The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-06-11
HE IRRIGATION CONGRESS,

In accordance with resolution adopted
| by the chamber of commerce, Governor
THOMAS has invited the executives of the
trans Mississippi states to appoint dele
/ gates to an irrigation congress to be held
in this city next September. There should
be favorable response, and Will be if the
governors are alive to one of the most i'm
portant problems in all this section. Utah
may almost be said to be the pioneer in the
field of artificial irrigation. The Mexicans
had a crude system, and that only imper
fectly developed; but nowhere was irriga-
tioa known or practiced as in this terri
tory. About the first thing that the early
settlers here did was to dig bitches and get
the water upon the soil. 1t was necessity
which inspired them to this experiment,
for it was an experiment The result Of
that beginning is seen to-day in system
of irrigation bitches and canals extending
from one end Of the territory to the other,
comprehending all the available streams,
and bringing under fruitful cultiva-
ton thousands of acres of land
which would otherwise be as worthless as
Sahara. Colorado, Idaho, Arizona and ev en-
ence, and elaborated on the system here
devised. 1t is, therefore, appropriate that
the coming congress should be held here
where the first lessons in scientific irriga-
ton were learned.
The chief object OF the congress, as we
understand it, is not to discuss irrigation
as a system but to inaugurate movement
which will enlarge the system in its appli-
cation, and induce government aid to that
enlargement. II we understand the popu-
lar sentiment of the people interested. the
assistance asked is not monetary, nor is
any help desired if the aid is to be accom-
panied by federal control. What is wanted
is the lanG-barren and worthless without
irrigation-which shall be made productive
and valuable by the money and labor of
the respective states, 1t seems to US that
the request is so reasonable that Ii cannot
be refused. To-day the agricultural pro-
ductiveness Of Utah is approaching its
limit, unless there should be a development
of other than our present water supply.
1t may be said that practically the streams
have all been appropriated, and very little
additional land can be brought under cult
EallOn unIll There has DeSu d QcNelOpUlcLL
of water resource; and yet only a small:
of the land which can be
made productive by irrigation has
been touched by the plow. Will
it be asking too much to request
that if these barren wastes, now unin-
habited and utterly worthless, shall be
given to those who shall make then valu-
able!
We believe that if Utah shall be given
the land, now useless. which she will make
productive, a grand System of reservoirs
will be developed and in few years the
agricultural products of the territory will
be increased many fold, and homes and
profitable employment be found for thou
sands of worthy people.
The congress will certainly result in
good. If the several arid and semi-arid
states will go into the movement with heart
and spirit they will accomplish what is
desired, and populous, prosperous COM
munities will soon inhabit valleys and
plateaus now valuable only for holding
better parts of the country together.