The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-28
ARID LAND QUESTION
GOVERNMENT BOARD TO STUDY THE
IRRIGATION PROBLEM.

A government board of irrigation has
been organized with the following mem
bers: Mark w. Harrington, chief of the
weather bureau; Charles W. Irish, chief
of the office of irrigation inquiry; Mil
ton Whitney, chief of the division of
agricultural soils; B. E. Fernow, chief
OF the forestry division; B. T. Gallo
way, chief of the division of vegetable
pathology; Charles d. Walcott, director
OF the United States geological survey
Daniel M. Browning, commissioner of
Indian affairs; Henry Gannett, chief
topographer of the geological survey,
and f. lei. Newell, chief of the division
of photography, geological survey, Sec
rotary of the board. All these men are
experts in their particular fields, and
through them the results obtained by
the different Investigators may be
brought together.
Mr.. Newell, the secretary of the
board, who is thrown into closer COM
munication with the arid districts and
knows more of the actual conditions
perhaps than some othe1 members of the
board, is convinced ~ the feasibility of
the plans which lave been projected
He does not, however, believe with some
OF the enthusiasts that the great work
proposed can be accomplished in short
time. He has seen congress after con-
gress strike out the portions of the ap-
preparation bill referring to it or else so
reduce the amount of money as to Grip
pie his working force of investigators in
the field and render any practical con-
struction impossible, with few excep-
tions, except by private enterprise and
resource.
''The possibilities of this arid re-
gion," said Mr.. Newell, "were first
brought to 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 survey was called upon by
congress to take up the question of irri-
cation, and in 1888 he was authorized to
begin examinations relating to water
storage in natural and artificial reser-
voirs, the volume of the streams at diff
ferent periods of the year and other ques-
tions relating to the subject In the
same year 100000 was appropriated
and the irrigation survey was created.
The next year, 1889, the irrigation sur
vey was extended, and an appropriation
of $3.50, 900 was made. Unfortunately
in 1890 appropriations were discontin-
ued. Notwithstanding these ups and
downs in the matter of resources the sys-
tematic measurement of streams in the
arid region and the study of the water
resources, begun under the irrigation
survey, have been carried on as inciden
tai to the topographic survey. But last
year, in August, an appropriation OF
$50, 200 was made for this purpose.
''That is the history of the study and
application Of irrigation by the govern
ment 1t may readily be seen that the
$40, as allowed for my work now in
the measurement of streams will not go
very far, but am able with this to keep
a force of men in the field who can give
me some idea of the volume of water at
ullOIOuU SC6toOllO VI UllO yOCbl llOW
the important streams in the arid re-
gion. An appropriation of 100000
would be the least we could well get
along OH. This would allow about 3d.
900 for each state, and we could make
much more rapid progress. The men en-
ployed on this work in my division are
stationed on the larger streams, at the
most important points for irrigation
purposes. They are paid for two read
ings of the current meter day, and the
reports are sent here. By means of these
reports we can tell the actual volume of
water passing through any of these
streams at any time of the year. In
many cases it is found that while these
streams in the spring are often raging
torrents, and for two or three months in
the year have considerable volume, dur
ing a great part of the time they are
dried up. Therefore, if this volume of
water in the spring were DETECTED from
it's ordinary course into a reservoir, is
could be tapped and drawn on at leisure
during the dry season.
The current meter which Mr.. Newer
spoke of is small brass affair not un
like the propeller of a ship. At each rev
olution the screw touches a pin an
makes an electric contact. This is re
corded on shore by means of an electrical
device. The current meters are place1
in the water at different depths, and thu
velocity of the current at these points Is
ascertained. Then, by computing the
area of cross section of the stream, the
volume Of water passing can be ascer-
tanned with tolerable correctness. The
geological survey also uses car travel
ing on cable, which swings in places
inaccessible to observers afoot. This is
used frequently for judging the noun
tain torrents in the canyons.
One of the great difficulties which the
projectors of irrigation plans have had
to contend with is the control of loca-
lions. When a point is selected from
which the irrigation of whole tract or
valley may be governed, corporations or
individuals often get a right to the land
with the sole purpose of controlling the
water supply and making the people be-
low them pay for the use of water. In
many parts of the west men have grown
wealthy without the stroke of pick by
the use of foresight in selecting land.
Until laws are passed giving the control
Of such points to officials of states or the
Tinted StataS the DrODer DOrtiOnlnp of