Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-09-10
IRRIGATION IN NEBRASKA
Statistics from the Census Bureau
Give Interesting Figures.
INCREASE WITHIN TEN YEARS
Almost zoe, 900 Acres Added, Bring
ing the Total Up TO Nearly
Million, and More IL TO


WASHINGTON, Sept. s.-Census Director
purand issued today the first official
statement from the census bureau rela-
i've to the statistics on irrigation in Ne
braska.
II is based on a preliminary comparative
summary submitted by DR.. lie Grand Pow
ers, chief statistician Of the division of
! Agriculture in the bureau of the census I'M
der whose supervision 1t was prepared by r.
p Teele special agent in charge of irriga-
ton. This summary shows for both 1909
and 1899 the number of farms irrigated,
the acreage irrigated, the length of main
bitches, the total cost of irrigation sys-
tens, and the average cost per acre irri-
gated It shows also, for the year 1913
the acreage which existing enterprises were
capable Of supplying, the acreage included
in existing projects the number of indie
pendent enterprises. the length Of lateral
bitches, number Of reservoirs, capacity of
| reservoirs, number OF flowing wells, number
of wells pumped for irrigation, the number
! of pumping plants. engine capacity of
pumping plants, acreage irrigated with
pumped water and the average annual
cost of maintenance and operation. The
acreage irrigated Is classified by the type
of enterprise supplying water and by the
source Of water supply.
The act of congress Of February g. 1910,
under which the census of irrigation is
being taken, provides for collecting full in
formation concerning the location, char
acter and cost of irrigation enterprises
under national, state or private control;
the acreage Of land irrigated; the price at
which land with water rights can be OBJ
tanned. and the quantity Of water used for
irrigation.
1t should be noted that the figures are
subject to revision after more complete
tabulation, but It is not expected that there
will be any material modification Of the
totals OF percentages reported.
Acreage, Equipment and Cost.
The total number of farms irrigated in
1903 was 1,s52, against !, 1892 in 1899. decrease
of 50, or Al per cent. Within the same
period the number of farms in the state
had Increased 6.5 per cent Neither item
changed materially during the period COW
| cred
The total acreage irrigated in 1909 was
256,350 acres, against 14S,5ss acres in 1899, an
increase Of 1O7.Sl2 acres, or 72.6 per cent.
| During the same period the improved acre
age on farms increased but S21 per cent,
showing that irrigation development was
IdplQ LudA NONCAOP-
ment generally. The area irrigated is but
/ per cent of the improved land in farms,
! and lies principally in the valley of the
North Platte river.
The total acreage which all enterprises
were capable of irrigating in 1910 was 49,
725 acres, an excess of III, 375 acres, over the
area irrigated in 1909. The acreage included
in projects either completed under con-
struction in 1910 was 6sO,6S3 acres, an ex-
cess of 424,2S3 acres over the area irrigated
In 1909. This indicates the area which will
be available within the next few years for
the extension OF irrigation, and shows that
the area irrigated can be more than doubled
without the construction of additional
works
The number of independent enterprises
reported in 1909 was 474. The total length
of bitches in 1903 was 2,725 miles, against
1,7O1 miles in 1899, an increase of 1924 miles,
or COZ per cent. The number of reservoirs
capacity of 2.O97 acre-feet The number of
wells pumped for irrigation was sixty-one
and the number of pumping plants seventy
five. The engine capacity of pumping
plants was fifty-four horsepower, but
this does not include windmills which
are counted as pumping plants. The
acreage irrigated with pumped water
was 157 acres. The total cost of irri-
4SS,lS2, or 5OS.1 per cent. The average cost
per acre in 1910 was $lSO7 against s7.4S in
1899, an increase of $1O64 or 1882 per cent
The average annual cost of operation and
maintenance per acre in 1910 was $1.09
Distribution Of acreage irrigated in 1909
by type Of enterprise and source of water
supply :
The acreage irrigated in 1909 has been
classified according to state and federal
laws under which the works were built or
are operated, as follows: United States rec
lamation service (act Of congress, June
II. 1902, SO,5s6 acres, or u.s per cent Of the
total; United States Indian Service Various
acts OF congress), 800 acres; irrigation dis
tricts, 7s.44s acres, or 29.9 per cent of the
total; cooperative enterprises, 1905 acres