The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-10
A REVIVAL NEEDED.

The matter of irrigation, which at
tracted so much attention in the state
for awhile, leading to the expenditure
of a considerable amount of public
money in experiment, seems almost
to have passed out of the minds of the
people. The last move made in the
direction of securing an adequate and
certain supply of water for agricultural
purposes was made last winter, when
a bill was introduced in the legislature
to encourage the building of ponds.
Then rain came and nothing more has
been heard of irrigation.
This condition of apathy will prob
ably continue until there comes a Sc
we're dry SPELL" as there does almost
every year, when people will again talk
irrigation. But as usual, rain will
come before anything substantial is
done.
The attitude of the people toward the
question of a water supply is much like
that of the squatter in Arkansas who
had no roof on his house. When it
rained he couldn't put on a roof, and
when it didn't he needed none.
In this connection it is interesting to
note what is being done in other
states. In South Dakota the Iegfsla-
ture at it's last session passed a law
providing for the construction of dams
for the storage of surplus water in
lakes. rivers or other waterways for
public use.
The law provides that all surplus
water above the normal amount in
lakes, rivers, creeks or other bodies of
water be appropriated to the use and
benefit of the people. The board of
county commissioners in any county
shall upon petition of a majority of the
legal voters of such county. to be de
termined by the poll books of the last
election, proceed to build dams across
streams, to cut bitches and otherwise
prepare to store all surplus water.
Stacy Cochrane, state engineer of ir-
rigatiOn, has just completed an official
trip over the state, which was taken
for the purpose of interesting the peo-
pie in the new law and the adoption
of its provisions. He has been in
vestigating the subject of rainfall
moisture and the causes of lack of
moisture in some parts of the state.
According to his records the average
rainfall in South Dakota during the
decade ending in 1891 amounted to
about 25 inches.
The history of the northwest shows
that a great fall of snow in the winter
has invariably been followed by an
abundance of moisture during the en-
suing summer. As the winters have
become milder and the snowfall pro
portionateIy less the sloughs have be
come dry early in the season and the
more shallow lakes have dried up.
Drouth has been the result. Engineer
Cochrane declares that where there
have been lakes in the semi-arid por-
tons of the state there have been more
local showers than in other parts; when
lakes have become dry the showers
have almost ceased.
The engineer reports that in many
counties the people are taking great
interest in the work and will use part
Of their road and bridge funds to build
dams on section lines instead of build
ing bridges over runs that are dry ten
months in each year.
1t is figured that if these dams are
built, filing the state with small lakes,
there is not only a probability that the
humidity of the state will be greatly
increased, but these ponds will furnish
water for stock, thereby more than
paying for the expense of construction
The water can also be used for irriga-
ton purposes if desired.