Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-08-06
FIRST PROJECT ENTIRELY FOR
BENEFIT OF PRIVATE OWNERS.
VERYFINE THINGF0R THESE
Uncle Sans PaternaIistic Experiment
in Building the Big Salt River Dam
Public Domain Not to Blossom Like
Rose-other Irrigation Projects to
be Undertaken Later.

great lfflSdLlOn projects undertaken Dy
the government will not result in max
ing any of the public domain blossom
like rose" Whatever biossoming is
done will accrue to the benefit of pri-
vare land owners. 1t is now quite GER
tain that whatever water is made avail
able by the three million dollar dam
in the Salt river valley will be needed
for lands which have already been
taken up. Some of the land may be
sold at retail to new settlers, but the
government will have no holdings to
offer under the homestead law.
This news may surprise some people.
Much was said in the debates in con-
gress about the desert wastes which
we've to be made rich and fertile, and
which were to be thrown open to the
home-maker at nominal cost. The
land was to be cut up into small hold
ings, no one having more than 100
acres, and the settler was to be
charged only his pro rata share of the
cost of furnishing the water. Thus
congress was persuaded that it would
be a good scheme to raise fund by
the sale of public lands, and use the
money in making public lands arabic
and valuable, which are now useless.
Some of the other irrigation projects,
to be undertaken later, may result in
retaining some of the arid public
land. The Truckee river project in
Nevada, on the boundary of northern
California will reclaim a small tract, a
few thousand acres of government
land, within the next two years, and
the Milk river project, in Montana, may
have the same effect. But these works
are still in the stage of being invest1-
gated, and are not being pushed with
the energy evident in the Salt river
valley project. In fact, it is frankly
admitted that the Salt river project is
the one which the government officials
are considering as first in importance,
as well as in size and cost.
The land which will be watered by
the Salt river dam, reservoir and works
lis practically all in the hands of private
owners. It is difficult to say just
how much water there will be, or how
much land it will be safe to bring I'M
der cultivation, depending upon the
reservoir, but tits certain that there will
be no more water than will be wanted
by owners who are already on the
ground.
The country tributary to this Salt
river dam project has been practicing
irrigation on large scale for many
years. The Salt river has been tapped
by canals, and all kinds of private en-
terprises have been distributing the
water, and promoting orcharding and
gardening, until as many as 10000
acres were brought under cultivation.
But the water of late years has been
insufficient for the land For nearly
seven years the supply apparently has
been growing less, due, perhaps, to the
reckless denudation of the forest lands
about the sources of the river and the
consequence has been that farms
which once had water have been un-
able to get an adequate supply, and
have had to be abandoned. Some years
the water has been so scarce that there
was barely enough for 10000 acres.
Scores of fine orchards have died and
the trees are now being cut for fire
wood
Measurements of the water flowing
through the Salt river show that there
is enough water even in years OF
drought, to irrigate all and more than
the land now under cultivation, pro-
! vided it be stored up in the rainy sea-
son for use later in the dry months,
And the formation of the country sag.
gests huge dam, just below the juno
ton of Salt river with Tonic creek
where the mountains which form this
drainage basin come close together un-
til they form a profound canyon, with
precipitous sides and narrow bottom
through which flows the Salt river as
between the posts of great natural
gateway. Here is where the dam will
/ be built. 1t will rise, solid wall oil
stone and masonry, $50 feet in height
and $40 feet between the side towers
backing up the water into a great arti
fetal lake which will be not less thar
fifteen miles long by one and one-hali
miles in width, and covering an area
of 14,200 acres.
The water stored in this great re
ceptacle will be sufficient to irrigate
100000 acres. This is 100000 acres
mere than have ever been irrigated
in the best years, by relying on the
regular flow of Salt river. 1t is esti
mated by some experts that the dan
will give water enough for 360.00(
acres, but this is an outside estimate
The conservative figures of F. H
Newell. of the geological survey, place
the amount of land to be watered from
the storage reservoir at 100000 acres
What. then, will lie the effect ol
building this $4,000. 900 work? In the
first place the 5000 or 5000 people
r-ho have safffai fhora apI vvho h,vr