The Elbert County tribune., 1902-10-09
FARMING MATTERS.
EIwood Mead On IrrlaatIon.

In an interview at Denver. while on
his way to the meeting OF the Ma
tional Irrigation Congress at Colorado
Springs. Elwood Mead. head of the
Irrigation Bureau OF the Department
of Agriculture. spoke as follows;
There is an awakening all over the
East on the irrigation question which
is a most hopeful sign. Although the
irrigation legislation that was passed
at the last session of Congress was
dae largely to President Roosevelts
aggressive support of the measure
providing for government construc-
tion OF reservoirs. IL is already evil
dent that eastern congressman are be
ginning 10 recognize that irrigation is
not a local issue to the West. but the
reclamation of the arid lands is a
problem which vitality affects the en-
lire nation.
"The system which has been inaag-
urated by the government may be lik-
ened to the building Of railroad.
The work of construction of the res
eryolrs comes under the supervision
of the Department of the Interior. IL
is the duty of engineers conTected
with this department to select the
sites in the districts decided upon. to
Dullu Aut anu ItStTNOlTS ana
when their work is completed they
turn the reservoirs over to the De
partment of Agriculture. AS is the
case when the final spikes are driven
in the last rail OF new road and the
enterprise is handed over to the man
ayers of the road for the carrying out
Of the undertaking to a profitable is
sue. SO the Interior Department engi-
ncers deliver their finished product to
the Department of Agriculture. the
duty of which 1t is TO use the reser-
voirs in such way that the greatest
good shall be done to. the great mum
Der. Both departments work in per-
feet harmony
For number of years the Agri-
cultural Department has been gather
ing statistics for use of farmers whose
lands VIII lie under bitches which
these reservoirs will feed. Some of
these Investigations are surprising.
During the last three years measure
ments taken at headgates throughout
the arid region show that land under
irrigation has been irrigated to a
depth of AS feet This is waste of
easily one-half The waste has been
caused partly by seepage and partly
by evaporation in the canals and lat
erals. When the measurements have
been taken at the margins of fields
it has been proven that the land was
irrigated to depth of 2.S7 feet. Near
ly one-half of the water was thus lost
in the bitches. This should be some
what qualified. however, as the water
that is lost by seepage finds its way
back to springs.
"As an example of the ignorance of
great many irrigators | recall case
in tvbara ttrftnaGa
summoned in a water suit testified
some tnat one inch was needed to ir-
rigate an acre, and others that three
inches of water were needed. The
verdict of the court was that one and
one-haif inches were required. As
matter of fact less than one inch is
required and in California one inch
oniy is used to irrigate five acres.
The laws covering irrigation also
form an important part of the depart
ments Investigations. The conditions
that have existed in the various states
for the last forty years within which
irrigation has been practiced have
been carefully looked into and 1t is
the hope of the department to see one
day these different state laws recon-
ciled and uniform code agreed upon.
It can be promised with absolute GER
tainty that the department will rec
ommend no laws which would tend
to upset existing conditions. We real
ize that the present laws covering the
subject have been made as conditions
arose and that no law touching irriga-
tion can be good that does not meet
with the approval of the users of the
water. 1t shall be the duty OF ths de-
partment to educate not only those in
the East who are not familiar with
the subject but also the farmers
whose lands are artifcially watered
"An important point that was de-
cided in the irrigation law passed at
the last session of Congress was the
right of farmers to divert the flow of
stream for purposes of irrigation.
This provision of the measure prac-
ticaIly destroys the effect of the old
doctrine of riparian rights"
As evidence of the awakening of in
terest in the East over the irrigation
question Mr.. Mead said that numer-
Gus INQUIRIES had been received at his
office from persons all over the South
and East asking for information con-
cerning the subject. From some states
he has received letters asking infor-
nation and advice concerning the in
stallation of irrigation plants. Frank
Bond of Cheyenne. who is connected
with the irrigation bureau of the de-
partment, has been sent to Georgia
and the southern rice-growing states
in response to these requests.