The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1903-12-01
FEDERAL IRRIGATION.

nal Professor F. H. Newell, chief of
the United States reclamation service,
dictated the following highly interest
ing and instructive account of the fed
eral irrigation undertaking, up to
date.
The United States reclamation SER
vice, under the law of June II, 1902,
has been organized for the purpose of
making surveys and examinations,
and constructing irrigation works for
the reclamation of the arid lands OF
the west The funds are derived
from the disposal of public lands in
thirteen states and territories, and the
work is confined to these. There is
now available upwards of $16,OOO,OOO
and this amount is being increased
from day to day.
In order to carry out the purpose Of
the law, an engineering corps has
been organized, under the civil serv-
ice rules, each man being selected
through competitive examination.
These examinations have been based
largely on experience in actual plan
ming and construction of irrigation
works. About $50 experienced men
have thus been obtained, together
with some younger men, with good
technical education. From time to
time other men are being added, es.
pecially from graduates of profession
al schols. The attempt is being made
to obtain force of the most cOmpe-
tent men of high principle and I'M
doubted integrity, as it is believed
that the great hydraulic works can be
planned and built only by men Of the
highest type.
SURVEYS AND EXAMINATIONS.
In each of the states and territories
a general study is being made of op-
portunities for reclamation, and two
or three projects, especially note
worthy, are selected for careful sur
vey. From a comparison OF results,
one of these is chosen by the district
engineer. When he is ready to re-
port upon the work, with recommends
lions, the facts and figures are sub
mitted to a board of engineers, who
pass upon these. Sometimes addl-
tional information is sought, or the
conclusions are modified. When agree
ment is reached, the results are trans
mitted to the secretary of the interior,
with definite recommendations, for
immediate action, and with the full
facts as to cost and benefits. Final
action is thus taken only after the
most critical examination of existing
conditions, and comparison of these
with other projects.
In some of the states general recon
noissance is still | carried on; in
others, plans and estimates have been
completed, and in one case, in Nevada
actual construction has begun. 1t is
hoped that contracts will soon be let
for work in several other states.
Under the terms of the law the
works, when built, are to be paid for
in ten annual installments, and are
ultimately to be owned and operated
by the people using the water. The
problems before the reclamation serv-
ice are thus not merely engineering
in character, but are also largely le-
gal and pertaining to the organization
of the irrigators into associations,
such that the management can be
placed in their hands That is, per-
haps, the most difficult part of the
work, namely, to bring together the
discordant elements of community,
torn by conflicts over water, and weld
these into compact organization suf-
ficiently strong to maintain the works
built by the government and distrib-