The Springfield herald., 1904-10-21
Example Of the Working Of Re-
cent National Irrigation Act.
HIGHEST DAM IN THE WORLD
Gigantic Reclamation Works ID Arizona
How Irrigation Fund Is Created
and How II Will Be Used-Eud.
less Chain Of Arid Money.


appearing in the October number of the
Cosmopolitan, referring to the operations
of the National Irrigation Act in the
arid regions of the West, snys in part:
'The first application of the new lrri-
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 II dam Mt 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 di-
verted by the construction of a tun-
mel through the mountain in order that
there shall be no interference from that
source during construction.
Immense Reservoir.
'The Tonto reservoir, when created by
the construction of the dam, will cover
1900 acres The height of the dam
will be 245 feet and the depth of the
water stored at the dam will be 1870
feet; the dam will be 165 feet thick at
the bottom and 16 feet thick at the top.
and 653 feet at the top. This will be
age capacity of the reservoir will be
greater than that of almost any three
artificial reservoirs ever built, sufficient
to cover 1,3OO,O 900 acres of land one foot
In depth. H
1.-THE reservoir will supply water sufl
cient to irrigate 25O,0OO acres of land.
There are in Salt River Valley about
26O 600 acres of land suitable for irri-
CATION. Under the present system of un-
certain water supply, only 115.OOO 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 10000 acres.
Crops Always Sure.
1.-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 nre 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 Tonto 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
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 pay for the
reservoir in less time than is allotted by
laws to the farmers.
II have felt that the creation of the
Tonic 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
sufficient 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
="
1t may thus be seen by the slight ref
erence to this one project, what the gov
ernment is already doing in the arid
$27 .OOO. 600 now in the reclamation fund,
ms result of the sale of government
lands in the arid States, where irrigation
operation are to be established. 1t takes
but little stretch of the imagination to
perceive the incalculnble benefits des-
tined to come to "Arid America" during
the next quarter of n century under the
operations of this wholesome American
project.
Explanation of Irrigation Fund.
We frequently see mentioned in pa
pers not thoroughly informed on this
subject, that such and such fund has
been set aside for reclniming the arid
West. Other publications., equally igno-
rant of the true status, bewail the fact
that the people of the entire United
States are to be taxed for the benefit
of the sparsely populated West. Both
positions are untenable and are equally
widely divergent of the facts pertain
ing to the situation as it exists.
Again let it be said for the informa-
tion of all interested, and all who care
to become interested, that no definite or
specific amount of money has been voted
by Congress for the reclamation of the
arid West. The act provides that all
moneys received from the sale of pub
Territories described are to be turned
into the fund for irrigation purposes, less
per cent
Ensy to Own Home.
The Act further provides that the land
shall he sold to actual occupants, who
shall return to the government. in ten
equal annual installments, the cost of
bringing water to the land; that if the
recama ton of n body of 100, 600 acres of
land should cost S1.0OD.OOO. of $40 per
acre. then the actual occupant would be
expected to reimburse to Uncle Sam the
SO per acre in ten equal annual INSTALL
ments of 81 per acre each.
After ten years the entire amount eN-
pended in the construction of reservoirs,
dams and irrigation systems generally
will return ngain to the treasury of the
| United States. and can thus be sent out
ngnin on its fructifying mission of phi
lanthropy and home building. Meantime