The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1908-08-28
SAVING WATER Waste
Movement to Conserve Supply Of
Natural Moisture.
WATERWAY CONTROL URGED.


1.-TWO hundred trillion cubic feet OF
water on an average falls on the sur
face Of the United States every year"
This startling statement was made by
Dr. w. J. MCGEE. secretary Of the In
land waterways commission and an
expert connected with the bureau Of
soils Of the department OF agriculture.
This n not q haphazard statement
On the part Of one whose original re
search has made his name familiar 60
scientists the whole world over, but
was made In the course OF an inter
view which had for its primary object
better knowledge Of the conservation
o. water and tn uses for the benefit
Of mankind.
Two hundred trillion cubic feet Of
water" said Professor MCGEE. ''is to
the average mind but two and a lot Of
ephers. To be more explicit. 1t equals
about ten Mississippls, and that vol
ume Of water In the entire basis OF
our prosperity.
The United States has an area Of
100000 square miles, but that area
could be cut directly In twain. and with
the same amount Of rainfall we could
sustain the same population that we
have today, conduct the same enter
prises and raise the same products, q
condition which do not believe most
people appreciate. We know very
wen. II we stop to consider, that the
market price Of any commodity II de-
pendent on the water supply. We buy
land I'm the eastern half OF the United
States and say that there are 90 many
acres In this parcel or In that. but I'm
reality we buy water. This ID funda-
mental Water IL the first of our re-
sources. IL Is the natural resolvent
II IL power. fertility, everything. And.
being fundamental. values begin with
the water supply.
with the ten Mississippls falling
upon the land Of the United States
every year. two MiSsissippis run OF.
Thus One-ffth Of the waterfall from
the heavens flows into the sea. OF the
eight Misslssippis remaining about
ave Mississippis are absorbed, passing
OF into the air. to be precipitated
again and again. A fraction in part
passes into the earth and slowly
reaches the oceans. while another frac-
ton Ii consumed, passing into chem
ical combinations. such as plant
growth. etc.
What we want to do Is to mini
mize the waste OF water and max
Imize the benefits which must accrue
to the citizens and country by proper
conservation Of water supply. If we
so control the water that the rivers
shall fow In uaifOrm stage we will
solve the problem OF inland navigation
and make the United States richer by
a thousand per cent than IL Is to-
day. In order to do this we must
equaliZe the run Of the streams at the
heads Of the rivers. and this may be
done by dams and reservoirs and sci
entifc cultivation OF the soil along the
courses Of both streams and rivers.
The levees of the lower Mississippi
have done a magnificent work. but the
prevention of foods is better far than
ali the leNccH III the WOTlu.
"What we want to do is to get back
to nature in dealing with water, fist.
to prevent foods, and. second. to com
pei the water to run clear and pure.
Ii Is q fact that each year the rivers
Of the mainland Of the United States
pour into the sen a thousand million
tons OF richest soil matter in the form
Of suspended sediment. an !mpOst
greater than all our land taxes COM
bined and a commensurate injury 10
commerce In the lower rivers, which |
are rendered capricious and difficult |
OF control by the unstable load.
The difference in the power value |
alone between controlled and uncOn-
trolled streams would in ten years pay |
the entire cost OF stream control in the |
United States. And this. coupled with |
the billion dollars loss every year |
through soil erosion. due to floods. |
would construct comprehensive sys- |
TEN OF water control in the United |
States.
lit seems to me, in view OF these |
statements. that congress should an.
thOriZe the control over the waters ia |
order that this wealth might contrib
ute n thousandfold to mans happi- |
ness and prosperity. Both the federal
government and the states have |
shrunk from assuming control over In.
land waters hecuause they have been
fearful OF invading each others rights |
What we should aim to do Is to so CO.
ordinate the work on the principle Of
the greatest good TO the greatest num-
Der for the longest tine. and a COM
prehenslve policy, such as is urged by
the national rivers and harbors con-