The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-11-03

The general public has not had time
to become familiar with the workings
Of the r~ecianra from service under the
National Irrigation law. which passed
Congress, June l7th. 1902. through the
direct persouai Influence Of President
Roosevelt.
As previously stated in these columns.
this is one of the most important meas
ures that has ever been enacted by
Congress. Perhaps no one now living
can fully appreciate its far-reachIng
benefcent effect upon the domestic. So
cial aud political lives OF future genera
sior,s Of American citizens. Active opera
Sions began as soon "a the measure be-
came a law; an organized body of gov
crnneut engineers was already in the
Western field connected with the geo.
logical and Typographical surveys 1t
will be OF interest to voters to know.
before election day, something of the
mod us operaudi Of this National Irriga-
zion Act for which President Roosevelt
ID personally aud directly responsible.
National irrigation Explained.
A. previously stated. the funds for
this great work ere derived from the
sale or disposal of public lands located
i'm the thirteen States aud three terri
tories affected. and the work is CON
consequently cou6l.ed to this area. There
Is now ia the reclamation fund. some
thing over SGT 900. 900. This fund is in
creasing rapidly every month. When
1t is stated that the proportion of gov
ernment land IN many of these arid
States il from IS to % per cent. of the
entire area, some vague idea may be had
OF The enormous amount that is destined
co accumulate in this irrigation fund as
che result of the sale Of these govern
ment lands during the next fifty years.
All Of this money goes into the reclaim
alton fund. Whenever any portion OF
1t Is expended for the construction of
reservoirs. dams or bitches, it is return
ed to the government within a period of
cen years. iu the form Of ten equal an
pual installments. from the actual Oc-
cupsnts of the Iand. SO reclaimed by
Irrigation.
Over o Engineers at Work.
To carry out the purpose Of this law
an efficient engineering corps has beer
orgauized. under civil service rules, anc
from the men already in tue field. Ovel
shree hundred such engineers. togethel
with a large number of helpers, are al
Al tcduv III tut uflu- IDUi TINE L tlliit
other men are being added. especial,
from the graduates Of professional
schools throughout the country. 1t il
che policy Of the government to retair
men for this work who are known t,
possess high prime .'ies and bted III
tegrity. for it is believed that the grea
hydraulic work can be planned and bull
properly only by men Of the highes
type.
Selection of Reservoir Sites.
In each OF the States and territories
general study is being made of natura
situations which offer opportunities 70
reclaimirg large bodies of land. Afte
due preliminary work. Il few of sucl
projects. say two OF three, which ar
che most promising. are selected 70
more careful survey and Investigation
From Il comparison OF results so oil
Gained. one of these is chosen by tn
district engineer. When he is ready t
report upon the work. with recommend
atiOns. the facts aud figures are sui
mitted tn the board of engineers. VIII
pass upon them. Sometimes addition,
information il sought or the conclusion
are modified.
When agreement il reached, the r.
quits are transmitted to the Secreta
,sf the Interior with definite recomimen,
atoms for immediate action and with fu
facts as to cost aud benefits. Fin
action is thus taken only after the mo
critical examination of existing cond
tons and comparison of these with 9th
projects. In some Of these arid Stat
a general RECONNAISSANCE is still beii
carried on. in others plans and estimat
have been completed, and in a numD
of instances work has actually begun
a large scale. along the line of c~onstrut
ing dams and reservoirs. Contracts u
tikely to be let within the next fe
months for several more. mammoth e
derprises which will reclaim a few III
don acres of land.
Organizing Communities for Irric
ton.
Under the terms of the law, the wor
when built. are to be paid f3r in t
annual miscellaneous and are ultimat,
60 be owned and operated by the p,
pie using the water. The pro3i,ems
fore the reclamation service, thereto
ara not merely engineering in c1arlct
but are largely legal and pertain to /
organization of the ~irrigators iato as
cations, so that the management a
future control of the works NAV be nl
ed i'll their hands. TMs is the IN
difficult part of the work. 1t is hard
bring together the disrordant eiemer
of a community, toru by cont IS o
water, and weld them into d comps
organization, sufficiently strong to ma
tain the works built by the goyernm,
and distribute the water equitably.
How Water Is Conserved fcr Use
Beyond all question, most of me wa
90 be conserved for irrigation purpo
will come from the storage of fl
waters by means of dams and rcservo
Wherever suitable basins along Tia
streams can he found, they VIII he
tized by CLOSING the outlets ana ratrh
the waters which otherwise would Il
down the Setp slopes. devastating
bwlands.
Many of these artificial reservoirs
be supplied by gravity canals so as
lover large bodies of bench land al