The Lamar register., 1899-07-19
WONDERFUL RIVERS.
HAVE THEIR UPS AND DOWNS.
Work of tho Government Determine
Flows In II Interests of Irrigation.


highly interesting or exciting reading.
As a general class of literature, they
are viewed ms dry and unreadable-
good TO put up on the shelves to look at
and fill out the library. but not for
reading purposes. Moreover, they are
mailed free of postage. coming from
congressman and senator's, and they
cost neither the senders nor the recip-
tents anything. In other words. they
are free, and free things are seldom
considered worth having Neverthe-
less, there is many an interesting and
instructive fact. and sometimes almost
fairy tale. hidden away in an old
black-covered, otticial-looking docu-
ment.
\ document which cannot be said to
come under the dry class, but which,
on the contrary. is full of interesting
photographs of western country, is this
years annual report of the Geological
Survey on Irrigation, by Frederick II.
Newell, the irrigation expert and gov
ernment photographer Mr.. Newell
and his force have been for number
of years measuring the flows of vari-
Gus rivers of the country, and his re-
port tells the results of this work.
These are interesting. Many persons
living on the banks of river all their
lives never know what the river Is Gu
pabie of, with its power utilized to the
full extent. The question is frequently
asked; What is the ordinary or regu-
lar flow of a certain riverf This ques-
ton is at first sight simple enough, but
il found to be an extremely difficult
one when an examination is made of
the daily discharges as determined by
the government Investigations. 1t is
seen that the fluctuations day by day
and year by year are so great that the
stream can scarcely be said to flow
with any regularity at all.
For instance. In the James river. in
Virginia. the first river known TO the
early settlers, in January the stream
has How of only about 400 cubic feet
per second. while in February ii
reaches over 10000, then running up
and down. and in August dropping TO
200 or 300 cubic feet per second.
The Yellowstone. Mt Livingston. Mon
tanh. which in the June rise discharges
over 25,00O cubic feet per second Tor. as
1t is more briefly stated. 25.000 second
feet gradually drops down to 1000
second feet in August, 1000 in Septem-
ber. and 200 In December.
The Laramie river, in Wyoming
which In May discharges $500 second
feet, drops down TO n mere brook of
five or ten second feet during the sum
mer arst fall months.
The North Platte river varies from n
flow of 10000 second feet 20 less than
roo and the main Platte varies from
10000 second feet TO less than 1000.
The Arkansas, at Lawrence. Kansas.
huetuates from the enormous volume
of f;O.OUO second feet to 600 or 700 sec
ond feet. and in other places becomes
perfectly dry.
The Yakima river. in WASHINGTON. is
another river which flows Mt times a
Hood Of nearly So coo second feet. while
Mt others 1t runs only 800 or COO feet.
In fact almost all the western rivers
have this similar trait. At certain pc
rinds OF the year. owing to heavy realms
or melting SHOWS, they are raging tor
rents wasting crent quantities Of
water and often sweeping property be-
fore them to destruction. while at 9th
er seasons they may be waded across
by child, or perhaps he entirely dry.
What. then. has been the value of de
tcrmininC the flows of all these rivers
during different months of the year
Simulv so that II will be known how
much the annual capacitv of the rivers
are-how much water flows through
their beds during the year. and how
much land they are capable of irrigat-
ing providing all their water Is stored
and used as needed.
Vast volumes of water in the West
now run to waste every year-enough
to irrigate millions Of acres of land;
hut the time will come when every gal
Ion will he saved-carefully husbanded
by man. to be used later by him In his
agricultural operations This, of course.
IS already being done in many in
stances but vet in only a few comnar-
atively. and the government officials
are now at work finding the capacities
of streams. surveying sites for the
storage OF waters. and setting aside
srrch sites from privatN entry AGAINST
the time when either m"nere1 concerns
or the federal government itself shall
build great dams and thus catch this
water coming from the melting SHOWS
and heavy rains.