River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-05-30
ER PHCDLIr7S OF
YAkWZA MLLEY

Vast regions of the west transform
ed from a dreary waste to fruitful
fields pouring forth their wealth of
golden grains and ripened fruits; and
water the magician whose marvellous
touch has wrought the transforma-
ton. Such is the story of the reclaim
alton service of the United States gov
eminent. The full Importance of this
work is obtainable only by COMPARE
son.
The Is projects upon which the
government is now engaged, when de-
veloped to their full extent, will add
3,19S,000 acres to the crop-producing
area of the United States. Add to
these 13 other projects which are held
in allegiance, pending the completion
of the first mentioned, and which will
reclaim 3,270,000 acres, and we have a
grand total of 6,46S,000 acres. This
enormous area to-day is practically
worthless. 1t returns revenues Meth
er to the states in which it is located,
nor to the nation to which it largely
belongs. 1t is utilized only a short
period in each year for grazing no
madic herds that are driven over it.
Potentially, it is the richest, the most
fertile and productive land in the
world, and is capable of supporting in
comfort an agricultural population as
dense as can be found in any of the
older settled parts of our country. By
expanding $60,000,000 on the 25 engin-
eering works now in process of con-
struction, the reclamation service will
reclaim 3,19S, 900 acres, of cultivated
area equal to the total acreage in
crops in the four states of Connecti-
cut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
and Florida. The diversified crops,
enormous yields from irrigated lands,
and the excellent prices for all farm
products in the west warrant the as
nually an income larger than the
farmers receive in the four states
named. For comparison, let us say
that the revenues per acre will be the
same. 1t is apparent, then, that this
area reclaimed will each year increase
the value of farm crops by 100000, 900;
it will add 1892 100000 to the taxable
property of the people; it will fur
nish homes for $4,000 families on
farms and in villages and towns.
Although only four years have pass
ed since the enactment of the law,
the engineers are to-day employed
upon the construction of 25 great pro-
iects in IA states and two territories.
The expenditures average more than
a million dollars a month. Three of
the great projects are practically com
pleted, and six more will be in service
this summer. On many of the pro
iects the work goes forward night and
day, and the rate of progress is strik-
ingly at variance with that at which
government work usually proceeds.
There is, of course, a reason for
this. The reclamation service is abso-
lutely divorced from politics; it is a
business organization and it's motive
is to build engineering works and to
erect an empire in the desert.
The reclamation fund available for
the Is projects now under way
amounts approximately to $33,000,000.
Before these are completed it will be
about Sal, 100000 When this has been
expended, 100000 acres will have
been reclaimed and will begin to re-
turn annually 100000 to the fund.
Chief among the big irrigation un-
dertakings are the Salt river project
in Arizona; the Minidoka project in
Idaho; the Yakima valley project in
Washington, which is now in several
units but will be eventually combined
in one great system, embracing AGO.
900 acres; the Rio Grande project in
New Mexico; the Huntley project in
Montana and in Wyoming the great
Shoshone project involving several diff
ficult engineering feats; the Uncom-
pahgre project in Colorado, and the
unique project in Oregon and Cali
fornia called the klamath project.