Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-04-10
.RECLAIMING ARID LANDS
Details of Plan For Converting
Deserts Into Farms.
ONE MILLION ACRES INVOLVED.
Secretary Hitchcock Has Approved
Five Irrigation PrOjects-NO Sale of
the Reclaimed Land to BE Made to
Any One but Bona Eide Residents.

the Reclaimed Land to Be Made to
Any One but Bona Eide Residents.
After nine months Of careful inves-
tigation the geological survey has de-
cided upon and Secretary Hitchcock
has approved five irrigation projects
to be developed under the terms of the
arid land reservation act of June, 1902,
says William Il. Curtis, the Chicago
Record Herald Washington correspond
ent. These projects are to be located
at Sweetwater dam, Wyoming; Gun
nison tunnel, Colorado; Truckee and
Carson rivers, Nevada; Milk river and
st. Mary's lake, Montana, and Tonic
creek, Arizona. Roughly estimated,
they will make possible the irrigation
Of 100000 acres of land at cost Of
$500, 600. an average of $3.50 an acre.
As a matter of fact, however, much of
the area that may be reached by water
is unsuitable or unavailable for cult
walton. 1t is not expected that more
than 60 per cent of the total will be
found worth irrigating, which will in
crease the average cost to something
tually to be paid by the owners Of the
land reclaimed in ten annual install
ments. That is the policy of the gov
ernment. Much of the land is already
In the hands of private individuals
and undoubtedly that which still re-
mains will be taken up by settlers as
soon as the plans are made known,
but the government will require pledges
that the cost of the reclamation will be
refunded according to the provisions
Of the law.
The irrigation bureau of the geolog
ical survey will encounter many COM
plications and legal difficulties in Sc
curing reservoir sites and rights Of
way, and the riparian laws of several
states must be observed in every par
ticular. The agents of the government
understand that the reclamation scheme
Is still in the experimental state and
have been proceeding with the great
est caution in order that the first step
may be successful and attended by no
serious errors. In selecting locations
the first consideration is to insure q
return of the costs of construction to
the government, which depends entire
ly upon the availability of the land for
cultivation and the disposition of set
tiers to own or occupy it. They will
not venture upon any estimate or pre-
diction as to the time required to COM
plete the five projects mentioned. They
must feel their way and modify their
plans as difficulties and obstacles may
develop.
Sweetwater dam is to be located on
Sweetwater river at Devils gap, forty
miles west of the town of Casper and a
similar distance north of Rawlins,
Wyo. The total area to be reached by
irrigation Is 100000 acres, and original
~ 1t was supposed that nearly all of it
was susceptible of cultivation, but sub
sequent investigations have discovered
large patches of alkali which will have
to be eliminated from the estimates.
Detailed inspection will determine the
exact amount of lands that may be re-
claimed, and only those suitable for ag-
riculture will be included in the plan.
The Gunnison tunnel scheme is ex-
pected to reclaim nearly 100000 acres
near Montrose in central Colorado, but
upon closer inspection this area will
undoubtedly be cut down.
In Nevada it is proposed to divert
water from Lake Tahoe, California
and its outlet, the Truckee river, into
the Humboldt valley, and supply set.
tiers in the vicinity of Reno. 1t Is be-
lieved that nearly 100000 acres may be
reclaimed there.
The Milk river project in northern
Montana Is expected to reclaim nearl.
100000 acres in the vicinity of Malt,
and Glasgow, but this enterprise Is at
tended by serious complications, be
cause part of the water suppl,
comes from Canada.
At Tonic creek, eighty miles abov
Phenix, Ariz., immense impoundin
reservoirs are to be located to provid
supply of water to irrigate abou
100000 acres in Salt River valley
which is already thickly settled. Their