The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-10
MAGIC OF WATER
How Uncle Sam Will Use It to Re-
claim the Arid and Semi
Arid West.

Great Difficulties in the Way Ex-
planned Comparatively Small
| Area Involved.
From STAFF Correspondent.
! Denver, Col, Sept 1O.-The entire arid
and semi-arid region of the United States
| Is embraced within the boundaries of
fourteen states and three territories
namely, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ne
braska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana, Wy
oming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho Utah,
Arizona, California, ], Nevada, Oregon.
Washington and Texas. The reclama ton
fund, to be used for Irrigation purposes
however, does not include Texas, and any
irrigation undertaken there must be at
private or state expense. This Is because
Texas. when admitted into the union. re-
tanned control Of all vacant lands within
her boundaries.
| The arid and semi-arid regions include
about two-fifths of the area of the coun-
try, extending from the Missouri river
to tho Pacific coast, and the interest of
the general government in Its reclamation
is, therefore, apparent. The semi-arid re-
g1on includes a strip running north and
south over the Dakotas, western Nebras-
Texas panhandle. In years Of excessive
moisture the subhumid region creeps west
to the foothills of the Rocky mountains,
while In dry years 1t sometimes reaches
within a comparatively short distance of
the Missouri. The arid and semi-arid
belts extend north into Canada and south
into Mexico both of which countries are
deeply interested in irrigation, and pre-
ceded the United States in officially recog-
nizing the necessity for it.
! Not all of the arid and semi-arid lands
in the United States are vacant. Many
of them have passed, in whole or in part
into the hands Of private owners. Large
grants have been made to RAILWAYS for
the construction Of transcontinental lines
Other grants have been made in accord
ance with the Spanish land grants rec
ognized In our treaty with Mexico. States
have received liberal allowances Of public
land for state institutions, and many
homesteads have been located around
springs, along rivers and other natural
water sources. The governm ent, in en-
barking in the business of irrigation on
a large scale, therefore, finrs that it must
deal not simply with the public land but
with innumerable complications growing
out of private ownership.
Why the Government Dips In.
| Why, then, has the government taken
up the work Of reclamation, when private
| enterprise has already done so much, and
when the problem is rendered exceed
| ingly difficult because Of that fact? The
| question is answered by F. H. Newell,
chief engineer Of the geological survey.
He notes that while private enterprise
has done much in the way of scientific
and successful irrigation, the results have
not been wholly satisfactory, from the
broad viewpoint of the country as a.
whole. Choice spots have been developed
and the easily available waters have been
utilized, but the larger public interests
have not been guarded, and the making Of
homes has not been carried on as Wig
| orously as public policy requires. In the
smaller projects, private enterprise has
| been highly successful, but in the larger
| and more difficult undertakings it has
not been uniformly, successful, owing to
| the enormous sums of money required, and
| therefore public lands have not been util-
| lied for the greatest good Of the people as
g. whole. 81 -, *. /. ss..5.
Mr.. Newell also makes an interesting ex
PLANTATION as to- theeCauset Of lack Of rain
fall west of the Missouri river. The gen.
eral atmospheric movement in this coun-
try, as a whole, he says, is from west to
east Moisture-laden winds from the Pa
| cif1c> ocean, encountering the mountains
near the coast, are forced upwards and
| cooled. In the winter much Of this :
| moisture Is deposited on the mountains,
and the winds pass over them to the east
perfectly dry. In the summer time, when
the mountains are relatively warm, winds
from the Pacific pass over them without
depositing their moisture, bringing on the
summer drought Of the Pacific coast.
| Passing eastwardly, these Winds retain
ing their humidity, bring rains to the in
| terror These summer rains help make up
for the deficiency OF rain in the winter
The Rocky mountains intercept these
winds and extract all the moisture that
remains, so that by the time the winds
reach the country east Of the mountains,
they are dry.
Very Little Real Desert.
While the semi-arid regions are large,
the actual desert places are very small
| To the west Of Salt Lake there is true
desert. Of sand and alkali, destitute of
vegetation, and in southern California is
| the Salton desert, about 800 feet below
| ocean level. It Is estimated by govern
ment experts that the total desert area Of
| the country embraces about 10000, 900
acres. The remainder Of the arid country
| has more or less scanty vegetation of
| some value to man.
| The government will experience much
difficulty, and probably encounter much
well meant but undeserved criticism in
it's attempt to preserve what is left of
the great irrigation country for the bene-
| fit Of the people. The problems are, in
deed, Of a very perplexing character, and
only a thoroly honest and intelligent ad-
ministration of the new irrigation law can
bring even a measure of success. From
this time on it will be highly important
that the secretary of the interior, who
lis charged with the administration of the
law, be honest, energetic and well in
formed. The law is so general in its
terms that it will bear good or bad fruit
in proportion as it is administered prop
erly or otherwise. The president recog-
nizes this fact, which no doubt explains
in part why he sticks to Secretary Hitch.
cock, the most unpopular cabinet officer
for a generation, in any party. Hitch
cock is admittedly honest and conscien.
tious. He knows the western country
He has made a careful study Of irrigation
The president can trust him implicitly
These things being thus, many Of Hitch
cocks unpleasant characteristics can be
overlooked and the many peculiarities Of
temperament and character which brine
down upon his head the wrath Of public
men.
The Difficulties to Be Encountered.
i A brief look at one Of the numerous diff.
fculties the government will encounter II
It's administration Of the new irrigation
law will be interesting.
The public land laws were drawn witt
special reference to the broad prairie
country of the middle west, between the
Aleghenies and the Missouri river where
every tract Of 100 acres is practically a!
farmer is entirely independent as regard.
| oofhn 1~ ~f 1k,,ro ~