Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-02-08
IRRIGATION MEMORIAL
Pertaining 10 The Reclamation Of
Arid Public Lands.
THE DOCUMENT IN FULL
IA Presented 10 The United States
Standardization Of Territorial
Lands Asked.

The following memorial, drafted by
tho committee whose names are here
unto attached, has been presented In
the United States Senate by Senator
Sanders of Montana:
To the Honorable, the Senate and
House Of Representatives in Con.
grcss Assembled;
Your memorinlists represent that IN
pursuance Of n call issued by the Hon.
Arthur l.. Thomas, Governor Of Utah,
for convention "to consider matters
pertaining TO the reclamation OF tho
arid public lands Of the West,n the
Irrigation Congress mot Mt Salt Lake
City on September 10, 1891, and re-
manned In session for three days. There
were delegates In attendance from the
States " California, Colorado, Idaho,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
Oregon, Texas and Wyoming, and the
Territories OF Utah aud New Mexico,
and tho body was In notable degree
representative of that large section Of
the Union In which the rainfall IN
inadequate Tor tho purposes OF agri.
culture.
The sonse OF tho congress was EN-.
bodied In the following resolutions:
Rosolyod, That this congress Ia In IA
vor Of granting In trust, upon such con-
ditions ~ shall serve the public inter-
est, 10 the States and Territories needful
Of irrigation, all lands now u part of tho
public domain within such SmtOi aud
Territories, excepting mineral lands for
the purpose OF developing irrigation. IN
render the lands now arid fertile and
capable Of supporting population.
Resolved, That II In tho sonse Of this
convention that tho committee SOLICITED to
prepare and present to Congress tho
memorial OF this convention respecting
public lands, should ask M q preliminary
to the cossion ofall the land In the Terri
tories In accordance with tho resolutions
Of tho convention, n liberal grant to said
Territories and to the States to DO formed
therefrom. Of the public lands 10 be de-
voted 10 public school purposes.
Whereas, Large areas OF arid lands and
aomi arid lands, situated upon tho grea.
plains In the Dakotas, western Nebraska,
Kansas and Oklahoma, were settled upon
Ia good faith by home soakors, under the
Fupposition that they woro entering
agricultural lands, and
Whereas, Tho sottlors upon such lands
have expended much time and labor up
on the same, and paid into tho United
States treasury therefore many millions
Of dollars, only To discover that irriga-
iion TO greater or loss extent, ~ nccos-
sary In making homo. for themselves
thereon. Therefore, DO II
Resolved, That the representatives OF
all OF tho States and Territories directly
concerned In irrigation, do hereby pledge
their unwaVoring support to tho just do.
mand- OF such settlers, that tho gener al
government shall donate ut least n portion
OF the funds received from the sale OF
such lands toward tho procurement Of
the means necessary for their irrigation.
Resolved, That this Congress heartily
endorse tbs Irrigation work OF tho Agri-
cultural Department Of tho National
government In tho collection and disem.
nation OF Information, especially Its adj
mlrablo progress reports covering tho
whole field Of irrigation development,
and that II mvors large appropriations for
this work hereafter.
II IL submitted that the consldera-
tlone In support OF tho requeHt expressed
In the first Of the above resolutions are
OF very cogent character. IL IL I'M
deniably true that the general govern
ment has nearly reached the limit OF
it, capacity TO provide homes for sett-
lors upon the public domain. The
tracts now remaining are almost wholly
such na can not be sold or otherwise
disposed OF under the liberal rovlsions
OF our land laws. Referring to the
area embraced in tho terms OF the
resolution, the condition is found to be-
that lands
suscEPrIDLE OF IRRIGATION
Mt n practicable cost are occupied, and
that those which arc still subject to en-
try can only DO fitted Tor cultivation by
systems Of canals, reservoirs or arteslan
wells, involving expenditures quite be-
yond the resources Of individual sett-
lers.
The topography and other physical
conditions that must be overcome In
the work Of utilizing water for the pur-
poses Of agriculture are not widely un-
uerstoUd. The ultimate sources OF the
streams that provide tho only avail.
able water supply aro the SHOWS that
Ire deposited on the mountain
tops aud In deep recessos Of the can
yons. In the spring these SHOWS melt
rapidly and form raging torrents that
cut deep channels In their pathway.
Thus when they enter the valleys they
are far below the levels OF the lands
which they are TO reclaim. This con.
dition renders II necessary TO fix the
point OF diversion
PAR VI THE CANYON
upon the rocky mountain sides, and TO
construct Ion canals and fumes 10
conduct the water at the required
height to be delivered upon the sue.
cessive benches that lie below.
The waste Of water before tho season
of irrigation commences Is another
potent factor Of expense, In the spring
the now OF water il the largest, for
obvious reasons, and then vRat volumes
run to waste. Later, the supply de-
crcases and is the least when most
needed for tho nOurish meut OF growing
crops. 10 prevent this the only
efficient remedy Ia to impound this
water In large storage reservoirs, which
can only be constructed at an enormous
cost.
II Ia not TO be assumed that because
the reclamation Of the arid region in
wolves the expenditure Of large sums
OF money, II Is therefore impncticabls.
ON the contrary, 1t can DO fully just =
fed as u business enterprise. Compare
the yield In agricultural products OF
lands cultivated with the aid Of irrlgs-
ton with the yield of lands that are
wRtered by the natural rainfall, and
lie difference viii DO found to be from