The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-01
TO TURN A RIVER.
George Wilson's Scheme For
Irrigation Water Supply.
Bring Waters From Sackatche-
wan to Western Kansas.
CLAIMS 1T FEASIBLE.
Would Supply Water For Vast
Irrigating Systems.
River Now Runs Into the Frozen
North.
CLAIMS 1T FEASIBLE.

The turning Of the Saskatchewan river
south SO that it will run into the Mis-
souri, instead of into Hudson's Bay, is
the latest method of irrigating the west
that has been suggested. The project
seems so stupendous that it almost
takes ones breath away. But the man
who suggests It claims that It is entire
~ feasible.
The project is suggested by George
Wilson, a banker Of Lexington, Mo.
Formerly Mr.. Wilson lived in Wyoming
and was a member OF the Wyoming
legislature. He thinks the creation of
storage reservoirs would decrease the
supply in the Missouri river and would
work an injury to the counties border
ing on the Missouri He claims it is
more feasible to turn the Saskatchewan
south instead Of allowing It to send all
its water to the frozen north where no
one lives. He believes it could not only
be brought to the Missouri, but that it
could be brought across that stream IN
Dakota and down through western Kan
sas and Nebraska and eastern Colorado,
even to the headWaters of the PecOs In
New Mexico. The project seems too
bold to even be considered. but Mr. VIII
son evidently believes in it. In COM
munieation to the State Journal he
says:
years, there is always more moisture
and better crops in the counties on the
Missouri river than even IN the first tier
of counties back from the river in the
state Of Missouri, proving that the IN
fuence OF that body OF water is a ma
terial factor. Already the river has be-
come smaller. no doubt from taking out
water on the heads Of all Of its western
tributaries for irrigation Now If we
90 further and by immense storage
reservoirs hold up the most of the wa
ters flowing from the Rocky Mountain
SHOWS to the Missouri it can hardly be
doubted that we win have only reclaim
ed arid Kansas at the cost of eastern
Kansas and will have made Arkansas,
Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, with the
eastern halves of Nebraska South Da-
kota and North Dakota to some extent
drouthy states. There can be no doubt
that the underground seepage of water
eastward from the foot Of the noun
tains to the Missouri river viii be
greatly lessened, and the vegetation OF
those states must suffer.
rs there no other source of water for
irrigating the western part of the Da-
kotas. Nebraska, Kansas and Okla
homa2 Undoubtedly. To Kansas peo-
pie all things are possible. nothing IS
Utopian. Hence I address them. In
Canada. more than enough water for
these purposes is flowing wastefully
and uselessly into Bafhn's or James
bay. In short, the solution Of our prob
lem is to turn the Saskatchewan and
lead it into and across the Missouri,
first perhaps bringing It into the Souris
river.
The cost of it win be but little more
than the erection of SO many and great
reservoirs west of US, and besides it
viii pay its way at every foot of its
length. In a past geological age when
the Gulf of Mexico reached the Da-
kotas. no doubt the Saskatchewan
flowed into it, and 1t can be led back
until the very head of the PecOs is
al tod an
again flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
Not only can the arid parts of these
states be thus irrigated and their mois-
ture increased but the volume of the
Missouri river greatly increased and its
ancient usefulness for transp Ortation
brought back The increase in its vol
ufne will mean a greater area of evap-
grafton from it. with corresponding
benefit.
There is another and most impor-
tant problem that can be solved by a
like plan. The question of the pollu-
ton of the Mississippi river by Chi
cago's drainage canal viii become more
irritating as that city grows larger and
the volume Of filth grows in proper
ton. This trouble can be met by drain
ing Lake Superior into the Mississippi
greatly increasing the volume of the
Mississippi and reducing the proportion
/ of foul matter to pure water. This will
also accomplish the purpose Of making
the upper Mississippi at all times nav
/ fgable and for larger boats, when not
frozen up. The canal and the st. Croix
could be so large as to admit barges
: or canal boats towed by steam, and
! thus Duluth and New Orleans con-
nected.
Prompt action in this matter Is
needed before vast sums have been
/ squandered in making reservoirs to our
4 injury. for their cost viii be as great
! as the cost Of leading the Saskatchewan
/ to the head Of the Pecos, and the money
/ will be worse than thrown away, for #
4 viii be taxed out Of settled portions OF
/ these states for their own injury in the
hops Of populating their unsettled west
/ ern portions
As Canada does not belong to us