Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-02-14
irrigation engineers REPORT.
Summary Of First Biennial Report Of Prof. I.
F. Chandler On Irrigation Matters
An Interesting Official Document Containing Much Stalls
iCal and Valuable Information

Among the customary biennial re-
ports of the state officers published at
this time there appears pamphlet Of
about ninety pages with the title First
Biennial Report of State Irrigation En-
gineer, prepared by Prof e. F. Chand-
Ter of the state university. =
Irrigation is comparatively a new
topic in North Dakota; little general
interest was taken in it until since the
passage of the National Reclamation
Act; but since it has been realized
how great benefits might result to the
state if there were suitable locations
for the work of the reclamation SER
vice, there has been a remarkable
awakening of interest in many por-
lions of the state.
1t is not possible to expect the efforts
of the federal authorities to be exert
ed in our behalf without cooperation
on the part of the state; nor is it
doubtful but that in the aggregate
more of the benefits or irrigation will
in this state accrue from small indi-
vidual Or cooperative projects than
from the larger projects that the re-
clamation service carries out; it is
therefore incumbent upon the state
to take proper action for the investi-
cation and furtherance of this work.
North Dakota as yet has no legislative
provision for this, but the State Irri-
cation association, after securing sub
scriptions to a guarantee fund to
meet the necessary expenses pending
the action of the legislature, requested
Governor White to appoint a tenn
porary state engineer, in order that
the earliest possible beginning might
be made, the work be outlined, and
the subject fairly presented, before
the session of the legislature. This
was done early last summer, and this
formal report therefore appears.
A portion of the report consists of a
discussion of irrigation laws, their
necessity, possible defects, and essen
tial features. In any region that en-
ploys irrigation definite clear titles to
the use of water are as necessary as
definite landmarks and property-lines
for land ownership. Fair and equitable
water regulations are desired by the
city resident who intends sprinkling
his lawn from the hydrant, but are of
indefinitely greater import to the
farmer who uses irrigation, whether
he depends upon it for his whole live
lihcod or merely to insure more COM
forts and luxuries. From the nature
of the case, the granting of rights to,
and supervision of, the use of the
streams is in the province of the
state. A suggested irrigation code
which makes detailed provision con-
corning the duties of the state engi-
neer and other officers who should
carry forward the work is printed as
an appendix, this being nearly the
same as Senate bill No. 1 under con-
sideration at this session. This is
recommended by Professor Chandler
to the favorable consideration of the
legislature and the opinion expressed
that the interests of the state will be
promoted by the enactment of a code
at least the essential fea-
lures of this, including appropriations
at least sufficient to secure the entire
services of some thoroughly compe-
tent engineer of long experience in an
irrigation state to serve as state en-
gineer here where irrigation is Just
.a.a -..
( A description of the different river
systems of the state with respect to
their possibilities for irrigation fol-
lows. This is based chiefly upon the
field work Of the past season, and does
not pretend to any completeness as
the funds and time available were
limited SO that no work was done on
some streams and little more than a
rapid reconnaissance was made any
where. This is only an attempt to-
sum up the possibilities Of the differ
ent sections in order that the rest.
dents, and also the agencies of the
state and federal governments, can be
aided to see where attention can most
advantageously be directed to secure
development.
Some interesting figures in regard
to the amount of water Moving In the
different streams is included. This is