The Philipsburg mail., 1899-02-24
NEW ERA FOR THE WEST
The Waters Which Are Now Running te
Waste Should Be Saved.
FEDERAL STORAGE RESERVOIRS
for Their Construction to
BE Made Under the River and Har-
Dor Bill-Senator Carter Fa-
vOrs This Measure.

The federal government has expended
over $500. 900, 900 for internal improve
ments, but so far water storage has no
been included in the policy. Million!
have been and are being expended fol
protection against floods and to raise
the water at low stages for navigation
on the Missouri and Mississippi.
Investigations by government off.
cials have shown that natural sites ex.
ist for building reservoirs in the Rocky
Mountain region of such vast extent
that enormous quantities of the flood
waters can be held back for use in the
dry season for navigation and irriga
ton, and that the adoption of such a
policy by the national government
would eventually result in the recla-
nation and settlement of the whole
arid region.
The reports Of the geological survey
contain vast amount of interesting
data as to these reservoir sites, with
maps showing their area, capacity,
and location in nearly every arid state,
and the geological survey, under the
direction OF the photographer of the
survey, Mr. +. IL. Newell, has just is
sued pamphlet giving many details
as to these matters, under a senate res
olution calling for the information.
Under the last river and barber bill,
through the efforts of Senator Warren,
OF Wyoming, an appropriation was
made for the survey OF reservoir sites
in Colorado and Wyoming. and for a
report on the feasibility and desirable
ity of their construction. Col. Hiram
nj. Chittenden, secretary Of the Mis-.
souri, river commission, was detailed
by the war department to make the
surveys, and i'll his report he conclu-
sively demonstrated the vast national
benefits which would flow from the
adoption OF nationl policy under
which One-seventh of the total amount
OF each river and harbOr bill should be
set apart to build comprehensive
system of storage reservoirs throughout
the west
The final conclusions of this elabo-
rate and comprehensive report, as
stated by Col. Chlttenden, were as fol-
lows
!Ho ACleSoiHS eAaiu lLatlOn mas led
up the following conclusions:
"First-A comprehensive reservoir
system in the arid regions of the
United States is absolutely essential
to the future welfare of this portion of
the national domain
Second-lt is not possible to secure
the best development of such a system
except through the agency of the gen.
eral government.
The purpose of this policy of federal
storage reservoir construction is, as
stated in this report, "to enlarge and
the natural resources of the
streams, leaving the use of their waters
TO be disposed OF exactly as at present.
that is, to be distributed under the
laws OF the state and as is said else.
where in the report, "the use of the
waters SO stored should be absolutely
Tree to the public forever, just as the
canals. harbors, and other public works
are free for general use without toll
or levy Of any kind. -
-, In the present session of congress,
Carter has vigorously advo.
;ated the adoption of this policy, urg-
ng IL not only because of it's vast i'm.
oortance to his own state, but as a
great national economic question-a
'ollcy which, If it were adopted Oh a
'road basis, would result in the inaug-
iratlon OF new era of development to
ne whole west. and enormously stim-
llate the prosperity OF every part of the
United States.
Senator Carter has introduced in the
enate an amendment to the river and
!arbor Dill, appropriating generally .
I'VE million dollars for building stor-
ge reservoirs in all the semi arid and
rld-la states and territories, and
rovldlng that the waters stored NAV
Q used for irrigation.
The senate committee on commerce
ave fnl hearing to those who are I
rglng the adoption OF this policy, and
enator Carter, Of Montana Senator
warren, OF Wyoming, and George H.
laxWell, OF California. representing d
ne national irrigating congress, spoke
! advocacy of it. t
Senator Carter showed strongly that a
1e problem was not local one that q
le government was spending millions
dollars to levee against the floods of
le Missouri and Mississippi, but not
lthstandlng these vast expenditures ,
'ery few years great flood would "
'eak a over these levees and destroy /"
lillons OF dollars worth of property.
Let these flood watels,' said the
snator, be stored on the headwaters
theMlssourl, the Platte, and the Ar IL
.nsas and the other tributaries of the a
lsslsslppi. in the mountain valleys n
ID interior basins which nature ii
ems to have created SO that man n
uld, by building great dams, trans m
rm them lnte inland lakes and reser-
'irs or vast extent and capacity, and
en- the waters will not only be held F.
OK ana prevented from going down
1reshets to overflow and destroy the in
rtlle country. far below, but they can b.
drawn out into the irrigating canals sc
the dry season when needed for irri- IL
tlon, and will reclaim an immense as
id territory which will te thus made G