The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-05-12
IRRIGATION
INFORMATION
Twenty.eighf Projects In Various
Stages of Construction
Reported.
MILLIONS ARE TO &c INVESTED
Total Average Involved is Over
Three MiIlion-Homes for
100000.

Washington, ID. c., May 10.-A
graphic statement of the vast extern
of the governments irrigation pro
jects and the success that attends
their operation was made today b!
c. j. Blanchard, statistician of tn,
reclamation service, who has return
ed from tour of inspection.
"At the present time there ar,
20 projects in various stages o
construction, said Blanchard. 9Th,
total acreage involved in these pro
jects is 3,2000.0O0 which will pro
vide homes for approximately 800
600 persons on farms, and an equa
number in cities, towns, and village.
| within this area or in the neigh
borhood thereof, or total of $40
600 people. The total area now un
der water is 100000 acres, or
'AAASAA AnvO DOCA Co(dUllouCu
mately $4,000 families and an equal
number have taken up their homes
in the cities, towns and villages.
"The progress Of the engineers
has been rapid, Notwithstanding is-
olated location Of the principal en-.
cheering works from transportation
and the manw difficulties which
have been encountered in the promo
ton of the work. Up to the pre-
sent time the canal systems nom
structed have total length of s.
62l miles. Many of these canals
carry whole rivers. Placed end to
end they would reach from New
York City to San Francisco ana
back to New Orleans. Tunnels hav-
ing total length of 16 miles have
been excavted, mostly through
mountains The excavation of rock
and earth amount to the enormous
total of 66,0o0,0o0 cubic yards, or
more than cne-third of the yardage
required for the Panama Canal.
Owing to the location of some of the
principal works in regions hereto
fore inaccessible, the reclamation
service has been compelled to con-
struct SIS miles of wagon roads,
some OF which are in the most rug
ged country on this continent. The
service has in operation 1,5OS miles
of telephones, 275 miles of trans
mission lines, and is furnishing pow
er and light for municipal and
manufacturing uses to seven cities
and towns from it's own power
plants.
The investment of the govern
ment in the projects now under con-
struction is $62,2Os,0OO. The total
computed cost Of these projects
when completed is $145,OOO,OOO.
The allotment to cover the work
during the present fiscal year is
$1O,OOO,00O. This does not include
the issue of $2O,00O.OOO in certifi-
Gates, which will be available when
required.
"Using as basis the present val
ue per acre of irrigated land in
the projects of the government with
sufficient water right, it is conserva-
tive to state that the total value OF
all the lands under these projects
when irrigated will exceed $780,
100000. These lands are virtually
mortgaged to the government to re-
pay the cost of the irrigation sys-
TENS, which is computed at $145,-
100000.
"The gross value of crops produc-
ed in 1910 on lands which were sup
piled by the government irrigation
system appropriated $15,OOO,OOO.
The value of the improvements of
the settlers, including buildings,
fences. etc., is s7,50O,000. The val
ue of live stock is s2.4OO,OOO. The
total increase in the values includ-
ing lands, implements, buildings,
live stock, etc., as result of pro-
viding irrigation for these farms, is
not less than s60.O00,OOO. Com
pairing the former selling prices of
the other lands which are included
in the government projects but not
yet irrigated, with the prices at
which they are now being sold, en-
additional increase in values of
S30,000,000 is shown as result
of this development.
There is no more hopeful sign
in connection with the BODYBUILDING
work Of the government than the
surprisingly large number of serr1ers
who have left the cities and towns
to take up their homes in the des-
ert. The reports from the field are
gratifying for the reason that a
very small narcaofaoa af foilyro, ;v