The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-28
WASTE AREAS TO BLOOM
What Irrigation VIII Do for the
Western Deserts.
Rains and All other Moisture TO Be
Gathered in Great Reservoirs-wa-
ter would Flow Ont Gradually
During the Dry Season and BE
Carried to Farms by CaeaIs-


During the Dry Season and he
Carried to Farms by CaeaIs-
II Congress accepts the principle in
vowed in the Federal reclamation of arid
public lands, the Government is fully pre-
pared to meet the physical problems
which viii Immediately arise. The rapid
irrigation development of the West in the
last ten years is TO d remarkable degree
due TO the thorough and valuable work
undertaken by the photographic Depart
.ment OF the Geological Survey. With lin
tied appropriations, the experts of this
division have made systematic study of
conditions in the arid regions. giving the
results in timely bulletins or IN annual
reports. They have acted as q bureau Of
information and advisory board to The
irrigation farmers. Field parties have
penetrated the most remote sections in
the search for the fountain heads OF
streams and the starting points Of water
shed divides There Is 10 section OF the
United States where the intending get
tier need remain without the geological
and Autographed data necessary fully
tc acquaint him with all local pcssibili
ties.
The work done has not been to aid the
capitalist seeking investment, but the
head OF family seeking home He mas
only to ask, and he viii be told at once
all about his land and water, how to build
his reservoir, dam, ditch, or windmill IN
the cheapest, most practical and cafest
way. Incidental 20 this detailed work
however, the Government has handled the
question from far broader point of view
E5s~-N -
public land by private enterprise has Icing
been foreseen 1t was inevitable that,
with public land passing to private and
corporate ownership at the rate Of over
thirteen million acres a year, as was the
case IN the last twelve months, it would
be only short time until all the water
easily available would BE appropriated and
conservation upon a large and expensive
scale be demanded.
The progress of irrigation work has
been carefully watched The small irri-
gator has seen assisted IN every way. To
me great enterprise the necessary data
and advice have been furnished, its usual
failure has been noted, and the causes
have been aScertailed- These have been
found TO rest on several general reasons,
the principal ones being the greediness OF
capital lack of good engineering and man
agement inability to secure absolute con-
troll Of the water supply and land. and
failure on the part OF hone-seekers TO
take advantage of the opportunities offer-
cd TO acquire farms
PeriIs of Private Schemes
The original expense of nearly all irri-
CATION plants is generally much larger
than the first estimate upon which the
capital is secured The returns are much
smaller and slower IN coming in than was
expected The companies are generally
loaded up with a lot of high-salaried OH
Gals. who are merely dead weight. The
distance OF the plant from the home Office
and the distance of the home Office froTa
the stockholders are conducive to careless
and expensive administration
This combination Of circumstance has
generally proved sufficient to wreck the
most promising scheme. No relief is pos
sfble by increasing the charge for wafer.
for IN nearly all the arid States the local
authorities reserve the right in granting
charters to fx the price at which the COM
panies shall sell water to the settlers.
Fer political reasons these water charges
are kept down to the minimum. often be-
low the actual cost OF operation and this
element IN the situation has done as much
as anything else to discourage large in
yestnents in irrigation works. These con-
ditions have long been understood by the
Government irrigation. experts. and they
have anticipated the time when demand
would be made upon the nation 20 take
the matter in hand
The rapid extension Of forest reserves
has held in escrow many desirable sites
for irrigation exploitation, and upon the
accommodation of the photographic en-
gineers many available sites for larger
storage reservoirs have also been Tesery-
ed from settlement. so as to reduce the
cost of the enterprises when they should
be finally undertaken at public expense
H. 4A1ET In a
the surveys made especial attention has
been paid to the future Of the work
Whenever it was apparent that large
section OF country could be improved ty
The proper regulation of its water supply,
a plan for such regulation has been work
ed out, the effect upon already cstab-
Hshed communities estimated and the
amount OF Government land which would
be made salable determined. Hence, IL it
is decided to spend money in decreasing
the public arid land area. the manner OF
procedure is already mapped out in detail
Construction of Reservoirs.
The legislation and accompanying ap-
preparation asked from Congress propose
70 take advantage of the work done by
the Government engineers by the con-
gtruction of one or more OF the storage
reservoirs which have been selected as
promising the greatest results for the in
EeStEnent The reservoirs are TO be built
in regions where the rainfall IS entirely
inadequate for crop growing, but their
purpose vii not be solely TO furnish wa
ter TO Earming land In all such places
there Is vast amount OF food water IN
the winter OF early spring, when crops
are not ready to be served with moisture
This water passes away IN 4 very short
time with almost torrential force I'M
mediafeiy following these floods comes
the dry season. No rain falls The SHOWS
have all melted. Streams dry up. The
country soon becomes a desert, and all
vegetable life departs. The purpose OF
the storage reservoir is to hold the food
waters in great artificial tank. allowing
the water gradually TO flow away in the
dry season. and thus keep all natural
streams alive throughout the year. From
these streams canals can then be dug In
which water Is carried 10 the farm fer
various uses at time when 1t is most
valuable. and, in fact, absolutely neees-
sary.
The guarantee OF living stream in ths
West means more than its mere value as
4 raiser of crops II means water fer
live stock. homes fer people. towns, rail
roads and development Of all kinds. In
many sections OF The West It means the
working II mines where the eres are OF
Low grade needing cheaper supplies AID
more elassss labor supply than IS now