The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-07-24
'WATERPOWERSAVED
Secretary of Interior Takes Posi-
ton in Favor of Conservation.
Hundreds Of Thousands Of Acres Are
Saved to People In Utah, Colo
RADIO, Wyoming, Montana,
Idaho and Washington.

Misunderstanding Ballinger, OF
the interior department, has taken
an open and avowed stand in
favor of the conservation of the
water power of the country remaining
on the public domain. In conformity
with the policy of the Taft admins.
tration he has withheld the announce
ment of his position pending the &C.
complishment of something definite
and tangible. Secretary Ballinger's
order was issued on April % last and
ne has accepted the recommendation
Tor eleven temporary Withdrawals of
water power sites. These withdraw.
ais aggregate 236,365 acres of land IN
the states of Utah. Colorado. Wyom.
ing. Montana, Idaho and Washington
where the railroads and electrical
power companies of the country as
wen as spectators, have been at work
In recent years grabbing up all the
water power in sight. This policy
will be the policy of the new secre.
tary.
The director of the geological sur
vey has assured the secretary that
the temporary Withdrawals of water.
power sites already made from data
In the possession of the survey. to-
gether with such as will be hereafter
be made prior to the converting of
congress. will be ample to protect all
the more important water-power sites
undfsposed of on the public domain
and enable congress to legislate intel.
ligently for their disposition.
Five of the eleven Withdrawals al.
ready made include all the power sites
available in the areas that were with.
drawn by Secretary Garfield and re-
stored to entry by Secretary Balling.
ers. The present Withdrawals, how
ever. constitute much smaller acre
age. one-sixth or less of the areas OF
the corresponding earlier withdraw.
ais. This reduction has been made
possible in part by omission Of lands
patented or reserved prior to the
original Withdrawals, but more largely
by the exclusion of land in no wise
essential or useful to power develop
ment. The vacated Withdrawals in
cluded such large areas OF public land
of possible agricultural or mineral
value at such distances from the riv-
ers as to have absolutely no connec-
ton with the future development of |
the water resources. On the other
hand, the revised Withdrawals in the
same regions In some instances cover |
power-sites missed by the earlier &C.
ton Thus In the case of the Salmon |
river in Idaho. where the original
totaled 1922, $50 acres. that
based upon the recent recommends
ion of the geological survey includes
$500 acres. A similar reduction
holds for the Owyhee river in Oregon.
and In even greater measure for the
Flathead and the Missouri and tribu-
'aries In Montana.
All the recommendation by the ge
illogical survey have been based upon
'fficiaI data already on file. The
streams In these states having been
for series of years for
he purpose of determining the water
AVAILABLE for irrigation. The topo-
graphic surveys which have been con-
lucted by the geological survey for
70 years also furnish means of select
ng without delay the sections of the
ivers important for power purposes.