The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-30

The most gigantic of the government irrigation constructions in progress IS the Salt River or Roosevelt dam in Arizona, and considerable criticism mas been made of the course or the SecIe- tary of the Interior in setting aside De- tween three and four million dollars for this project which will irrigate no pub lie lands. but only those already in pri- vate ownership, vastly increasing, or course. their value. The work which the government will do under this pro- feet will double and quadruple land values, and in fact make much land that Is now practically useless worth from s30 to si00 an acre. Some 100000 acres will be irrigated under these works. and the artifical reservoir to be formed by the Roosevelt dam will be byi Tar the largest in the United States with the incredible capacity of nearly 40o billion gallons. This Is three times the capacity of the great Wachusett reser- voir which is to supply Boston and twice that of the famous Croton dam of New York's water works.
 The criticism referred to of building government works to supply water to such a section as the Salt River valley where the lands are all in private ownership, instead of going out into the desert and retaining public lands IS one which will not hold upon second JnOQRnt. IHe Sdlt NohAOs A'>->' been a famous section of the arid west. Twenty years ago 1t was a vast, flat plain, skirted by mountains reflectins the wonderful colors and tints or the southwest, but nourishing only the cac- tus and other desert plants. The Salt River cut its center, a sparkling, ife- giving stream, and private capital un- dertook to utilize its waters for irri- gation and build up a great commuBity. Dams were built, canals were construc- ted, and thousands of acres were plant | ed to oranges, lemons. figs. dates. rais- | in and wine grapes, almonds, pome- granates, and all the fruits and HOW | CTS of the semi-tropics. not to mention broad fields of emerald alfalfa where fat cattle stood knee deep in the luxu- riant growth. But the valley is today crippled and sick. The canal system laid out was based upon the heavy an- nual rainfalls which prevailed at that | time and sufficient data had not been gathered to show that the period was one of fat years and that the lean years of drouth would surely follow. They came, however. over the whole south | west, as can be seen by study of the rainfall charts of that region, and the result has been that thousands of acres | of orchards and farm have returned tc aridity. The Old Man of the Desert came in and claimed back his own. Il
 is simply a question then. in the Sal
 River Valley, and in some other sec, | lions. as to whether 1t Is not as goot
 or better policy for Uncle Sam to sav'
 the homes of several thousand pioneers
 who are perishing for want of water as it Is to reclaim new raw lands. an' put new settlers upon them.
 From a Brook to a Torrent.
 The flow of the Salt River Valle! Is variable in the extreme. At low water reriods it runs something lik 100 cable feet per second. In one grea flood the river swept down the valle! at the rate of 300,000 cubic feet per sc cond. The 18th annual report of tn Geological Survey describes the flood
 1891 as follows, all of which ran use
 lessly to the sea for Jack of storage.
 "on February 17. the discharge wa
 s35 cubic feet per second, increasini
 the next day to 154,0o0 cubic feet an
 on the 18th to 276,000 cubic feet. Thi
 was followed by a second greater swel
 until on tho 24th a maximum of 3O0.OO
 cubic feet was reached
 The Roosevelt dam is to control an