The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-04-20
Conquest q d: 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 Presl-
dents name, 284 feet below it's crest,
will gradually be engulfed by the in
rush of waters which will, when the
huge reservoir is filled, form the larg-
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 desolate 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,
nav back to the government every cent
that has been expended for him, but
the payments will be extended over a
period of years and he will be charged
no interest. AS soon as 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 it Is expected that
fen annual .installments 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-five great irrigation
projects now under construction, and
when these are developed to their full
extent it is estimated that no less than
2 100 900 acres of desert will be re-
claimed. Add to these thirteen other
projects which are now being held in
abeyance pending the completion Of
some of the first twenty-five, which will
reclaim 3,27O,OOO acres more, and we
have a grand total Of 6,468,O acres of
waste changed as If by magic to gar
den for gods and men.
The twenty-five engineering projects
now under construction will cost $780,
OflO 600 when completed, and will re-
c,aim an area Of land equal to the crop
acreage of Connecticut, Massachusetts,,
New Hampshire and Florida, but in
comparably more fertile than those
States. All told, It is estimated, the
newly created farm area will add $780,
00O. 600 to the taxable value Of the
states. and will furnish homes for
80 600 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 1908 the
greatest project of the list, the Roose-
yelt dam, will be completed.
About all that is known Of the Roose-
velt dam in the east is that it is bar
rier thrown across the Salt River Can
Won In Arizona. Some have heard that
the town Of Roosevelt, in the valley
that Is to become the bed of the great
artificial lake, was built there only to
be destroyed when its usefulness ended,
and that where now are schools and
stores and homes In a few months win
be found nothing but the element In
which fishes dwelt and which the desert
needs so much. This Is literally true.
As soon as the dam Is finished the resi-
dents Of the town win move thelk be-