
the water when the crops need it. or too
lazy to turn it off when they have enough.
The recent Utah irrigation congress urged
upon the general government the policy of
ceding the irrigabia lands to the states in
which they are situated. Congress has
already authorized states to act together
in carrying out irrigation projects, so that
there is no insuperable obstacle in carry
ing out irrigation projects where the lands
to be irrigated lie in one state and the res
voirs must be placed in another state.
The method of irrigation under private
persons and corporations has yielded
splendid results in California, Utah and
elsewhere, but compared with irrigation
under direction of state or county govern
ments, it has the draw back Of being greatly
restricted and slow in accomplishment.
California has the Wright district irri-
CATION law, which permits any such dis
trict to sell bonds and use the proceeds
in carrying out irrigation projects. Ore
gon has similar law. In South Dakota
any county can vote to bond itself for the
purpose of sinking artesian wells to irri-
gate its arid lands.
In Colorado the state compels the return
OF unused water to the channels and treats
ditch corporations as common carriers,
not water owners. The land occuper and
tilier now pays as private rental for water
royalty of so much per acre and then
pays annually so much per acre for GER
tain quantity of water, but this system 10
giving way before the popular demand
that the state shall own, through purchase
or sequestration, and operate all the
main irrigation canals, bitches, reser.
voirs and other works. Washington,
Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming
and Idaho have adopted the Colorado con-
sututional positions and laws and prob
ably would be disposed to follow her if she
ever yields to the demand for state owner
ship and administration of irrigation
rather than the local ownership system of
California, which includes the issuing of
irrigation district bonds. In California.
Montana and other neighborhoods the
mountain reservoir Is necessary. The
artesian we'll system is well adapted to
South Dakota and parts Of Colorado, while
the underdow theory yields excellent re-
suits in Western Kansas and Nebraska.
Lands that are unstable at any price
bring when irrigated from $3l.40 an acre
in Wyoming to $Si25 an acre in Utah.
The Utah congress held that the general
government should locate the water sun
plies, survey for reservoirs and canals, and
KiVRalS aiA NAlS SpeCiLCallODS,
leaving the dltching and digging to be
done by private or state capital. The gen.
eral sentiment was pronounced against
the requirement of the water supply of
large areas by corporations, since corpo-
rate possession of water supplies
was unwelcome 10 the farmer who
may be dependent upon the water
for the fertility Of his farm.
The Utah congress fairly represented
popular sentiment in its recommendation
that the general government cede all these
arid lands and the adjacent water supplies
10 the states and territories in which they
lie in order that these states may prepare
these lands for settlement ana dispose of
them with water rights 20 the actual set
tiers. The state could at its discretion
make over the work OF irrigation 10 local
communities or counties, rs water is now
supplied TO cities ana towns by aqueducts.
or entrusted 20 corporations under certain
restrictions and superylslons as gas IS SUD-
piled or railroads run.
California has within five years invested
eS0 ns1 OlA =, ;r-iCaf;,r lad .n.--