The free press., 1901-04-18
RECLAIMING THE SWAMP
OPERATIONS ON A GIGANTIC SCALE
IN THE SOUTH.

BY System of Canals a Million Acres of
Fertile Land in the Atchafalaya Re-
gion of Louisiana May BE Reclaimed
The Arid Land Problem.
The opening of a tract of land sixty
miles square in oklahoma, which will
occur some time during the coming
summer, will be attended by the last
great struggle for free homes in Amer
lea; for, while the Government still
owns many millions acres of lands
available for settlement under
the homestead act, practically
all the remaining public domain
must be subjected to irrigation
or drainage before it will yield
a profitable return to the cultivators.
This final exhaustion of the lands to
be had foT the asking, and for which
a man had but to put forth a claim in
order to assure himself comfortable
livelihood during the balance of his
days, lends new urgency and impor-
tance to the subject of irrigation, and
a score of plans to reclaim arid lands,
OF varying magnitude and merit, are
now seeking favorable recognition
from Congress. Though it is doubtful
if the present Congress will vote
money for the furtherance of any of
these schemes. their advocates are
doing an excellent work in preparing
public opinion for the adoption. at no
distant day, of the principle Of the re-
clamation of ariG land by the General
Government
Meantime. and without waiting for
aid from Washington, an extensive
scheme of irrigation has been under
taken in Kansas, which presents some
unusual features, and which, If sue
cessful, will, by giving them the ben
eft of a large supply of water, make
several counties in the central part of
that State practically independent Of
the rainfall. The Cheyenne Bottoms, in
Barton County, level as floor and girt
by q rim of uplands, mark the location
of a prehistoric lake thirteen miles
long and from three to eight miles
wide This basin has been connected
by means of a huge ditch with the
Arkansas River, ten miles away. The
Arkansas during ten months Of the
year is a river in name only, but the
other two months it is raging tor
rent half mile in width. This season
of food is to be utilized to store the
Cheyenne Bottoms with water. and
there will be bitches radiating from
the artificial lake thus created suffi-
cient to irrigate all of Barton County
and some OF the surrounding lands. 1t
is hoped in this way to release from
the threat of uncertain rainfall one Of
the richest sections of Kansas. The
only element Of uncertainty in the
venture is fear as to whether the
water will stay in the lake until it is
needed for use Should this fear prove
to be unfounded, the basins of other
prehistoric lakes, of which there are
number on the Kansas plains, will be
utilized for like purpose, and cheap
and adequate storage system provided
for thousands of farmers.
Widely different in character, but
having the same end in view, is the
system of canals lately set afoot in the
Atchafalaya region, Louisiana, by
which it is hoped to reclaim nearly
million acres OF exceptionally fertile
land. The district concerned in the
present plan, bounded on every side by
rivers and bayous, forms part of the
swamp lands given to the State OF
Louisiana by the General Government
half a century ago. All or nearly all
of it lies below the high-Water level OF
!, / al, c-1rpo1In1 il and lS
therefore subject to periodical over
flow. The district levee board in
whose jurisdiction it lies proposes by
the construction Of a comprehensive
system of canals, dams and pumping
stations to drain the land and render
it available for agriculture. Active op-
erations are now in progress, and,
should they serve their purpose, WILL
without doubt, be duplicated by the
other levee boards of Louisiana, thus
assuring the ultimate reclamation OF
some millions of acres of overdoWed
alluvial land worth from $50 to $lOO
an acre.
The clluvial lands of the MISSISSIPPI
closely resemble those of the Nile, and,
under favoring conditions, can be
made to yield as manifold returns TO
those who till them. All that is need
ed is to free them from the danger OF
overflow. and if this can be assured,
princely contribution will have been
made to the wealth-producing forces,
and a great impulse for growth OF the
States in which they lie.-The Worlds
Work.
An Americanzjed Englishman.
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