Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-03-13
Conquest ., II. Great
American Desert


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1t is gratifying to note that the
present attitude of the government is
rigidly to safeguard the remaining
public lands, writes &. j. Blanchard.
sta tistician of the recla ma ton service
of the U. s. Geological Survey. Under
the beneficent policy of natiOnal reca
nation. the arid west Ia taking on
new individuality. An era Of substan-
tia development is dawnlng on many
desert valleys now waterless and I'M
inha bited.
The pioneer irrigatOr with scraper
and spade has invaded the widest
and most remote sections Of the inter
mountain country. He has turned the
precious waters of Il thousand streams
upon 122.OOO farms. More than 10000
bitches stretch out for 10000 miles to
over 9.UOO,OW acres of productive land
wrested from aridity. These bitches.
monuments of the indomtable indus
try and courage Of their builders. rep
resent an initial outlay of $93.OOO, 900.
The fertile fields and bloSsoming or
,hards, which to-day attest the wisdom
of the irriyators yield annually more
than S10O,WO,OOO in crops while the
increment by irrigation works is in
excess of $314UU0.UUO in land values
alone.
Tie day of the individual ditch dig
ger is over. The irrigation systems in
use require practically all the norma
flow of the important streams. and ag
ricultural development under these has
reached its ma Ximum. SO precious has
the water been found to he. and so
abundant the rewards following its APP
plicatiOn. the irrigatOrs in their efforts
to increase the supply have not been
deferred from undertaking engineering
works involving millions OF dollars.
To-day surface water. drainage water.
seepage water. water from artesian
wells. from tunnels penetrating noun
Tins, and water imponndpd in reser-
vors are alike utilized. Such irriga-
ton possibilities as are known to exist
involve enormous expenditures and Of
fer no attractions to investors In the
way of quick returns or substantial
profits. II has therefore become the
duty of the government to develop
these enterprises. and backed by the
millions in the reclamation fund. sew
eral great projects have been under
taken.
Although organized only two and
one half years. the reclamation service
has already formulated plans which.
when completed. will reclaim i.l31 ,OOU
acres. Actual construction has begun
on five projects which will require an
outlay Of $1O4OO.UW Eleven others.
involving nearly $2O.WWWD are almost
ready for the contractors. In nearly
all of the arid States other projects are
waiting further investigation or are
held up until the reclamation fund will
warrant their consideration.
An apparently feasible project in
Washington which embraces the enor-
nous area of 5.OOO,OOO acres would re-
oulre So. 100000 a sum I'm excess OF
the whole fund, to construct 1t. These
gigantic works, furnishing employment
to thousands of men. will ultimately
create homes for millions OF our PEG
pie. When fully inaugurated the gov
eminent works. together with those
now being constructed by private com.
panies. will Quadruple the irrigated
area and will transform Il region now
| the widest and most desoate on our
continent into one of the richest agri
cultural sections in the world.
A careful review of the preliminary
work of the government indicates that
there are two focal points in the west
in which we may expect the largest
development in the future. The first,
and perhaps the more promising. is in
the drainage basin of the Yellowstone
River in Wyoming and Montana: the
second. in the valley Of the Snake Riv-
err in Idaho and Oregon. In the first
mentioned the important factors OF
| irriga tion--land and water-are found
in enormous quantities. In the Snake
Valley the irrigable land Is largely in
eXcessO Of the water supply, but the area
! which can be reclaimed is of such
extent. and the soil so productive and
adapted to such a wide variety of prod
ucts. that 1t will sustain denser popu-
| la ton than can be cared for in the
| Yellowstone on the same area.