Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-07
IRRIGATION In THE WEST
Mr.. Mead's Investigation to Aid
Farmers Living On Irrigated
Land.
He Is Now Collecting Valuable Data on the
Subject Which Will be Published-How
He Thinks the Question Should
Be Handled.

The work of making a collection OF
photographs and drawings of American
irrigation scenes and structures to be
exhibited at the Paris exhibition has de-
volved upon Mr.. Elwood Mead, the pres
ident Of the irrigation congress. Mr..
Need is thoroughly conversant with the
irrigation question, noW one of the most
important problems with which we have
to deal. At this time he is busily en-
gagged also at the important task of in
vestigating the conditions Of irrigation
in the west, and has prepared the fol-
lowing article on this subject:
THE first purpose Of the investigation
now being made by the experts of the
government Is to aid farmers living or
irrigated land. To 10 this it is proposed
relative to water rights, this to include
the methods Of requirement, the control
of streams and bitches by states and in
dividuals, and a discussion and publica-
ton of the laws and methods using and
distributing water in the several arid
states and other countries.
"The first step in the remedying of the
evils now hindering irrigation develop
ment is the collection Of information as
to the exact state of the case. The work
Of the investigation is confined to the
collection and publication of this infor-
nation. Irrigation legislation SO far has
BEEN a patchwork. 1t was founded on
mining law, and on that foundation
have been placed principles applicable
to all other forms of property. Now it is
recognized that irrigation is Of sufficient
Importance to have principles of its
own These principles can only be found
by a thorough scientific investigation.
This investigation proposes to give the
facts. The rest must be left to the legis-
latures and the courts.
Perhaps the most important work of
the investigation is it's observations of
the amount of water used in i~rrigating,
or the duty of water. Before it can be
definitely known how far the claims of
early appropriations We're in excess Of
their needs we must know how much
water is actually required.
Owing to varying conditions of soil
and climate it requires a large number
of determinations to fix on even an APP
proXimate standard of duty of water.
cost in money and time and the sci
entific accuracy required to make such
measurements authoritative have pre-
vented tests by private parties, al
though their Importance has long been
recognized. This is peculiarly a subject
for governmental inquiry, and giving
the work a national character permits
OF comparisons of methods and condi-
not otherwise possible.
"One of the principles which should
govern the title to water<i is that a sup
ply of water, when once used on a given
piece of land, should attach to that land.
This principle has been incorporated in
to the laws of some of the arid states,
while others allow water to be held as
personal property and sold separately.
Another principle proven by experience
and recognized by most Of the arid
states is that the water claimed must be
put to a beneficial use. II the title to
water attaches to- the land, and the wa
ter must be used beneficially, the courts
or other bodies controlling the division
of water must know how much water
can be so used on any piece of land be-
fore they can make a just division of
the waters of a stream.
Engineers need this same knowledge
in order that they may make works nei-
ther too large nor too small. If the du-
ty of water is overestimated, miles of
canals may be built which cannot be
used, and lands must be taxed to pay
for the additional work. If the duty is
underestimated much more extensive
works will be built than are necessary
for the lands which can be reached.
And again the land cultivated must pay
for useless works"