The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-04
The Arid Regions

Inc aria Regions
The forests are natural reservoirs By
restraining the streams in flood and re-
plenishing them in drought they make
possible the use of waters otherwise
wasted They prevent the soil from
washing, and SO protect the storage
reservoirs from filling up with silt For
est conservation is therefore an essential
condition of water conservation.
The forests alone cannot, however, full
ly regulate and conserve the waters of
the arid region. Great storage works are
necessary to equalize the flow of
streams and TO save the flood waters.
Their construction has been conclusiyely
shown to be an undertaking too vast for
private effort. Nor can it be best ac-
complished by the individual States act
ing alone. Far-reaching interstate prob
lens are involved; and the resources OF
single States would often be Inadequate.
1t is properly a national function. at
least in some of it's features. 1t is as
right for the National Government to
make the streams and rivers OF the arid
region useful by engineering works for
water storage as to make useful the riy-
ers and harbors of the humid region by
storing of the floods in reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers is but an en-
largement of our present policy of river
control, under which levees are built on
the lower reaches of the same stroaYos
The Government should construct and
maintain these reservoirs as it does
other public works. Where their pur
pose is to regulate the flow of streams
the water should be turned freely into
the channels in the dry season to take
the same course under the same laws as
the natural flow.
The reclamation of the unsettled and
public lands presents different prob
lem. Here it is not enough to regulate
the flow of streams. The object of the
Government is to dispose of the land to
settlers who will build homes upon it.
To accomplish this object water must
be brought within their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid do
main chose their homes along streams
from which they could themselves di
vert the water to reclaim their holdings
Such opportunities are practically gone.
There remain, however, vast areas of
public land which can be made avaiJal.le
Tor homestead settlement but ONLY bv
reservoirs and mainline canals imnrac
tlcaDle for private enterprises. These
irrigation works should be built by the
jNauonal Government. The lands re-
claimed by them should be reserved by
the Government for actual settlers and
the cost of construction should so far as
possible be repaid by the land reclaimed.
The distribution of the water, the divis-
ION OF the streams among irrigators.
should be left to the settlers themselves
IN conformity with State laws and with
out interference with those laws or with
vested rights. The policy of the Ma
tlonal government should be to aid ir-
rlgatlon in the several States and terri
tories IN such manner as will enable The
people IN the local communities to help
themselves, and as will stimulate need
ed reforms in the State laws and regula
lions governing irrigation.
The reclamation and settlement of the
arid lands will enrich every portion of
our country, just as the settlement of the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys brought pros
perity to the Atlantic States. The in
creased demand for manufactured arti-
cles will stimulate industrial production.
while wider home markets and the trade
plies and effectually prevent Western
competition with Eastern agriculture. In
deed, the products of irrigation will be
consumed chiefly in upbuilding local CEN
tiers of mining and other industries, which
would otherwise not come into existence
at all. Our people as a whole will profit.
for successful home making is but anoth-
er name for the upbuilding of the Ma
ton.
The necessary foundation has already
been laid for the Inauguration of the
policy just described. 1t would be unwise
to begin by doing too much, for a great
deal will doubtless be learned, both as
to what can and what cannot be safely
attempted, by the early efforts, which
must of necessity be partly experimental
in character. At the very beginning the
Government should make clear, beyond
shadow of doubt, its intention to pursue
this policy on lines of the broadcast pub
lie interest. No reservoir or canal should
ever be built to satisfy selfish personal
or local interests; but only in accordance
with the advice of trained experts, after
long investigation has shown the locality
where all the conditions combine to
make the work most needed and fraught
with the greatest usefulness to the COM
munity as a whole. There should be no
extravaganza, and the believers in the
need of irrigation will most benefit their
cause by seeing to it is free from the
least faint of excessive or reckless ex-
penditure of the public moneys.
Whatever the Nation does for the ex-
tension of irrigation should harmonic
with, and tend to improve, the condition
of those now living on irrigated land We
are not at the starting point of this de-
velopment. Over two hundred millions of
private capital has already been expend-
ed in the construction of irrigation works,
and many million acres of arid land re-
claimed. A high degree of enterprise and
ability has been shown in the work itself;
but as much cannot be said in reference
to the laws relating thereto The Sc
curity and value of the homes created
depend largely on the stability of titles
to water; but the majority of these rest
on the uncertain foundation of court de-
cisions rendered in ordinary suits at law.
With a few creditable exceptions, the
arid States have failed to provide for the
certain and just division of streams in
times of scarcity. lax and uncertain laws
have made it possible to establish rights
to water in excess of actual uses or ne
~. l..