Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1893-10-25
Current News.


In his paper treating of the results
obtained by the Federal Geological
Survey and by the Census Bureau,
+. H. Newell of the Department of
the Interior gave great deal of val
liable information at the Internal
ional Irrigation Convention held at
Los Angeles last week. He de-
scribed the great map of the United
States, which is now being made by
the Geological Survey. 1t is being
made in small sheets about fifteen
inches wide by twenty long, and
these can be combined together to
show any desired area or political
division. They exhibit the character
of the surveys size of the catchment
areas and their relations to irrigable
lands. Although prepared primarily
for geological purposes, they are of
practical utility in considerations of
water supply and of the general dew
elopment of the country. The fol-
lowing are some extracts taken
from his paper.
at is obvious said Mr.. Newell,
that there is far more land than
can be brought under irrigation by
our present method, and that to
reach the highest state of develop
ment it will be essential to have a
complete knowledge of the actual
water supply. AT present we do
not know how many portions of the
arid region can be reclaimed, and it
is only by careful study of the
water conditions that the broad
deserts of the West and the undula-
ting plains of the Suntlower State
can be brought to the highest con
dition of cultivation
Storage dams as a rule outside of
Southern California have not been
successful. Many have failed from
lack of proper care or forethought
in construction. There is pressing
need for a thorough supervision of
all such structures. The great prof
its of irrigation, taking the country
as whole, have been made by the
farmers who, owning barren lands
have combined to take out the water
from some convenient stream. Their
returns have been phenomenal, but
unfortunately such opportunities no
longer exist to any notable extent.
Men with small capital or none at all
cannot divert water, for streams
which can be handled by them are
no longer left unclaimed.
In considerations of great projects
of national or State Importance it
appears that we can draw few les
sons from abroad. Our rivers,
though large, are insignificant when
compared to the Nile or the great
rivers OF India1or of Southern Europe.
The ways of controlling the water-of
diverting it. or of distributing it
must be worked out here in America,
and so devised as to be applicable to
American ideas and customs, In ex-
amining the reports of the General
T on1 nHon - ie, n arlyo hi fa NIB ot
extent the arid domain has been
taken up. Although millions of
acres remain unclaimed, yet most of
the choice portions have been filed
upon. Our Western people are in
their own affairs far-sighted They
have looked into the probabilities of
development, and wherever land can
be irrigated, wherever reservoirs can
be made, some man has taken a
claim, either to make home for
himself or to sell Thus it is that in
nearly every large project which can
be now inaugurated the national
Government is but part owner of the
land, and purchases must be made
from individuals in order to complete
any large enterprise. The prices
asked or the cost of condemnation is
by no means low. In short. the
National Government as land
owner has far less direct interest IN
the matter than is generally sup
posed.
A dispatch from London states
that the Orkney Islands mailboat