The herald., 1893-10-16
POWELL'S PREDICTIONS IN PRINT
Reasons for Stirring UP the
Irrigation Congress
Says There is Insufficient water
to Irrigate the Lands.
Major Powell Graphically Describes tho
Situation from His Point OF
view-Ihres sourcee OF
Water supply.

Major POWELL, director oi tho on'sSu
States geological survey, created SEN
sation in the irrigation congress the
other day by asserting that the water
supply OF all sources is insuficient TO
irrigate all the lands.
Since his remarks were not thorough
ly understood by all the delegates IN at
tendance at the conference, the major
was sought out yesterday by HERALD
reporter, who obtained his ideas in the
simplest expression possible.
"Oh, you want my views again, do
you ?" asked Major Powell. "Weli,
this will make the third time have
made the same remarks, and am sure
that when the HERALD prints them no.
body can misconstrue the meaning.
Nov, to get down to the facts. The
region OF Grid land on which irrigation
is necessary begins on the great plains
on the ninety-seventh meridian and ex-
tends to the Pacific ocean-excepting
northwestern California, western Ore
gon und Washington. All OF this vast
area ie more than two-fifths OF the area
+ OF the United States, exclusive OF
Alaska.
"In all thie region there are very few
navigable rivers and those that can De
used are OF little utility to the people.
In general ail the rivers and their trib-
utaries can be used for irrigation with
out serious detriment to navigation.
.'The seaeonof irrigation is but part
of the year, and varies in different por-
tions of the country from two to six
months. There are thus from two to
ter months when the waters OF running
streams 90 to waste, unless they are
etofed. Now the chief source OF irriga-
tion is the warers of these running
streams, aud in order to utilize it all it
is necessary to store in reservoirs the
ran. Off from two TO ten months.
In addition to the waters of the per-
ennial streams mentioned. there are in
Vulnerable temporary etreams of storm
water: Little has been done in America
to utilize this storm water. In other
countries it has been used to great ad-
vantage.
There are beside this, the under
ground waters that can be utilized
from artesian and common wells and
from sand reservoirs, found especially
along the flood plains of the rivers and
creeks.
Thus there are three great sources of
water supply - stream water, storm
water and underground water.
Now the area where irrigation ia
practiced being nearly one-half OF the
United States, is OF great textent--nearly
one thousand million acres. A very i'm
portant part of this region is very
mountainous and not adapted to agri-
culture. Tue rainfall is not distributed
evenly over the entire region. Below
the valleys and plains have small rain
fall but the precipitation is concen-
trsted on tue mountains. To large
extent the catchment for the running
etrea ms is mountainous.
Irrigation must be practiced on
plains and in the valleys, and the water
TO be ueed from running streams must
come from the mountains. Probably
more than one fourth OF the area ID
nj ,uutainous. But all OF the plains aud
mountains cannot be irrigated. The
water is insufficient to serve them all. X.
''When sll of the running streams are
rsec and their waterD saved by reser-
voisa, and the entire run-off carried upon
cultivated lands; when all the storm
waters are used in the same manner,
and when all the underground waters
ore brought to the surface and used in
irrgation-the supply will still be in
sufficient for all the land. Let the
water be used in the most economical
manner. and every drop OF it saved for
irrigation by the best means that engi-
peering can devise. there will not be
more than one hundred million acres
irrigated out of the one thousand mill
ion, west OF the ninety meri-
dian.
That's about the end of my state
ment," said Major Powell, as he arose
and began walking to and fro across the
room.
''Oh, you might add, he said, "that
leaving out the mountains too rugged
for agriculture and the deserts that cum
not be supplied with water, and consid-
ering the remaining areas, these facts
appear: Not all the remaining areas
can be irrigated. The water is INSULT
cient 10 serve them. OF the lands thus
described part has been given to the
railway companies; another part has
been disposed OF by the government to
individuals, as pre.emption tracts,
homesteads, desert land and timber
culture tracts. A 0ne-third part still
remaine in the hands OF the general
government.
IF all the water of the arid region
were conserved and economically used,
the amount is not sufficient to irrigate
oil the lands now owned by individuals.
There are tracts OF land on the Mis-
sourl river and its tributaries. others on
the Columbia and its tributaries, others
on the Snake river and it's tributaries,
and still others on the Colorado river
and it's tributaries, where the waters can
be taken out in large quantities by great
= enterprises, and the lands to great ex-
tent Htill belong to the government.
These waters to any great amount can
not be taken to private lands. The
amount OF these lands considered in
acres 10 great, but in comparison with
Jail the rest, very small.
Z 81 Now, that is the situation, based
upon facts" said the major, as he babe
the interviewer adieu, land ! think
that some day the irrigation congress
delegates will be brought to my way OF
thinking"
AN IMPRESSiBLE EXCURSION.