The Globe-republican., 1897-06-17
STORING SURPLUS WATER.

is an evidence of the cost of expert
ment without a judicious knowledge
of the means employed or of the re-
suits to be obtained. But experiment
after experiment will be made until
the proper methods are used in util-
izing the surplus waters or of the
underfow waters, for the purposes OF
irrigation and promoting humidity.
That the problem will be solved
admits of no doubt. A continued
persistence in experiment will bring
about desired results. The Topeka
Journal alludes to the late state exper-
iment by wind mill pumps, and also
contains an article on the system of
reservoirs being adopted in South
Dakota. We quote the Journal:
The matter of irrigation, which at
tracted SD much attention in the
State for awhile, leading to the ex
penditure of a considerable amount
of puhlic 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 wa
ter for agricultural purposes was
made last winter, when a bill was in :
troduced in the legislature to en-
courage 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 substan-
tial is done.
The attitude of the people toward
the question of a water supply is
much like that of the squatter in Ar
kansas 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 tEa legisla-
ture at its last session passed 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 any of
the legal voters of such county. to be
determined by the poll books of the
last election, proceed to build dams
across streams, to cut bitches and
prepare to store all surplus
water.
Stacy Cochrane, State Engineer IF
Irrigation, has just completed an off
cial trip over the State, which was
taken for the purpose of interesting
he people in the new law and the
adoption of its provisions. He has
been investigating the subject of
moisture and the causes of
lack of moisture in come parts of the
State. According to the records the
average rainfall in South Dakota dur
ing the decade ending in 1891
to about Is inches.
The history of the northwest shows
hat great fall of snow in the win
Tor has invariably been followed by
An abundance of moisture during the
ensuing season. As the winters
have become milder and the snow
Eall propcrtionately less the sloughs
have become dry early in the season
and the more shallow lakes have
1ried up. Drouth has been the re-
'ult. Engineer Cochrane declares
hat where there have been lakes in
he semi-arid portions Of the State
here have been more local showers
han in other parts; when lakes have
,ecome dry the showers have almost
ceased.
The engineer reports that in man5