Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-06-22
BOARD OF IRRIGATION
he Government Experts on the
Water Supply Problem.
OF the Watersheds Necessary to
Practical Benefits From the
Work OF the Com mission
ers-Interesting Facts.

Washington, jun ia government
board OF irrigation has been organized
With the following members: Mark W.
Harrington, chief Of the weather bu-
eau. Charles w. Irish. chief Of the office
af irrigation inquiry; Milton Whitney, |
shlef OF the division of agricultural
sOlls; u. r.. Fernow, chief OF the for
,stry division; Il. r. Galloway. chief %
the division OF vegetable pathology;
Charles ID. Walcott, director Of the
United States geological survey: Daniel
NJ. Browning, commissioned OF Indian
Affairs; Henry Gannett, chief topogra-
pher OF the geological survey, and +. IL.
Newell, chief OF the division OF hydro
sraphy. geological survey, secretary Of
The board. All these men are experts
n their particular fields and through
them the results obtained by the diff
'ernnt investigators may be brought to-
sether. Mr.. Walc0tt will furnish the
board with Information as to the extent
ma location Of the arid lands and where
le thinks they can be redeemed. Prof.
HarringtOn's bureau will furnish infor-
nation in regard To the distribution II
ain and o fall. Mr.. Browning is au-
.horized by the department to assist
agriculture OF the Indian reservation
md TO give the Indians such information
as can be furnished in regard TO the bor-
ng for wells. making bitches and other
points. Mr.. Fernow has as part Of his
iuty to render decisions on rights Of
way for canals and reservoirs and the
administration OF the laws relating to
The acquisition of titles. Mr. irish will
answer Inquiries from individual farm
,rs in regard to irrigation. The division
)f photography. OF which Mr.. Newell is
chief, has perhaps the most important
part OF the practical work In the mel-
surement Of streams. Almost as i'm
p%ortant. though. Is the work Of NJ. Gal
,oway, whose bureau is collecting Sci
antifc data as 10 why. how and Vhen
plants need water and how the best re-
suits can be obtained. In this work he
s assisted by Mr.. Whitney.
Mr.. Newell, the secretary Of The board,
who Is thrown into closer communica-
ton with the arid districts and knows
more of the actual conditions, perhaps.
han some other members Of the board.
Is convinced Of the feasibility Of the
plans which have been projected. To
hoes not, however, believe with some Ct
he enthusiasts that the great work pro-
posed a be accomplished in a short
time. He has seen Ongress after con-
gress strike out the portions Of the APP
preparation bill referring 10 it or else
30 reduce the noun Of money as to
cripple his working force Of investi-
gators in the field and render any prac-
teal construction Impossible. with a
Few exceptions. except by private enter
prise and
"The possibilities q his arid region,
said Mr.. Newell. were first brought 10
the attention Of the public in 1878 by
Major j. w. Powell's report on the arid
regions Of the United States, which was
an outgrowth of the earlier surveys In
1887 the director OF the geological sur
yey was called upon by congress TO take
up the question Of irrigation and IN 1883
he was authorized to begin examina-
lions relating to water storage in natu-
ral and artificial reservoirs. the volume
Of the stream at different periods OF
the year and other questions relating 70
the subject. In the same year 800. coo
was appropriated and the irrigation
survey was created. The next year,
1889. the irrigation survey was extended
MIN Gal aIEt AaNBVAl vi F-OtsVNp d
made. Unfortunately in 1880 appropri-
atoms were discontinued. Notwith-
standing these ups and downs in the
matter OF the systematic
measurement OF the streams in the arid
region and the study OF the water re-
sources begun under the irrigation sur
vey, hay been carried on as incidental
to the topographic survey. Hut last
! Eaa I'm A1p1IGf m a nTx.anrfa ffAn - tDn
200 was made for this purpose. Tha IS
the history Of the study and application
IF irrigation by the government. It
may readily be seen that the $50, 900 as
allowed for my work now in the mea-
surement Of streams will not go very
far, but l am able with this 10 keep a
force of men in the field who can give
me some idea OF the volume OF water az
different seasons OF the year flowing in
the important streams in the arid re-
gion.
An appropriation Of 500, 600 would be
the least we could get along on. This
would allow about So, 900 for each state.
and we could make much more rapid
progress. The men employed on this
work In my division are stationed on
the larger streams at the most impor-
tant points for irrigation
They are paid for two readings OF the
current meter a day, and the reports
are sent here. BY means of these re-
ports we can tell the actual volume Of
water passing through any of these
streams at any time of the year. In
many cases IL is found hat while these
streams in the spring are raging tor
rents and for two or three months in
the year have considerable volume.
during a great part of the time they are
dried up. Therefore, IL this volume of
water in the spring We're detected
from its ordinary course into a reser-
voir 1t could be tapped and drawn on
at leisure during the dry season"
The current meter which Mr.. Newell
spoke of is a small brass affair not I'M
like the propeller of a ship. At each
revolution the screw touches a pin and
makes an electric contact. This is re-
corded on shore by means of an cleo
trical device. The current meters are
placed In the water at different depths
and the velocity Of the current at these
points is a:certafned. Then by comput-
ing the area of a cross section of the
stream the volume of water passing
can be a~scertained with tolerable cor
rectness. The geological survey also
uses a car travelling on a cable which
swings in places inaccessible to OBJ
servers afoot. This Is used frequently
for judging the mountain torrents In
the canyons.
One of the great difficulties which
the projectors OF irrigation plans have
had to contend with Is the control OF
locations. When a point is selected
from which the irrigation of a whole
tract or valley may be governed. cor
porations or individuals often get a
right to the land with the sole purpose
OF controlling the water supply and
making the people below them pay for
h use OF water. In many parts OF the
west men nav grown wealthy without
h stroke OF a pick by the use OF fore
sight in selecting land. Until laws are
passed giving the control of such points
- A att