The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-09
DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATION.
WORK. ADVOCATED ny PRodI-
NEWT ENGINEERS.
water Resources Investigations by
TIM Gcological Survey Of the. United
ssasoA


Tho necesslty for determining the
extent and character OF the water re-
sources Of the country. IL such re-
sources are TO be wisely utilized. Is
emphssised BY the Director Of the
United states Geological Survey In his
annual report now In press. 1t Is
pointed out that prominent engineers
have long advocated the extension of
Government Investigations of water
rssourcea. and that the work In the
g'nited States u not commensurate
With that done 10 many European
countries. II the United States were
IN provide for the prosecution of wa
tor reseurces investigations on scale
az thoroughness equal to that OF
switssrsand. for ex'.mpie. II would ap-
propriats I'll. 100000 annually, q sum
t1o times greater than the present
annual appropriation for similar
work II this country.
A b~ief statement of few Of the
industrsai and social problems of the
present day In which the utilization
OF water y the controlling factor IL
made n the report. ~ follows:
The average annual damage by
6oods N the Unitsd States has never
been accurately determined. but such
Investigations ~ have been made In
<icate thst the loss must be at least
&roe.eee.eoe annually. II appears
that n many parts Of the United
iitates the proper expenditure OF an
amount eouai to one years food loss
would erevsnt future floods: In other
1arts Of the country the cost would
prohsbiy equal the losses OF two or
more years: but ID every locality pre-
venfiea couid be accomplished by an
ozpsnditure equivalent to the losses
from -tns aeoh OF few years.
Insfsw nood fegions. however. could
this result be accomplished except
under federal action. Most of the
river, are interstate. Their basins
were deemed many Thousands OF years
bsfoss state boundaries were con-
ceived- Tire proper treatment OF the
nood question must therefore follow
the lIiaaits imposed By nature rather
than the artificial lines defining the
sovereignty OF the various States. Pre-
vsntAea of aoods IL purely an ensi-
nssring problem. and the engineers
who have thoroughly Investigated Il
realise 'fsiiy the necessity for federal
rssulatisa.
On suother feature Of this subject
ths engineering profession IL also
agreed. namely. that whatever means
may be Anaiiy adopted to prevent
this great devastation the results Of
Investigations Of rivers must be avail
abis - show their hahits. flows. sea-
sonai chsrgss and eccentricities; and.
moreover such Investigations must
extend over period OF years and be
practically completed before remedial
measures can be applied.
Several hundred million dollars
have been expended by the Govern
msnt for river Improvement. and II IL
probable that a. much. IL not more.
must be expended during the next
decade. Whatever may be the
system under which the United
States shau make its improvements,
all engineers agree that thorough In
vestigAtion Of the rivers is absolutely
nece~sary To the final solution OF the
problem.
The United States Is spending s4O.-
100000 In the construction of irriga-
tions systems. The great factor that
viii determine the success or failure
OF this investment Is the water supply.
Whether or not there Is water suffi-
cient for any Irrigation project can
not be determined by mere inspection
or by measurements made over
short period OF years. When the rec
lamation act was passed. In 1902. II
was possible for the Government to
proceed at once with certain projects
because the Geological Survey had on
nie the results Of stream measure
msnts showing that sufficient water
was available for these projects. The
Reclamation Service has no legal
power to make general Investigations
of stream now. and obviously 1t would
be unjust to charge the cost of gen.
ersi Investigations over all the arid
irisstionialyv rofrotemhyate pdio. DIV
West against specific projects. In
other words. the continued investiga-
tion of the water resources OF the
conutry will safeguard sac. 100000 Of
government expeuSituro