Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-05-19
TUESDAY EVENING. MAY -. 1893
The ARID WEST.


Much interest has been
n this mart OF the country by the &C
ton ~ the government in approprt
a,ing large sums for the constructor
~ reservoir systems IN the arid west.
There has been disappointment ~
Nav Mexico that this territory mas
been overlooked thus far, but nope y
high that appropriations for one OF
more reservoirs will be made WITHIN
: vea some account Of the work the
government is already doing VIII De
interesting.
Under the recent order OF the secre-
tary 81 the Interior inaugurating the
work 81 national irrigation, four states
and q territory have been selected 1or
the expenditure u ome $a,ooo'ooo
now in the treasury, In the construc-
finn of great dams anu immense
bitches. Colorado. Wyoming, Mon
tana, Nevada and Arizona are 10 W.T.
ness this development u welcome
many new nomemakeis WITHIN lheii
borders. About 500, 0v0 acres are to be
clalmea through the storage VI ,he
Hoods, although this Is by no means
the ultlmate acreage when the gov
nme will reclaim under these pro
iccts. me MIX niyer project alone
in It's entirety c~ontelnplates the lrri-
cation OF f,o0y.Ovo acres, Dut ine Work
which the government IS now prepaf'
Ing 10 commence On these I'VE pro-
1ects Iii the start OF the initial ma
i.onal irrigation construction.
probably the most capac!tous reser-
volr Id the United states Is the one
TO be constructed IN the Salt River
valley OF Arizona. The uum IRON beti
rock 10 curb VIII lack but little OF BOT
feet In hei.snt. ~ VIII JON tue towei
ing waits OF the Tonto canyon ant
form a structure. as the official re
ports d / tae government engineers
state, SIS s0ila and Immuyable As tAe
everlasting roeks themselves. Bach
uf this aam VIII stretch an artificial
lake niles III extent. a lake with a
capacity OF IA million and a nail acre
feet-that is, a million and a hail
acres one foot deep Ia water.
unaer the government construction
the Milk RIVER valley OF Montana Wal
be converted from vast stretches ol
arid grazing lands into thousands OF
small farms. A number Of large stor.
age dams and long stretches Of canal
will be necessary to irrigate the broad
valleys which the government engi.
necrs expect to reclaim.
The S~weetwater dam project Of Wy
oming Will bring into that naturally
favored state settlers and homemak.
Grs--all that are needed 10 convert
Wyoming from a cattle and sheep
grazing area into what may be legiti-
mately called an agricultural section
The Gunnison tunnel project in Col
orado is probably one Of the most
remarkable engineering feats under.
taken In the history OF irrigation. The
Gunnison Is a swift flowing stream Of
pure crystal water from the snow
caps OF the Rockies, but during the
thousands OF years that il has worked
is way WESTWARD finally emptyins
INTO the Colorado, j has III for itself,
through rock and boulder a deep
channel. For years IL was considered
an impossible problem to utilize the
waters of the Gunnison for 'irriga,
ton. Owing to the lofty and precipi
tous walls Of its canyons tho water
could not be taken out and led onto
agricultural lands. Now, however
surveys Of a great tunnel have been
made. .n.ax
49, . W.
Perhaps what Is known as ths
Truckee propect in Nevada viii devel
OF agriculture in that state in d pro
portionately greater degree than an,
other irrigation proposition which
could be found In the United States
The reason for this lies IN the fact
not that the damming Of the beauti
full Lake Tahoe, or Bonner lake, OF
Independence lake. or the gorge OF the
Little Trucklee and other canyons tc
catch the melting nov OF the Sierras
In quantities sufficient to irrigatc $50.
900 or SO acres, will result In the pro
duction Of greater crops or In making