The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-10-07
SAVING WATER WASTE
Movement to Conserve Supply o
Natural Moisture.
WATERWAY CONTROL URGED

Professor Mccec Says Co. operation Q
Would Add to the Nations Wealth
Our Annual Rainfall Amazing.
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 he bureau OF
soils Of the department of agriculture
This is not a haphazard statement
on the part Of n whose original re
search has made his name familiar tc
scientists the whole world over, but
was made in the course Of an inter
view which had for its primary object
a better knowledge of the conservation
of water and it's uses for the benefit
of mankind.
1.-TWO hundred trillion cubic feet OF
water" said Professor McGee, lis tc
the average mind but two and a lot OF
ciphers. To be more explicit, 1t equals
about ten Mississippis, and that vol
ume of water is the entire basis OF
u prosperity.
1.-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, a
condition which l do not believe most
people appreciate. We know very
well, if we stop to consider, that the
market price of any commodity is de-
pendent OH the water supply. We buy
land in the eastern half of the United
States and say that there are so many
acres in this parcel or in that, but in
reality we buy water. This is funda.
mental. Water is the first of our re"
sources. It is the natural resolvent.
It is power, fertility, everything. And,
being fundamental, values begin with
the water supply.
with the ten Mississippis falling
upon the land of the United States
every year. two Mississippis run off.
Thus one-ifth Of the waterfall from
the heavens flows into the sea. OF the
eight Mississippis remaining about
five Mississippis are absorbed, passing
off 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 is consumed, passing into chem
lea, combinations, such as plant
growth, etc.
"what we want to do is to mini
mize the waste Of water n max
imize the benefits which must accrue
to the citizens and country by proper
conservation Of water supply. If W
so control the water that the river:
shall flow in uniform stage we vii
solve the problem of inland navigation
and make the United States richer b!
a thousand per cent than 1t is to
day. In order to do this we mus
eoualize the run of the streams Mt the
heads Of the rivers, and this may b(
done by dams and reservoirs and sci
entifc cultivation of the soil along thu
courses Of both streams and rivers
The levees of the lower Mississippi
have done a magnificent work. but thu
prevention Of floods is better far thar
all the levees in the world.
what we want to do is to get bacl
to nature IN dealing with water. fist
to prevent floods, and, second, to com
pei the water to run clear and pure
1t Is a fact that each year the river
of the mainland of the United State
pour Into the sea a thousand million
tons of richest soil matter in the form
of suspended sediment, an 1mpos
greater than all our land taxes CON
bined and a commensurate injury t
in the lower rivers, Whic
are rendered capricious and Difficult
Of control by the unstable load.
THE difference in the power valu
alone between controlled and uncon
trolled streams would In ten years pa
the entire cost Of stream control in tn
United States. And this, coupled wit
the billion dollars loss every yea
through soil erosion, due to floods
would construct a comprehensive sys
tenn of water control in the Unite
States.
ut seems to me-, in view Of thes
statements, that congress should al
thorize the control over the waters !
order that this wealth might contrib
ute a thousandfold to mans happ
ness and prosperity. Both the federf
government and the states hav
shrunk from assuming control over II
land waters because they have bee
fearful of invading each others right:
What we should aim to do is to so C
ordinate the work on the principle {
the greatest good to the greatest nun
Der for the longest time, and a con
p%rehensive policy, such as is urged b
the national rivers and harbors col
gress, toward the navigable waters {
the nation would bring untold pro
perity and add UNNECESSARILY 20 ii
nations wealth."
e.l.-