The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-01


should be very reassuring to the over
solici;cus friends of President Cleveland.
IRRIGATION FROM PRECIPITATION.
Below We give some extracts from
paper prepared by Mr.. II. L. Jackson.
city engineer of this city, and read be-
fore the irrigation convention at Sallna
on the eSth uit, which contains some
! very interesting and valuable data bear
ing upon the irrigation question in this
state:
The sixth biennial report of the State
Board of Agriculture of Kansas. volume
II, year 1887 10 1888, gives the annual
preclpitationS of water in rain and Snow,
as recorded at the various signal stations
located in the eastern half OF Kansas
for a period Of ten years, at about 80
inches, some points reaching IS inches,
whilst the western half, or say after an
elevation of 1000 feet is attained, at
about 30 inches, 20x36-56, or an aver
age preci pltation of say % inches, one
fifth OF this precipitation on Kansas soil
would amount, In found numbers, to
800, 900, 600 600 cubic feet OF water. This
would supply 69, $40 reservoirs one-fourth
or a mile square with five feet of water,
small lake for every 132 acres
Of land in Kansas. Think OF having
a reservoir on almost every section
Of land containing S,612, coo cubic feet
of water scattered all over this vast
domain, all Of which could be so located
that during the dry months the water
would be available for portions of this
tract or as much as would naturally be
IN cultivation, which would increase
the moisture tenfoid On the surface
and thereby bring up and retain the
moisture from below and at the same
time effectually cool and moisten the
atmosphere during the months of June,
July and August. Do you think tor
momeng the Kansas of the future
would bear even a semblance OF the
present Kansas? | think not All
who have lived in Kansas any length of
time know full we'll that with ample
moisture during the months named
Kansas would become veritable para
disc for the production of almost every
cereal and plant on the face of the
earth. The soil has all the nee
essary elements within itself for
the most boundless and varied
productions of all plants and
cereals, but at stated times lacks moist
ure and a humid atmosphere, all of
which can be obtained Ly the storage
system.
But, you ask, how are we to get this
water stored:
As matter of fact, Kansas cannot
much longer count on water coming
from outside her boundaries, but must
get ready to husband this precipitation
within her boundaries. Colorado has
about utilized all the water in the Ar.
kansas river before it reaches the west
ern line of Kansas. The Arkansas river
from the western boundary line OF Kan
sas is almost a thing of the past except
during long and heavy rainfalls, and
will in time become a slough, grown up
with willow bushes and cottonwood
trees if such growth is not destroyed by
the settlers contiguous to the river; and
SO with other important rivers having
their sources outside of the state.
But what we can do, is to have bitches
ready and duly cared for, and at flood
times store all water in suitable reser-
voirs, that comes down these rivers be-
fore it passes through Kansas, and the
same course should be provided with all
rayines and small creek be ready to
gather all flood water into reservoirs as
speedily as possible, that all may be
stored up for evaporation and irrigation.
Then have systematic organization in
every township, authorized by law to
throw up levers at. mouth of all ravines
and catch the water III as many small
Re servoirs as possible. But some one
would say the expense would he enorm-
Gus. | think not. If one-half of the
money voted in the aid of railrord ex-
tensions that were not needed, had been
expended in storing up water in Kansas
the benefit derived thereby would have
been 100 fold greater to the settlers in the
enhancement of their farms, and the pro-
ducts raised would have more than
trebled in five years and given the
railroads more than they could possibly
handle and open a field for competition
that would have gotten the same mile
age without the bond aid.
My judgement is that irrigation can
be more Systematically carried on from
below the surface than from above with
one-half the water commonally used by
flooding. Although l think but little
water would have to be drawn arti-
ficialiy from any of these reservoirs.
Evaporation and condensation would
cause ample precipitation for all neces-
sary demands.