Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-07
WATER STORAGE
Development Of Agricultural Lands
of the West Progressing
Slowly Now.
CAPITAL WILL NOT WAIT
If Reservoir Locations Be Properly Made
and Structures Economically Built the
Government Will Profit by the
Enterprise.

On the subject of water storage by
the government, in which New Mexico
is so vitality interested, F. H. Newell,
photographer of the United States geo
logical survey, writes as follows:
The first important problem that can
come to any body of men, commercial or
otherwise, in the west, is that of the
increased utilization and development
of the vacant lands both in public and
private ownership. Before the question
most of the other matters sink into COM
parative insignilicance, for without an
increase in population and productive
capacity the west cannot continue to
furnish a market for the manufacture
or a field of operation for the varied in
dustries of the country.
While it has been demonstrated that
irrigation investments on a large scale
do not return a fair interest to the per-
som who furnish the money, yet, on the
other hand, there is no doubt that, tax
ing the community as a whole, the bene-
fits are far beyond the first cost; but,
unfortunately, these benefits do not re-
dound to the advantage of the men who
furnished the capital and have taken all
the risk and trouble of managing a large
enterprise. These facts, although rec
ognized for some years. have been so IN
palatable to the promoters of the coun-
try that the men who have been contin-
ually assailed and the correctness of
their statements called into account.
The truth, however much we dislike to
admit it, is so generally recognized that
it is worse than useless to attempt to con-
ceal the actual conditions.
In order to increase the available sup
ply two methods are especially promin-
ent. The first is that of storage of the
floods or winter waters, and the second
is by running water from underground
or from streams from which it can not
be taken by gravity. Pumping is es-
sentially the problem of the great plains
region, and to a less extent for many
parts of the west. 1t is particularly i'm
portant in many portions of California.
where the conditions are such that
water storage can not be had.
Pumping water may suffice for the
great plains and for some favored val.
leys, but for the arid west as a whole
water conservation is the only source Of
relief. 1t is useless to hope that this
will come through private enterprise.
Reservoirs, mostly small. may be bull
here or there by corporations having
the increase of supplies for a city OF
suburban population, but they can moi
be constructed for a development Of
great areas of improved or partially i'm
proved farming land. These must either
lie idle or united action must be taken
along definite lines established by are
full investigation and expert report.
The Importance of water storage has
already been recognized by the congress
of the United States, but the efforts Of
Senator Warren, of Wyoming, and othel
| western senators have not been a:
strongly sustained as is necessary
be continually and strongly backed by
the great commercial and transporta
ton interests of the country, as wei
by the people at large. If the loca
tions are wisely selected and the struct
ures are economically built, there is ne
doubt that storage works will return
directly and indirectly their cost, anC
ultimately a reasonable percentage OF
the investment, especially if we take
the increased values of all taxable prop
erty. The funds thus used, if appropri
ated by the state or nation, will ulti
mately come back and can be used ovel
and over again. These funds can not
be made available until the united senti
ment of the country demands forward
movement along definite lines.
1t is a waste of time to talk about
private capital constructing these great
works, and less than useless to argue
that the capitalist ought to be willing to
take the risk of building great storage
works with the possibility of receiving
his money back again, if successful
after the lapse of many years.