Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-30
WESTERN LAKES DRIVING Up
---++-HIt ..
" heat Now Growing Where Fish
,' iNrre toncg Plentiful.

run i'N New NtFh Tines
1t was reported few years ago tina,
| the rainfall was incI easing on the east
ern edge OF the arid district. near thu. one
hundredth meridian, in the northwest. and
The current explanation of thus change was
that it had been caused by cultivation of
the soil. That is TO say, the farmers, NOV
| trg westward in Nebraska and Kansas, had
| induced larger rainfall by their own oI-
| eratlons, ana We're thus pushing back to-
ward the mountains the Boundary OF the
ard region. statistics appeared Tor a time
10 SUPPORT ta.S theory: only Toy a time,
however, for the supply OF moisture de-
creased and huiiuIedS OF farms and many
promising new towns nave since heen apaii-
uoheu M the region where CONDITIONS SEEM
ed TO have become permanently more ia
rorapie TO agriculture.
An inquiry recently made in Minnesota
and the paKotas concerning the lakes OF
tEoSe states SHOWS tnaI CULTIVATION tic
soll, Wn.ie eXeri,hg u,rectlN 10 percept,pie
iiliueuce upon Rainfall, mas been one OF the
causes OF large reduction OF lake area
ana OF surface suPpnes oil water. ANY one
VINO has examined Win care d lruSl wort ny
map oil Minnesota VIII remember that the
nUfuDer OF lanes IN tnat very large.
len years ago there were arout i,tHyU
tnem; put the hummer would De greatly re-
uuced on map trutn1uiiy representing
the topography oi the state at the presen.
Time. AHDut One-tHiru oil the lakes ina
were SHOWN by lie surveys of ten yea >
ago have disappeared. Wheat, flax OF grass
Was grown this year on the SIZES OF iIdnA
OF these bod,es OF water, others have be
come unSiRniy anu nnpaSSdDIe marshes,
ana tie Surface Levers or lakes refna. =
ing have been lowered by several 1eet. In
the DakoJas a similar cnaI.Se rs observed.
The ST. Paul fIoneer rress of the itn
instant pubiiSfleu Interesting reports from
many counties M Minnesota ana the Da-
| kotas as 10 tn,S REDUCTION OF lake area. W e
| nave space Tor oniy d pnef reference 10 the
| facts disclosed FROM almost every county
comes tie same Story-Sna1 lakes nave ELL
treiy disappeared and CIV en- way TO cuitl-
waited lanu, or have deSererated into
| marshes and mud holes, and large lakes
| have snrul Ken IN area and been lowered
| by Tour, I'VE CT even eight feet. Flax or
wheat has been growing where fish were
plentiful a lew years ago. From some
counues GENES the prediction that the re-
| naming lakes VIII dry up, ana that the
| farmers VIII be forced to rely upon artI-
| neral lrrgation WIN water from artes.ai
| wells. 1t may be noted that artesIan wells
| now IN use IN North dakota appear to haN t
| drawn water from neIgnpoTlng lakes winch
| have lost area and volume.
! While the reporting observers are not il
| complete agreement as to the causes oil
| tins change, the majority of them say that
| cultivation OF the soil has Withheld ram
water IRON the lakes and streams. The
| upcultlVated pralries, one remarks, pre-
| scented a smooth, compact surface, from
winch the rainfall qetckiy ran OF INTO the
| the lakes. Now the llghE loose cultivated
| SOL aDsorbs the water as fast as 1t fans
| and ii Is a rare thing to Zee water running
| from the fields TO the s4oughs when the
| ground is not frozen. Almost our entire
| rainfall is absorbed as fast as it falls, and
| instead of hiilmg our lakes it is filing oul
| granaries." 1t IS also pointed out that the
| snowfall has been deTicieat for some years
| past. The record Kept at st. Paul shows
| that the rainfall has been considerably be-
low the average SINCE 1SS2, except in one
| year.
| few of the resident observers, how
| ever, express the opplon that the dryness
| is temporary, and that the lakes will hi up
| again. The Indians have told them of SIM
| liar dry periods in the past, followed by a
| series OF wet seasons. 1t, is pointed out by
one reporter that after a lake has dried
down to a small pool 2almest invariably the
| bones of buffaloes may be found at the
| edge of the pool, which indicates that a
| similar reduction of lake area took place
| years ago. We find no reference to the ef-
| feet of the removal of the forests in GER
| tain parts OF Minnesota, although this may
| we'll have been considered. The situation
| of the region in which this Interesting
| change has taken place-around the source
| of the Mississippi and of the tributaries OF
| the Missour-makes it a matter of more
/ than local Importance