Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-03-30
Conquest Of ID. Great
American Desert
::

The great Roosevelt dam in Arizona
is nearing completion. Within a few
months this colossal bar of masonry
will choke the gap between the noun
tAins, and the city bearing the Presi-
dents name, PSI feet below its crest,
will gradually be engulfed by the in
rush of waters which will, when the
huge reservoir is filed, form the lars-
est artificial lake In the world. More
than 100000 acres of fertile farm land
will spread out below the lake to re
place what is now a desoiate desert;
thousands of families will prosper in
the midst of plenty on soil which hith-
erto supported no living thing but sage
brush and lizards and generations of
happy Americans will bless the recla-
nation act which enabled the engineers
to work such wonders in the land
that God forgot
While the government is doing the
work the homesteader will, in time,
pay back to the government every cent
that has been expended fog him, but
period of years and he will be charged
no interest As soon rs the irrigation
works are completed and the precious
water Is available for the use of the
farmers the land benefited must begin
TO make returns, and 1t is expected that
ten annual installmeuts from each WA
ter user will settle the bill.
The irrigation funds given into the
hands of the reclamation service by
Congress come first from the sale of
public lands in the arid States, but
after the various projects become oper-
alive the annual repayment Install
ments will continue the maintenance
and the construction of new water
plants.
There are twenty I'VE great Irrigation
projects now under construction, and
when these are developed to their full
extent it is estimated that no less than
| 3.1oS.00o acres of desert will be re
claimed. Add to these thirteen other
projects which are now being held in
allegiance pending the completion of
some Of the first twenty five, which will
reclaim $4,000 acres more, and we
/ have a grand total of &, 46S000 acres of
waste changed as IL by magic to a gar
I den for gods and men.
! The twenty i've engineering projects
now under construction will cost 500,
100000 when completed, and will re.
claim an area Of land equal TO the crop
acreage Of Connecticut, Massachusetts
New Hampshire and Florida, but in.
romparably more fertile than those
States. All told. it is estimated. the
newly created farm area will add $232,
100000 to the taxable value of the
States. and will furnish homes for
$4,000 families on farms and in vii
lagos and towns The work of the re
clamation service has been in progress
only five years. and early in 1905 the
greatest project Of the list. the Roose
welt dam. will bc completed.
About all that is known of the Roose
veit dam in the east is that it is a bar
rier thrown across the Salt River Gan
yon in Arizona. Some have heard tina
the town OF RooSev cit, in the valley
that is to become the bed of the grea
artificial lake was built there only Il
he destroyed when its usefulness ended
and that where now are schools ant
stores and homes in few months will
he found nothing hut the element Fl
which fishes dwelt ana which the deser
needs 50 much. This is literally true
As soon as the dam is finished the res
dents of the town will move their be