New-York tribune., 1900-01-07
BIRRIGATION PROBLEMS.
VAST POSSIBILITIES IN THE RECLAMA
TION OF WESTERN ARID LANDS.
AN ARGUMENT FOR GOVERNMENT WORK IN
WATER STORAGE - GREAT BENE-
FITS EXPECTED

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: No question, economic or social affects
the vast continental West lying beyond the Mis-
souri, and from the Tooth meridian of longi-
tude west from Greenwich. until the Pacific
Coast ranges are reached, more than those
which relate to the conservation and manage
ment for home and industrial uses of the scant
supply of natural waters found In the thus
embraced. The making of homes for possible
one hundred million more Americans is involved.
The present security and progressive prosperity
Of the ten millions, more less, living
and laboring within the borders of seventeen
states and Territories are also to be consid-
cred. There are great principles OF law and
public policy also to be discussed and settled.
There is the possibility embraced of reclaiming
for the service and abode of future generations
at least one hundred million acres of fertile
land, now desert. at the best feeding only
sporadic sheep aocks and herds of range cattle
The issues concerned have now advanced to
point where direct National legislation is in
volved.
EXAMINATION OF RESERVOIR SITES
In the River and Harbor act of June 3, 1896,
appears the following provision, as part of the
sum total of work to be done in the way of pre-
liminary investigation.
Sec. s. For the examination of sites
and report upon the practicability and desra-
bility of constructing reservoirs and other hy-
draulic works necessary for the storage and
utilization of water, to prevent floods and over
flows. erosion Of river banks and breaks of
levees and to reinforce the flow of streams dur
ing drouth and low water seasons, at least
site each in the States of Wyoming and Colo
rado.
To the office Of the Chief Engineer United
States Army. is allotted $1,000 for this work
and Captain Hiram NJ. Chittenden, engineer,
U. s. A. now lieutenant colonel of United
States Volunteers, is assigned for its execu-
ton. The item connects itself with g.
notable legislative struggle between the pro-
fessional civil scientists and surveyors and
military engineers in the service of the United
States, which had ended in the abolition of the
Army Typographical Engineer Corps and the
concentration of exploration and scientific sur
vey work in the Geological Survey.
COLONEL ctIITTENDENs WORK.
Colonel Chittenden made a report to the Chief
Engineer November 6, 1897. His diligence
and economy are illustrated by that date and
by the fact that he made satisfactory inyestiga-
tions of five instead of two storage reservoir
stes-three in Wyoming and two IN Colorado.
He did more than that, for. aside from the more
technical points, he presented also able and
most interesting statement of cognate condi-
tions, such the need of storage and the value
of irrigation in National wealth and It's develop
ment, the conditions OF law and investment
alike, and the reasons why, IN his practical
judgment as an Army engineer, accustomed to
the requirements and conditions wherein the
great American system Of river and harbor de-
velopment and Improvement has been built up
and operated upon, the general Government
should conduct, construct and hold the main
storage reservoirs required.
WHY STORAGE IS DEMANDED.
Colonel Chittenden puts the area requiring the
artificial application of water to insure or even
produce crops at 1300,000,0O0 acres. The con-
tnenta1 area of the United States-L e. It's
National Domains, excluding Alaska, 1885,
339,260 acres. The to be affected by irri-
cation is therefore IS per cent Of the whole.
This includes Western Texas as we'll as the
Trans Missouri public land States and Terri
tories. At present and probably permanently.
all of Alaska may be left out of reclamation
problems.
Water supply for agriculture by irrigation In
wolves these sources:
First-Perennial and flowing streams
Second-Lakes, springs and other accessible
earth supply.
Third-The conservation Of precipitation
whether from surplus stream flow or storm
waters, in some form Of storage basin and reser-
voir.
Fourth-The recovery and application of sub
terranean seepage or underf1ow waters not
usually visible to the eye.
All supply, whatsoever may be It's secondary
form, can have but source, rain and snow
The issue Colonel Chittenden considers is that
of water storage-the conservation in natural or
artificial basins made available by dams and
barriers-of the "run-ofr'' of the precipitation
that falls in the area under consideration Dis
tribution Of such supply is necessary The
great fact that has TO be considered is whether
or not in order TO utilize a very large area Of
fertile lands under natural conditions more or
less dry, and therefore unavailable without arti-
fetal application Of water, there must be stored
certain proportion of rain and snow fall. Details
can all be settled after the main factors are recog
nized, and these are o. that the volume of
annual precipitation is insufficient (2) that
evaporation is in various sections too rapid for
full economic service, and C3) that because of
these and other factors the volume of water "in
sight is quite insufficient for Industrial use.
taking the region whole
STORAGE AN INCREASE OF SUPPLY
In relation the storage theory 1t is axio-
matte in irrigation that such storage is practi-
cal increase Of supply, first, because It saves
what otherwise is lost, and, second, because the
use tends to increase the processes that lead
to reuse with which the earth is itself furnished
1t is known, for example. that cultivation tends
to lift the underground water plane nearer the
surface. 1t is beyond dispute that lands con-
stantly irrigated require less surface supply as
time goes We know, also that seepage be-
comes marked feature of all irrigation supply.
1t has been sufficiently determined in Eastern
Colorado and elsewhere to warrant the state
ment that an average of 33 per cent of all
water distributed returns to the watercourses
by the. natural processes Of seepage and per-