Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-07-29
rHH CHICAGO HAGLH.
Conquest q "a. Great
American Desert


The principal features Of the Nation
al Irrigation or Reclamation act, as
concisely stated by Congressman c. D
Van Duzer Of Nevada, are as follows
First. A reclamation fund in the
treasury, consisting Of all moneys re-
ceived from the disposal Of public
lands In sixteen arid and semi-arid
States and territories Including Call
fornia and Nevada).
Second. Investigation and report as
to irrigation projects by the Interior
Department through the geological sur.
vey.
Third. After the approval Of such
projects by the Secretary Of the In.
terlor construction to commence under
contracts made BY him. No contract
to be made unless the money neces.
sary for the completion Of the project
ie available In the reclamation fund.
Fourth. Compensation to the fund
Of the actual cost Of each project by
the sale Of water rights, to be made In
a series Of installments running over
ten years.
Fifth. The holding Of the public
lands for actual settlers under the
homestead act; holdings to be limited
to small areas, sufficient for the sup
port Of family; no Communication.
Sixth. Sale Of water rights to pri
vate land holders, but not for more
than 100 acres, thus discouraging land
monopoly and promoting the breaking
up Of large tracts.
Seventh. The ultimate control Of ir
rigatlon works. except reservoirs, by
the settlers under a system Of home
rule. This plan will enable the Yves
to reclaim itself without calling upor
the taxpayers Of the country. 1t en-
tirely relieves the irrigation agitation
Of the charge that 1t Is intended e
tax the East for the improvement o
the West. The government slmpl,
puts its government lands in condition
for settlement by storing ana maxim.
available the foodwaters which ar,
essential for reclamation.
In addition to the government worl
on the use Of water In irrigation. whicl
Is being carried on In all the arid o
semi-arld States, the work In Callfor
MIA, according to an official statement
includes comprehensive study OF tn
whole irrigation situation, looking 4
the remedying Of the evils which ar,
| checking development along this line
The work Is under the general super
vision Of Elwood Mead. the expert II
charge Of irrigation Investigations.
The work being done on the streams
and irrigation systems selected for In
vestigation includes study Of the fol
lowing:
| Abstracts Of the records Of claim
to water. character Of those records
number Of claims. total volume claim
ed, places where recorded, and the cas-
or difficulty with which the validity o
any claim can be determined.
2-Rights to water for purposes 9th
er than irrigation, namely. mining
power and domestic purposes.
3-Alethods by which the amour
and character OF water rights are dc
termlned, accessibility and complete
ness Of the record showing the natur
Of the established rights.
4-Character OF litigation over waite
rights, Its causes and cost, Its inhu
encs on irrigation development. an,
the principles established by decision
rendered.
Rights for storage and under
ground waters. how acquired and how
affected by rights to the surface nov
| Of streams, and the influence Of tn,
underground waters on the stream
discharge.
8--Nature Of an appropriation o
water. 70 determine who 10 the appro
priator, the ditch builder or the owne
Of the land on which the water IL used
or Is the land itself the appropriation
Also, to determine the true measure o.
Its amount. the size Of the claim. tn,
capacity Of the ditch, or the area irrl
gated.
THE volume OF return or seepag,
water, and its availability for be,n,
uBulu OlNcStcus uHu iuuucuCc VI NuIu'
| Of irrigator's rights.
8-size. number, location and capac
| ity Of bitches and other distrlbutinl
works established, and irrigation dut!
VI water.
The work also includes collection O
data showing how water Is divide,
among different bitches from the sam
stream; how It Is distributed anon,
users; the nature Of water-right con
tracts between canal owners and waite
users; what contracts have proven
satisfactory; and what forms OF con
| tracts have given rise to controversy
and the reason therefor. Facts show
Ing rates for sale or delivery Of waite
ana the methods by which these rate
have been established will also b
collected.
| Polite Way OF Getting TIP.
A shrewd old continental guild