Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-09-30
First Report Of State Irrigation Engineer
Chandler Is Filed With the Governor.
! T'v' !. I / ! ! ! uRTH YEAII.

IndnQle is Flied
8 eliminary Report 81 State Engi.
neer, Filed September %, 1901. 355s
5@ Irrigation y not . time-worn topic
for discussion ii Il our state. d North
2 Dakota IL 4 not abs luteiy depend
ent on irrigation 1as are come 81
the mountain states. 10 many seasons
Y Is possible to- raise q first class
crop here with only The natural water
supply, the rainfall There has been
fear that speaking Of Irrigation might
be considered; derog DRY to the region
and held to imply the land e desert
For such reasons rigation has not
( yet been largely practiced nor until
recently have It's Dement'S In point Of
larger ana more certain crops and
greater suitability for intensive farm
Ing been generally recognized.
The state is years behind other
states in this respect. and justiAably;;
for irrigation. has, been considered
here as 9 matter Of. choice, not Of
necessity. But with the continual
growth Of our population, irrigation
will, in many portions, certainly be
adopted and employed to the fullest
extent, thus making possible and facili-f
Eating profitable agriculture on smaller,
farms and causing the river valleys to
be more closely settled and the state
to increase in; strength and wealth
from the diversity Of It's agricul
In all the western states where irri-
cation tis to any extent practiced II
has been found advantageous to EN-.
ploy a state irri alton engineer Or
!. other equivalent! board 81 corps to
perform such duties as are concisely
described Ia the following extract from
the laws Of Wyoming SIS b ssEE;S aS:s
Section 1O4. The state engineer
shall make, or cause to be made. meas
4 urements and calculations Of the dis
charge Of streams. from which water
shall be taken for beneficial purposes,
commencing such work upon those
streams as are used for irrigation, or
other beneficial purposes. He shall
collect facts and make surveys to de-
termine the most suitable location for
constructing works for utili7ing the
water Of the state, and TO ascertain
4. the location Of the lands best suited
for irrigation. He shall examine
reservoir sites and shall. in his re:
ports, embody all the facts ascertained
by such surveys and examinati lions. In
Guiding wherever Il acticable, esti-
mates Of the cost Of proposed Sirrlga-
/ tion works. and of the Improvements
Of reservoir sites. He shall become
Ssconversant with the water ways OF
u the state, and the needs Of the state
/ as to irrigation matters, and in his, re-
Z ports to the goyernor he shall make
q such suggestions az to the amendment
5of existing laws Of the enactment of
4 new laws as his Information and ! ex-
perience shall suggest and he shall
y keep In his Office full and proper rec
\ ords of his work, observations, and
calculati ions, all Of which shall be the
4 property Of the state. (
Hitherto no such work has been
done here. except locally BY indiy idual
/ enterprise, and for 8 few months last
/: season by q small party belonging to
/. the United States 4 defamation Service.
little is'y vet known conc corning the
/ irrigation ia sbbil itiea of this region.
/ As q natural fiesult despite the fact
that North Dakota has contributed far
more to tlss lanai ion fund than
\ any 9th er d tate except Oregon, she has
Z been assisted from IL only slightly;
while other states that have contribu.
TED little % the fund are Is fortunate
d as to be the local ton Tor the expendi.
4 ture ! 81 Immense sums In extensive
works that will contribute greatly 70
the develop ment and upbuilding 81
THESE x9NS sRV
was because examinat onsy and surveys
had been inside man years "a q
had been finally carried out to such II 4 7
point of accuracy and nement that
the necessary fund we're the only
ching still Slacling may BE- a VI lsosn ls
time before that point - reaclled ~
ot,r state. 40 reyar projects large
enough To merit the Att nttor and as q
sistance az the federal sove rnmen q.
d hut III view az me general interest Il eEl
now betng manife steds q may he hoped
mat this time WIN ~ ~ sb q, 4
ia order that work the statet
might be begun lithout longer CON ",
tinued delay this sssocia tion. 81 you
s5 are doubtless ~ aNare. supported y