The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-07
NEW IRRIGATION PLANS.
Kansas BEGINNING the Formation of
n Nust Lake.

u VAST Lake.
TOPEKA, Kan, Jan. 6.-One OF the
things with which the West is never sat
isied is the rainfall and this State has
been more thar needy in the matter of
its distribution The efforts at irrigation
have been fitful and at times expensive.
For several years there has been little
attempt to irrigate on large scale. but
now there is under way scheme worthy
OF wide attention. If it is successful as
it promises to be. it will give the benefit
of large supply of water to several
counties of the central part of the State
and make them independent of the rain
fall
The plan deals with the Cheyenne Bot
toms in Barton County, one OF the loca-
tions of prehistoric lakes found here and
there on the plains. The basin is about
thirteen miles long and eight miles wide
in places, though for the most part only
three and four wide. Ii is as level as
floor, and around its rim are uplands, ris-
ing TO a height of twenty to thirty feet.
Into 1t one small stream flows, but it is
lost in the immense basin.
The Cheyenne Bottoms never were good
farming land and the speculative capital
lists of the vicinity sought to transform
the place into reservoir for storing va
ter that would be needed in the dry days
of summer. A company was formed and
ditch was commenced to the Arkansas
River, ten miles away bat it soon be-
came evident that legislation would be
needed before it could be finished. The
owners OF the land though 1t was prac-
tically worthless. refused to sell. except
for a large sum. and so the work Vi ited
for a session of the Legislature. A bill
was passed giving the power of condemna-
tlon to would-be irrigators, and the
lands needed were appraised by commits
sion. Kansas City company fnancieTed
the undertaking and work went on. Fifty
three appeals from the decisions of the
appraisers are on file for the next term
of the district court, and more are being
made
The Arkansas River is. through ten
months of the year, a barren waste Of
sand with a tiny rivulet trickling in a
winding course through it's expanse. The
other two months it is raging torrent
half a mile wide. 1t is time of rejoicing
when the river is up, for it means water
in the bitches along the lower course,
which are dry when Colorado irrigators
take their supply in the dry months. Just
now the river is up. Last week the water
was turned into the bitches that lead to
the bottoms, and the filling of the de-
preston began in earnest. The ditch is
vide one, and will fill the bottoms in
two weeks if it can run full all the time.
If the water f. ON the Arkansas is not
sufficient, there is a chance for adding
to it by another ditch that shall run to
the Smoky Hill on the north, a stream
that is never dry.
There will be irrigation bitches from
the lake that will water nearly all of
Barton County and some of the surround
ing lands. The bitches will give some
of the best lands in the State water for
crops, where now there is always doubt
as to the outcome Then If the water
stays in the lake, as is expected, it will
be a body three by thirteen miles, and
the largest in the State. well fitted for a
rcsort-something that the Kansas people
always mourn for.
The plight OF the western Kansas irri-
gator is not a pleasing one. He has spent
thousands of dollars building bitches. and
now sees them filled with drifting sand
because he cannot get the water from the
river to flood them. Eastern people hold
the bonds on these ditch properties, and
are trying in vain to realize on them. Most
of the larger ditch properties are in the
hands Of receivers, and even then are not
paying running expenses. Some Of them
The Colorado irrigators rob the river IN
| til it has nothing to give to this State, and
the legal right Of the process is one in
which the Kansas people take q keen in
terest. Tens OF thousands have left the
| State because of the deficient water sup
ply.
The Attorney General has tried TO bring
| the case into the United States courts.
but thus far nothing tangible has been
accomplished toward making the division
of water equable. AS a matter Of fact,
there is only water enough for the needs
OF one State and if Colorado takes it there
can be none for this State or Oklahoma.
The Colorado attitude is that the water
falls in that State in the mountains. and
it is only right that the people Of Colorado
should be entitled to its use. Plans have
been laid for a fund to be raised by the
counties affected by the lack of water to
be used to assar Colorado in the Federal
courts. but nothing has come of 1t. The
new storage system, begun on so large
scale. may solve the problem by conserv-
ing the waters when they are plenty. II
so. ii will he OF vast beIeit.