The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-03-29

IEct> About Irrigation.
The following general statements
from an advance copy OF q circular
soon to be issued by Charles j. Wal
colt. director Of the United States geo
logical survey, viii Be of interest 10
hansans, covering, as they do. most
of the questions usually asked con-
corning the character and results of in
vestigation Of water supply, irrigation
and relative subjects.
In the prosecution Of the field work
of the survey and its predecessors-the
exploration and mapping of great areas
Of the public lands-the broader ques-
tions Of irrigation and of possible re
cldmatiOn of portions Of the arid region
were Of necessity constantly in mind.
The possibilities OF this region were
brought 10 the attention Of the public
in 1873 by Major J. ". POweils Re
port on the Lands of the Arid Region OF
the United States which was an out
growth of the earlier surveys. In 1887
the director Of the geological survey
was called upon by congress To con
slider the questions of irrigation. and
by joint resolution Of March 20, 1S>>.
he is authorized and directed q make
examinations relating 20 water storage
the volume Of streams and similar Ques-
tiOns.
BY act Of Oct. .. 1883. the irrigation
survey was created, and by act OF
March >. 1859. it was extended; but its
operations were abruptly terminated
by discontiauance OF appropriations
Aug. so, 1890. The act of this date re-
pealS the law affecting the Withdrawals
of public lands, but leaves on the stat
ute books authority for investigating
the extent 10 which the arid regions
OF the United States can be redeemed
by irrigation and for field work,
Congress. by various enactmentS
has recognized and distinguished two
classes OF Investigations pertaining u
irrigation. on the one hand. it has
placed under the department Of aSrl-
culture the consideration of questions
of immediate practical Importance 10
the individual farmer. such as methods
of cUltivaJiug the soil by irrigation,
these being nearly related 20 the work
of the bOtanist, the soil physicist and
other experts. on the other hand,
those subjects relating 60 water re-
sources and to the possibility OF future
development Of the public lands-sub-
jectS which are Of interest 10 the Clti-
zens as q whole and which uecessitate
broad surveys. measurements and field
investiga tiOnS-haVe naturally been
J =
acter in the department OF ths interior.
BY this classificat tiOn. the examination
Of the resources Of the country whether
I'm minerals, i'm solids or IN waters.
comes under one mead and is joined 10
the administration Of public lands.
Systematic measurement Of streams
Of the arid regions and stud OF water
resources Were begun under the i~riga-
tion survey. and some a. this work has
been continued as incidental tu top1-
graphic surveys Ev the act OF Aug
IS. 1884, a specific appropriation was
made for this class of work and "A fur
ther appropriation therefor was made
by the act approved March 2lNs5. the
item reading as follows. For -auclu-
the streams and determining tt~ water
supply of the United States. Including
the Investigation Cf underground cur
rents ana artasian wells IN arid and
semi-arld sections
The report of this survey relating %
irrigation has been published as parts
of the annual report ~ rEe director.
The first annual report of the irrigation
survey <Crrus part 3 ~ the tenth annual
rep0rt..Cf the United States e-ri1Lf-ai
survey. -f,S-ss u consists ~ l-i pages
and IS devoted mainly o. preliminary
plans Of u statement ~ progress The
second report 81 tho irrigation survey
forms part e. ~ the eleventh annual re-
port OF the United States geological sur
vey. 1sse-s5. IL contains 5s1 pages. Sd
plates and : figures. and describe the
river uar-Ire-u-,l IT'S. The surveys for
canals ana reservoirs. and the general
topographic mapping. giving 70 tL= end
81 ii-t ~ i-r---laG a--r' fs.
third annual report ~. the irrigation
survey forms part "+ fl- tV".ttr sr-
uuai report rl th- United states r-eia-
gieaI SURVEY. IseC-+I. I- contains $50
i q