Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-06
Grand to.aI ..1,l3o.3S 1,O67.9l 2,49S,;
AMOUNT OF MONEY INVESTED.

~
In the thirty-nne counties 1,2l6,52i acres
OF land have been placed under irrigation,
and the estimated increase in the value OF
the land on account OF the irrigation Is
80 ,732 1872, or at the rate OF IS per acre
The cost cf the irrigation work up to date
has been 81 SIG 1884. and the estimated cost
of the total mileage when the bitches now
in course OF construction are completed
reaches So l40,3 ,3S5.54. The largest amount
expended in any one county has been in
Dawson, where up to date the 263.75 miles OF
ditches. completed and in course Of con-
structon have cost S474S1323, and almost
as much more will be needed to complete
the work The number of acres in this
county receiving water frcm these ditches
Is 257 ,720, and the estimated increase in the
value of the land is $2,06l 100. Next to Daw-
son the county having already expended the
most money is Hitchcock where 1t has cost
$3.50, ,290.79 to prepare bitches for the water
ing Of 2,4SO acres it being estimated that
the completion of all the works in this
county will cost S225 027 In point OF num-
Der OF acres watered Deuel. county comes
next to Dawson, having l66,333 acres or
w.tered lands the cost up to date pelng
s45S44.25. and the estimated cost to com
pete all works. $35S,0i5 5.35. Adams county
comes for the smallest cost, It's one-haIt mlle
of ditch having been put in at an expense OF
$3.50, watering seventy acres of land and IN
creasing the value of the watered lands $50o,
or over double the cost of the ditch. Taklng
into consideration the small mileage the
most expensive works are In Franklin
county, where the 5.63 miles of ditch VIII
cost $23, SOB, watering 3i5 acres OF land. the
value of which is increased $3.50.
Uuder the law the applications filed with
tho State Board of Irrigation between April
A. 1895, and December 20, 1897, from 4l5
persons and companies who desire 20 appro-
pirate the public waters of the state are
distributed over ffty-two counties and foot
up to the following totals; Miles Of ditch
277O95 estimated cost, S6,573 ,35l.55; num-
ber of acres to be watered 3159797; esti-
mated increase in the value of the land
when placed under irrigation, S25,27S,S16.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICTS.
The act of 1895 authorized the establish
meat of irrigation districts so that terri
tory occupying a common watershed could
vote bonds to establish common ditch.
Some of the districts mentioned were formed
for the purpose of purchasing the old bitches,
SO that where necessary they could be
heightened and strengthened so as to be more
accessible and more valuable to the people
within the confnes of the district The irri-
CATION districts organized previous to De-
cember 30. 1897, were as follows
Custer county three: Douglas Grove,
Lillian and Middle Loup bonds voted, $751;
coo; lands to be covered $4,000 acres.
Garfield county, two: Forks and Willow
Springs; bonds voted, s39,SOO; lands to be
covered, 900 acres.
Keith county, one: Alfalfa; bonds voted,
$32, 900; lands to be covered, $500 acres.
Keith and Deuel. counties, one: Western (;
bonds voted, $4,000; lands to be covered.
IA 900 acres
Lincoln county, three: Maxwell and
Brady Island, Gasln and Suburban.; bonds
voted, slSS,O0O; lands to be covered, $4,000
acres,
Lincoln and Dawson counties, one: Lin
coin and Dawson county irrigation district;
bonds voted, S275,000; lands to be covered,
81, 900 acres.
Scots Bluff county one; Gering; boada
voted, $l15,O00; lands to be covered, 10000
acres.
SCOTS BLUM and Cheyenne counties, one