West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-03-12
RESTORING ARID LAND
Significance Of Government lrri.
cation at Garden City, Kan.
TO TAP HIDDEN STREAMS

" Federal Proitet Is Successful Other
Sections Of Dry Great Plains May
Be Similarly Treated-Loeai Indus.
tries Already Encouraged.
The experimental application OF an
Irrigation project OF the government
reclamation service--one which, should
1t prove it's worth In the one instance.
viii be of importance TO the rich, but
as yet unfertile valleys of the great
plains-will be possible near Garden
City. Kan, next spring. according TO
the estimates OF the engineers I'm
charge OF the work. says Garden
City correspondent OF the Kansas City
Star.
To reclaim the abundant acreage of
this section Of Kansas. unproductlvc
through the lack OF water at the very
season when moisture Is most essential
TO the raising OF the crops. the govern.
ment is now arranging for the installa-
tion OF complex system OF pumps and
wells destined 10 supply from subter-
ranean springs and streams I'm excess
OF 10.000,0OO.0 gallons OF water for
the irrigation OF the adjacent country
each season
Since the early days OF Kansas this
western section had been considered
next TO worthless and barren because
OF this very lnck OF water. which fl IA
now planned 20 overcome 10y tapping
the supply which is found I'm the gray.
el deposits under the great plains at
no great depth. The original settlers
OF the lands I'm Kansas found that they
had taken up claims not worth their
pains. They returned east or south
whence they had come Their mort
cages lapsed, aud small and large cap
itallsts as far away as New England
found themselves Interested I'm arid
Kansas prairie which held forth not
even the most vague promise OF IN.
ture fecundlty. The land had lain I'm
disuse and disrepute through decades
until the development OF the sugar
beet industry with the aid OF irriga-
tion, some years ago. again drew at
tention 10 the practically deserted sec
tion.
Now the government purposes, by
tapping these hidden streams of much
needed moisture, pumping IL TO the sur
face and spreading out over great
areas, TO transform what was discard
ed OF the first settlers into new land
OF desire for the farmer of the west
Naturally good deal of public inter
est In many sections OF the country
attaches itself 10 the success or failure
of the projected work, more so I'm view
OF the eastern held mortgages and the
probability OF the application OF similar
methods In other localities I'm the event
OF the successful operation of the Gar
den City scheme.
The reclamation service plans 10
utilize some of the water In the Ar
kansas valley, and its plans are unique
and unusual. To bring the water TO
the surface Il series OF wells has been
bored the aggregate length OF which ls
more than four miles, and pumps
which were purchased from Buffalo
are to be Installed. The project will
have 230 wells, varying I'm depth
from 40 to 300 feet and sunk I'm groups
OF ten wells, with one pump installed
for each group. These wells vary from
tNtiNt W uiActh luCneS III di0netcf,
and II IS estimated that each group
will yield G.5S0 gallons per minute un-
der fifteen foot head Each pump
Ing station is connected 10y suction
pipes to No. 9 vertical centrifugal
pump driven by twenty-five horse
power vertical motor. The twenty
three stations Will be operated from
central power plant, run by electricity,
generated by steam power.
During the irrigation season this
pumping system will lift 10000 acre
feet or 10.775,OOO,OOO gallons.
The big ditch which IS 10 carry the
vast supply of water TO the district 10
be irrigated is, along with other de.
tails Of the arrangement. under pres
ent process Of construction. From
this main channel the hundreds OF
branch lines which will I'm turn feed
the individual bitches are TO go forth.
The governments work has already
proved stimulus TO the settlement Of
the district and to private enterprise
already IN Garden City. There has
been n jump IN land values since the
Inauguration OF the work, and pros
poets are that the eastern money In
vested in the original mortgages Will
yet bring q fair return.