The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-07
NEW IRRIGATION PLANS.
Kansas beginning the Formation OF
a NnSt LnIc.

Kansas Beginning the Formation of
IL Vast Luke
] TOPEKA. Kan, Jan One of the
/ things with which the West is never sat
/ iStied IS The rainfall. and this State has
! been more than needy in the matter Of
! its distribution. The effcrys at irrigation
/ have been ftfuI and at times expensive.
/ For several years there has been little
. attempt TO irrigate on q large scale, but
/ now there is under way q scheme verdi
/ of wide attention II it is successful. as
+ il promises to be. it Will give the benefit
/ Of large supply of water 10 several
/ counties Of the central part Of the state
/ and make them Independent OF the rain
/ fall.
/ The plan deals with the Cheyenne Bot
I toms in Barton County one Of the Ioca-
! tioi-. &C prehistoric lakes found here and
there on the plains. The basin Is about
thirteen miles long and eight miles vide
. in places. though for the most part only
three and four wide Il is as level as Il
floor, and around its rim are u2Iands. ris-
ing 10 height of twenty 70 thirty feet,
/ Into it one small stream flows. bur it is
/ lost in the immense basin
The Cheyenne Bottoms never were good
farming land. and the speculative capital
ists OF the vicinity sought to transform
: the place into a reservoir for storing Wa
! ter that would be needed in the dry days
! OF summer. A company was formed and
z ditch was commenced to the Arkansas
River ten miles away. but il soon be-
/ came evident that legislation would be
needed before il could be finished The
owners Of the land though II was pIac-
( ticaIIy worthless refused 70 sell. except
, for large sum. and so the work waited
. for session of the Legislature. A bill
was passed giving the power of cOndemna-
ton to wOuld-be irrigators. and the
. lands needed were appraised by commits
sion Kansas City company fnauciered
the undertaking and work went on Fifty
three appeals from the decisions CT the
/ appraisers are on file for the next term
OF the district court. and more are beng
made
The Arkansas River is. through ten
months OF the year, a barren waste of
/ sand with tiny rivulet trickling in a
winding course through its expanse The
( other two months it is a raging torrent
+ half mile wide. II IS d time Of rejoicing
when the river is up. for 1t means water
IN the bitches along the lower course
which are dry when Colorado irrfgators
, take their supply in the dry months Just
=
was turned into the ditChts thar lead 10
I the bottoms. and the filling Of the de-
preston began in earnest. The ditch IS
d vide ore, and viii fill the bottoms in
two weeks if IL can run full all the time
If the water from the Arkansas is not
sufficient, there is q chance for adding
TO Il by another ditch that shall PUN to
the Smoky Hill On the north, q stream
that is never dry.
the lake that viii water nearly all OF
Barton County and some Of the surround
ing lands The bitches viii give some
OF the best lands IN the State water fer
crops, where now there is always doubt
as 10 The outcome Then If the water
stays in The lake. as is expected. il will
De a body three by thirteen miles. and
the largest in the State, well fitted for a
rosoTt-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 filed with drifting sand
because he cannot get the water from The
river 70 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 Tot
paving running expenses Some OF them
VIII be total losses 10 the bondho!ders.
The Colorado irrigators rob tie river un-
I'll it has nothing t0 give TO tbs State. and
the legal right Of the process is one in
which the Kansas people take keen in
JeTest. Tens Of thOuSe nds have IeTr the
state because Of the deficient water sup
ply
The Attorney General has tried 10 bring
the case into the United States courts
but thus far nc5hing tangible has been
accomplished toward making The division
Of water equabIe. 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
II is only right that the people OF Colorado
should be entitled 70 its use Plans have
been laid for fund 10 be raised BY the
counties affected by the lack Of water TO .
be used 10 essail Colorado in the Federal /
courts. but nothing has come Of IT, The
new storage system, begun on 50 large a (
scale may solve the problem. By conserv- /
ing the waters when they are plenty II
so, II VIII be OF vast benefit