The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-20
Geological Survey Delighted With
Arrangements for Executing
Long Cherished Plan.
FIVE BIG PROJECTS DEFINED.
Governments Scheme Is to Make
Improvements Pay for Them
selves in Ten Years by Tax
ing the Land Benefited.
The Republic Bureau.
18th St. and Pennsylvania Ava


Washington, March 19.-Officials of the
Geological Survey are well pleased with the
decision of the Cabinet to place at the dis
posal OF the Interior Department 00.0O
of the 500 900 900 in the public land fund for
the purpose of carrying out irrigation plans
in the West
For the last ten years the Geological Sur
vey has been prospecting in the arid regions
of the West with the view of determining
where the least money could be spent and
accomplish the greatest good. The claims
of the various sections were thoroughly
considered and the department outlined five
projects which have met with the approval
OF the Cabinet and will be begun In a short
while.
The first is In Wyoming and is called the
sweetwater project: 1t VIII be matter Of
damming the Sweetwater River.
The second enterprise is the Milk River
project in Montana. This involves a stor-
age dam, diversion canal and distributing
system.
The third is the Truckee in Nevada.
which offers problem similar to that on
The Gunnison project in Colorado. differs
from the others IN mat. instead OF building
a dam. the irrigators will have to bore a
tunnel twelve feet in diameter through four
miles of granite. No especial trouble is
anticipated in building. this tunnel. except
at the end away from the river, where shale
instead inst Of granite VIII be encountered and
The fifth is the Salt River project, in
Arizona, where an immense storage dam is
to be built.
WILL RECLAIM 100000 ACRES
About 100000 acres of arid land will be
opened for cultivation II the five projects
are completed, though the amount of good
accomplished will depend largely upon the
action of the land owners in the sections
where the work is to be done.
Ten years have been spent by the geolo-
gists in surveying and mapping the arid
sections which are to be improved and the
plans are now completed. One thing that
the reservors That viii be the rsy n uss
to which the 100000 will be put. The
land owners have been sounded and have
generally been willing to settle at reason
able amounts.
The Government owns large quantities Of
arid ground, but the reservoirs will natural
ly fill valleys where there are already
streams and vegetation SO that the public
property will not be available.
After the owners OF reservoir sites are
brought into camp. will come the reasoning
with the owners of the soil which will Se
benefited by irrigation. The scheme Of the
Government Is to make the Improvement
pay for themselves in ten years. II 100 900
acres Of private land are benefited and the
dam or tunnel cost 100000. each acre
would be assessed at SO. payable in ten an
nual installments Of 81 per acre, without in
terest. II 5000 acres Of private land and
the same amount Of Government land are
Improved, the Government assumes its
share Of the cost and holds 1t as a lien
against any purchaser or homesteader by
whom 1t may be acquired.