Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-07-03
STORAGE and IRRIGATION

making more of the soil in the
Western hall of the state pro-
dactive, we have advocated,
through the DEMOCRAT, the plan
Of storage reservoirs, for the
three fold purpose of providing
a supply of water for irrigating
wherever practicable, for in
creasing rainfall, and for pre-
venting overfows in the lower
Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
We are pleased to note that
many papers are now taking
up a discussion of these matters,
and eminent experts are investi-
eating this thoroughly practical
plan of benefiting vast numbers
. of people.
The following from the ST. Joe
News of a recent date, shows the
drift of thought now being crys-
tallized upon. the subject, and
we hope the million and a half
of public money appropriated to
promote irrigation in the semi
arid regions will be used in the
building of storage reservoirs
for the conservation of the storm
waters. The Nesw article is as
follows:
The question of building gov
ment storage reservoirs at the
headwaters of the Mississippi or
the Missouri to diminish such
floods as have recently terror
lied the valleys of these great
streams is now receiving consid-
GRAFTON by experts. Guy E..
Mitchell, secretary of the Nation
al Irrigation society, advocates
the plan. The water storage
proposition applied to the Mis-
souri, and it's great tributaries
involves the question of the irri-
cation of the vast arid domain
through which these rivers flow.
Ii irrigation storage reservoirs
were constructed on these rivers,
it is estimated that as much as
80, 100000 acres of present des-
ert land would be reclaimed.
The principal season of growing
crops for this area would be
April, May June, July and Au-
gust, and the reason that the
lands are not irrigated at
present is that while there is
plenty of water in the first three
months; during July and Au-
gust, when water is absolutely y
necessary to make the crops,
streams are reduced to mere
threads. If the storage reser-
voirs would supply water for
this land during July and Au-
gust, during the three preceding
months the water for this great
tract of land would be drawn
directly from the streams them
selves.
By means ofcanals and bitches
almost incalculable quantities OF
the food waters coming down
during April, May and June,
which cannot be stored in reser-
voirs, would be taken out of the
rivers and spread upon this land,
which would take it up like a
sponge, water which would 60
down the Missouri river and
down the Platte river and down
the Arkansas river into the
Mississippi and thus add to the
torrents there.
Under such a system of irriga-
tion the effect would be the same
as though it had been possible a
Z fortnight ago to spread out the
great flood of the Mississippi,
the Arkansas and the Platte,
and food millions of acres OF
farming land in Wyoming, Colo
RADIO. Kansas, Nebraska and the
oDakotas thus reducing the flow
of the lower reaches of the Mis-.
souri, to below danger point
The combined volume Of water
impounded into storage reser
yoirs at the headwaters OF tLest
great rivers and their tributaries
and that contained in a networl
of hundreds of miles of irrigation
canals and bitches, coupled witt
that absorbed by millions oi
acres of arid land, would hav'
gone a long way toward palliat
ing or preventing what will b.
known as the great food O
1903.-St. Joe News.