The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-21
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VI. NJ. MURDOCH. Editor.
CAN THEY STEAL THE ARKANSAS
RIVER2

water supply would ever become an
important or an absorbing question TO
the inhabitants along it's banks.
was always admitted that the amount
Of rainfall during a season might affect
other counties and communities dlt-
ferently situated But until within re-
cent years it has always been presumed
that the Arkansas river like the brook
Of poetry, would flow on forever 1t
was supposed that the current OF the
Stream would remain undiminished and
that its underfow would not be inten-
fionaIly lessened. The amount Of rain
fall upon the western prairies may, for
a short time and at certain seasons of
the year, increase or diminish the
amount of water flowing within the
river banks, but the adjoining land in
these river counties was first taken up
and occupied upon the presumption and
belief thai not only the current of the
river, but also its underfiow, would
through all the coming years remain
practically unchanged, at least I'M
changed by the hand and art Of man.
Years ago the cities and towns in these
lower river counties began building.
They grew and prospered because of
their healthful location surrounded by
q rich, fertile and well-watered soil,
and because Of the plentiful supply of
water from a full and actually flowing
river. In some of the larger cities ex-
cellent and extensive systems of drain
age have been put in at heavy expense,
which were located and constructed so
rs to meet the flow and natural drain
age Of the river as it was at that time.
The people had right to assume that
the sewerage of these cities would re-
main unaffected by the flow Of the
river. For a hundred miles along this
stream bottom land was pre-empted
and settled upon as bottom land, with
the expectation that it would remain
such. Mills were erected, and large
and extensive business interests, both
urban and rural, were built up and
adjusted according to the conditions as
they existed at that time, and an in
dispensable part of these conditions
was the Arkansas river as it then
flowed.
But these conditions have not re-
manned unchanged. The river has
fallen; its waters have been diminish
ed; its flow has nearly ceased; the cur
rent is gone; the underf1ow has been
decreased: bottom lands adjacent to
the stream have become uplands; or
charles end vineyards have dried up;
min wheels have ceased to turn, and
the mills themselves have been re-
moved, and for such purposes the |
stream ia not worth dam any longer;
the channel of the stream is rapidly
filling with sand and other obstruc-
tions; the natural drainage Of the cities
and towns has been materially affect
ed. and the artificial drainage has been
rendered less efficient, and the value of |
all riparian lands has been decreased; |
the usual flow of water in the Arkan- |
sas river has been cut off or greatly |
diminished.
.sThese facts have been forced upon |
VI attention. They have been and are
being carefully considered by some |
best farmers owning lands along !
banks, and the counsel of at
rs been sought Some COM |
u other states have found |
- similar conditions, and in |
he aid of the law has been |
Re irrigating plants have |
along the upper por-
and others are now
and when the water
Ceir full capacity, it
balance of the
{ taken for pur-
= T. :. yer banks will
Fl stream will
nd, and the
* diminished.
r bets before
& + and own
ed, have
our at
Re