The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-30
No HOPE HELD 0UI.
For irrigation in Western
Kansas by Government
WATER FLOW INADEQUATE
Writer in Census Report Ex-
plains the Matter.

Washington, Oct pa recent census
report says that in Kansas the develop
ment of irrigation has been very dissp-
| pointing. as it was expected that in the
western part of the state great changes
would take place. The difficulty of Sc
curing an adequate supply of water for
the large bitches from the Arkansas river
has proved an insurmountable obstacle,
and the problem of the best method Of
controlling the food waters OF this river
for irrigation, so far as Kansas is con-
cerned. is yet to be solved.
Continuing, the report says: In many
important agricultural conditions the
western part of Kansas differs materially
from the eastern. The divergence is
marked in the elevation, soil and rainfall.
That portion lying west of the one-hun-
dredth meridian, and some parts extend
ing east of il, belong to the semi-arid
region, where irrigation is necessary for
the successful cultivation of most crops.
Had these facts been appreciated earlier,
much of the distress and many of the
failures which have occurred in the de-
velopment of the western part of the
state would have been obviated.
The history of irrigation in Kansas
has been marked by a number of disas-
trous failuers. Most of them resulted
from lack of knowledge of the climatic
oscillation of the subhumid regions and
from a fever of speculation in western
mortgages. During a cycle of wet years
agriculture was extended far into the
plains region. The movement westward
was greatly facilitated by companies
which were formed to place loans and
to take mortgages on real estate, the
funds being obtained from the east. AS
long as the rainfall continued abundant
the profits OF these loan agencies were
great and the competition became so keen
that ordinary prudence was thrown aside.
When a series Of dr., years came and
crops failed season after season, the land
owners abandoned their farms, leaving
whole counties practically deserted. The
loan companies foreclosed their mort
cages and became possessors Of large
tracts of land which were comparatively
valueless. In order to make their prop
erty marketable, the corporations organ
the southwestern part of the state con-
structed some OF the largest irrigation
canals in the United States These bitches
and canals have never given adequate re-
turns upon the large investments, owing
to the fact that no study had been made
of the volume of water in the streams. or
of any of the important conditions relat-
ing to the diversion of water from them
The water supply for most of these
,-.Jches was to have been from the Ar
kansas river, but il proved wholly mad
equate for the purpose and hundreds Of
miles of bitches had to be abandoned. |
The principal irrigated areas are along |
this river, where the conditions are some |
what similar to those along the Platte |
river in Nebraska. It's broad. shallow
channel is dry for a considerable part of |
the year: water, however, is seeping be- |
meath the surface Of the valley lands as |
well as under the stream bed. The bitches |
operated at the present time can receive |
water only in times of food and are util- !
lied largely in the cultivation OF forage |
crops.
THE reclamation of large areas of fer |
tile and productive land depends upon the 4
adoption and application OF successful |
methods for utilizing the ground waters, |
which are found throughout western I
Kansas at varying depths. A partial so
luton OF this problem has been found |
in the use of windmils and by building |
small storage reservoirs.
"In 1889 there were reported 5ee farms /
irrigating 1909 acres from wells. This |
acreage was mostly in gardens and or |
chsrds.
In 1889 there were SIG irrigators in the |
state, and in 1893. 9z an increase OF ~ |
per cent. The total acreage irrigated in |
1889 was 20,S1s acres, and in 1899. %. 500 |
acres. an increase of 1875 per cent. There |
has been large increase in the number |
Of irrigators, but not a corresponding |
increase in the number of acres irrigated. |
This is explained by the large Increase |
in the number Of farms which irrigate |
small areas by means OF wfndmills and OF 1
water pumped from streams. and by a |
shortage OF water in the bitches operated |
in 1899. The total value of irrigated prod /
ucts was s22s. 4Ss-hay and forage s54.527:
cereals. s1o.10s; vegetables. $500; or
chard fruits. sl1.s15: small fruits. 1924: |
and other crops s2.1ss."