The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1904-10-20
Example Of the Working OF Re-
cent National irrigation Act.
HIGHEST DAM IN THE WORLD
Gigantic Reclamation Works in Arizona
How Irrigation Fund Is Created
and How 4 Will Be Used-Erd-
less Chain OF Arid Money.

Hon. Alexander o. Brodie, Governor
of Arizona. in an article on lrrlgation'
appearing in the October number OF the
Cosmopolitan. referring to the operations
of the National Irrigation Act in the
arid regions of the West, says in part:
The first application of the new lrr'-
CATION law has fallen to the territory OF
Arizona Three millions of dollars have
been set aside by the Secretary OF the
Interior from the reclamation fund for
the construction Of IL dam at the mouth
of the Tonic creek on Salt river. Work
upon this dam is now under way. Ce-
ment works to manufacture the cement
needed in the construction of the great
dam are being built. also an electrical
power plant. The river is being d.
verified by the construction of tun-
mel through the mountain in order that
| there shall be no interference from that
source during construction.
| Immense Reservoir.
1.-THE Tonic reservoir,S when created by
the construction of the dam, will cover
/ $4,000 acres. The height of the dam
| will be 245 feet and the depth Of the
water stored at the dam will be 40
| feet; the dam will be 165 feet thick at
| the bottom and Is feet thick at the top
| In length it will be 200 feet at the base
and COS feet at the top. This will be
| the highest dam in the world The stor-
age capacity Of the reservoir will b.
| greater than that Of almost any three
| artificial reservoirs ever built. sufficient
| to cover | 100000 acres Of land one foot
in depth.
I THE reservoir will supply water sufi
| cient to irrigate go 900 acres Of land.
There are in Salt River Valley about
| 100000 acres of land suitable for irri-
| cation. Under the present system of un-
certain water supply, only 10000 acres
are under cultivation-more land. how
ever, than the supply of water warrants.
1t was estimated that the flow of wa
ter last year would bring full yield of
crops from about $4,000 acres
Crops Always sure.
"The benefits to accrue in Salt River
Valley can thus readily be seen When
we consider that from four to seven cut
tings of alfalfa are possible during the
year in the Salt River Valley, what will
be the yield-made certain by water
stored and ready for use-under the con
ditions created by the Tonic dam?
with the certainty of pasturage in the
valley, cattlemen will engage more ex-
tensively in stock raising; hay, grain and
vegetables will seek an open new market
IN the interior mining districts, and thou
sands of farms will become more profit
able. 1t is estimated that a million
and half dollars worth of alfalfa hay
and fat cattle are exported from Salt
River Valley annually. With full crop
of from 100000 to 100000 acres, the
wealth-producing capacity of alfalfa
alone will be sufficient to nav for the
reservoir in less time than is allotted by
laws to the farmers.
Il have felt that the creation of the
Tonto reservoir is but the forerunner
of further systems of water storage in
aid of irrigation in Arizona; that event
ually upon all streams in the territory
where proper sites can be found irriga-
ton works will be constructed; that
where the flood water supply is found
sumcient to guarantee, more than one
reservoir will be created upon single
stream in order that the control of all
surplus water may be had
THE new era of progress in the arid
region of the United States has set in
with an enthusiasm that means success.
for as Emerson wrote, Nothing great
was ever achieved without enthusiasm
-,
IL may thus be seen by the slight ref
erence TO this one project, what the gov
eminent is already doing in the arid
states OF the West. There are ahout
SAIoOO,OOO now in the reclamation fund
as result OF the sale of government
lands IN the arid States, where irrigation
operations are to be established 1t tol,es
but little stretch of the Imagination IN
perceive the incalculable benefits des-
tined to come to arid America" during
the next quarter of century under the
operations of this wholesome American
project.
exclamation of Irrigation Fund.
we frequently see mentioned in M.
pers not thoroughly informed on tbis
SUBJECT, that such and such fund has
neen set aside for retaining the arid
west. Other publications, equally igno-
rant OF the true status, bewail the fact
lhat the people of the entire limited
states are to be taxed for the bene6t
OF the sparsely populated West. Roth
positions are untenablc and are eouallv
widely divergent of the facts pertain
ing TO tho situation as it exists.
Again let it be said for the informo-
ton of all interested, and all who oara
TO become interested, that no definite or
specific amount of money has been vo,ed
oy Congress for the reclamation NJ tha
ard West. The act provides that al,
moneys received from the sale of NH.
lie lands in the thirteen States and tbrae
Territories described are to he tnrnsd
into the fund for irrigation purposes less
8 per cent. '' 'e's
Easy to Own a Home.
The Act further provides that tho Ia nd
snaii De sold to actual occupants. who
snail return to the government. in Ton
eqaai annual instalments, the cost of
bringing water to the land; that II Tho
reclamation of body of 100 600 q cros ae
land should cost 81 600, 900, of S1o mo-,
acre, then the actual occupant Womb 10
expected to reimburse to Uncle Sam tha
sio per acre in ten equal annual install.
ments OF I'll per acre each.
After ten years the entire amount
pended in the construction of reservoirs