The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-04-21
Contest of irrigation Water Rights.

expected increase III CoSt vi HiiSd-
ton of the western lands which the
In erior Department designated the
other day for the first construction
under the national irrigation law,
pointing out that this cost is double
certaiu estimates made during the
discussion of the irrigation bill,
which were placed at SIS an acre.
Five dollars would undoubtedly
be low average to place upon all
the reclainable western lands. But
whether the irrigation works which
the Government is to construct In
the west will cost at the rate of SIS
an acre or SIS or Sac all acre is a
matter which need in nowise inter
fere with the prosecutinn of the
irrigation construction under the
national irrigation law passed by
Congress last summer. In every
case the cost of putting water upon
the land is to be borne b, the set
tier and the farmer who lives upon
the land and will use the water.
The Government will be repaid for
every dollar expended. The ques-
ton then is simply whether land
with water upon It will be taken
by settlers at ten dollars or fifteen
dollars an acre or any other sum
which it may cost to reclaim it.
When it is realized that irrigated
farms and orchards in the west are
worth from four to one hundred
times fifteen dollars an acre, it is
not believed that there will be any
dearth of applicants ready to go
upon the lands which the govern
ment reclaims. Under the irriga-
ton act payment can be made on
exceedingly easy terms-ten equal
annual installments.
The cost of putting water on
western land may range all the way
from four to fifty dollars an acre.
Some Of the simpler propositions
require only the digging of a big
ditch in order 10 secure water for
thousands of acres; others necessi
the building OF big masonry dams
and the construction of very ex
pensive canals and headworks. 1t
is probable that eventually that the
waters of some of the great rivers
oil the northwestern states-the Co
lum bia and the Snake-may be
taken out at very large cost per
acre, yet fruit lands in the Yakima
valley of Washington today are
bringing in an animal revenue Of
as high as $500 per acre OF course
it would not pay to spend $50 an
acre in retaining lands to be used
for grazing or feeding purposes.
This question of the cost OF irri-
CATION opens up the subject of the
area which it is possible to reclaim
in the arid west. photographer
Newell of the geological survey
stated this matter concisely the
other day. He said:
THE reclaimable area of the
arid region must remain an indefi-
mite quantity for many years to
come. No man can say definitely
how many acres are capable of al
innate reclamation. To illustrate,
suppose large spring is situa.
ted in such a location-so far from
arabic land-that it would cost a
uuuuICO uOitdIS al acre tO lCdu IL
onto that land--itself one hundred
miles removed from any railroad
or other improvement the water
would never be used for irrigat ton.
Suppose on the other hand that a
railroad should be projected
through the desert and flourish.
ing town be started on this land,
then it would Fay to spend the
hundred dollars an acre for the i'm
provement.
Projects which are not today
feasible because Of their expense,
in ten years, as he country settles
MP, btccme very profitable ones"