The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-17
TO USE UNDERFLOW.
Plans for Irrigating the Arkansas Val
ley Are Completed.

Washington April 17.-Prof. Charles
g. Shelters plans for an irrigation pro
feet in western Kansas have been ap-
proved by various boards Of the re-
clamation service, and official an
nOuncemeut will shortly be made Of the
governments intention to undertake the
work. Irrigation by the government in
Kansas has been a long time coming,
but the experts have finally agreed that
the underfiow of the Arkansas can be
utilized to water the arid lands.
Final estimates Of the cost of a pro-
1ect near Deerheld, and the acreage
which can be irrigated. will be submit
ted to the secretary Of the interior. Prof.
Shelters plans in part detail are an
To date no further details of the pro-
dect for utilizing the underfloW have
been given than the announcement Of
plan for the construction of a series Of
pumping stations across the bottom
lands of the Arkansas river. It is now
explained that the water from the vari-
Gus pumping stations is to be discharg-
ed into a concrete lined 1une, carried
under the bed of the Arkansas river by
means of an inverted siphOn, and deliv-
cred near the head of an irrigation ca
nal, locally known as the farmers
ditch.
TWenty-three Pumping Stations.
The plan involves the construction Of
% separate pumping stations, each sta
ton driven electrically from a central
power station on the main line Of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa F'e railway,
just east of Deerheld-
1t is proposed to recover 30, OOO
acre feet of ground water per season,
and to irrigate $4,000 acres of upland
adjacent to the farmers ditch. All Of
this land is now in private ownership.
This plant, when constructed. will
constitute one Of the largest ground
water pumping plants in existence.
Investigation has shown that the con-
ditions for the recovery of large guam
titles of ground water are unusually
favorable in the valley of the Arkan-
6as river, where the gravels are from
400 to 500 feet in depth and very
coarse.
The line of wells proposed in this
project extends across the valley OF
the Arkansas river a distance of "a, 600
feet, intercepting the underfloW Of the
river in q crOss-sectiOn "a, 600 feet
wide and 500 feet deep. 1t is proposed
70 locate the pumping plant in
Rearny county, but the lands to be
irrigated are principally in Finney
county, northwest of Garden City. All
Of the lands are within easy reach of
the main line OF the AtchisOn, Topeka
& Santa Fe, none being at a greater
distance than nine or ten miles from
that system
The irrigable lands are at a level of
about 5000 feet above the sea. The
tOpogra ply has the exceedingly fat
their natural state these lands are
covered with a dense growth of the
native sod, or buffalo grass. The gen
eral slope of the LAND rs about seven
and one-half feet to the mile, In an
easterly direction.
Great Increase in Valuation.
The value of the uplands in this part
of Kansas in their natural condition
does not exceed IS to SO per acre. When
reclaimed by irrigation they are easily
worth from 500 to $3.50 an acre. Re
claimed lands in this neighbOrhood irri-
gated by private pumping plants are
worth from $40 to SIS an acre. The soil
OF the uplands is similar to the soil in
Ghe well known wheat belt of Kansas
very fine grained and very fertile, re
quiring the application of only small
amount of water for irrigation The
principal crops suitable for these lands
are sugar beets and alfalfa cOnsid era BILE
quantities of which are already under
cultivation
The approval Of these plans is sure
TO have a far reaching influence on the
development of the agricultural re-
Kansas, and also of Oklahoma and Ne.
braska. II it is demonstrated that the
government system of pumping is fnan.
clally profitable a great impetus viii
certainly be given to private enterprise,
all over this section. Kansas today con
tains very little public domain but il
has a vast area Of fertile land which
has passed into private ownership anS
IS yet untitled, because of lack of frrf
cation facilities. The western portion O
the state appears to be underlaid witt
inexhaustible quantities of undergroun,
water at no great depth.