The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-02-17
WHAT IRRIGATION
MAY DO FOR US.


4 discussion of the possibilities
of irrigation in our state involves
the consideration of matters of vast
interest. The development of our
national resources, the conservation
of our forests, the regulation stream
flow, and many other questions in
volving the welfare of ourselves, Of
the new settlers who are rapidly
coming in, and also of future gen
erations must be carefully consider
ed. We have in western South Da-
kota many millions of acres of I'M
occupied land, suitable for agricul-
ture and comprising virgin soil, as
rich as any area of like extent in
the world. Under present conditions
this land is not cultivated, but lies
open, just as it has done from pre-
historic times. The question to be
considered comprises the prospective
| benefits to be expected when the IT.
| rigable portions of these lands and
other irrigable areas are brought
under a high state of cultivation by
means of irrigation.
| In discussing this matter refer
ence will be made to the report of
the State Engineer of South Dakota
for the years 190971910y also to
Bulletin 30 of the United States
Department of Agriculture, entitled
'Irrigation in South Dakota" From
these two publications fair knowl-
edge of the present status of irrisa-
ton in this state can be obtained
1t will be seen that there is an area
somewhat less than 100000 acres OIL
land now under irrigation in the
state. The completion or presen,
projects will bring the total irrigated
area up to about 215, 900 acres This
is small in comparison to the five
to ten million acres of arabic land il
the state adjacent to and west o.
the Missouri river.
In the wise economy of nature no
an acre of arabic land was ever in
tended by the Almighty to be non
i producing. In accordance with the
natural laws the precipitation o
moisture in this country is suffici
ent to raise and mature crops upol
every acre of arabic land TIL
problem to be considered is the con
servation of water resources for tn
purpose of supplying moisture te
growing crops III sufficient quantit
and at the proper time.
An important point to be con
sidered in the storing of flood wa
ters so they can be utilized in re
claiming arid plains, by such ac
ton serving a double purpose
namely protecting the low land
from devastation by floods, and a
3 so supplying water for irrigation.
Irrigation Development.
At this point allow me to quot
Prof. Elwood Meade, one of tn
f greatest living authorities on irr
t cation matters. He says:
e "The highest development of til
arid region implies, of course, til
f largest development Of it's agricu
O tural resources. This means thu
: the irrigator must be skillful in o
: der that the water shall not be was
ed. 1t means that more canals ar
reservoirs must be built in Ordt
that all the water must be utilize
1t means that the sources of the w
ter supply must be protected in o
der that the barrenness which h;
come to other lands will not ia
on us. Every acre of land irrigatt
. must have a title to water. Eve
- stream which is diverted and utili
. ed must be divided among the maj
individual users. The conditit
and activities of the present tin
II place peculiar emphasis on t
\ laws and policies which are for {
III future time to control the use
our streams and determine who a
to have the right to their waters
re In South Dakota we have made
VS. good beginning along the lines SUI
a gested by Professor Meade. We ha
~ our statute books on irrigation co
IN whose provisions are based upon
s. best practice Of other states til
have preceded us in irrigation {
in velopment.
lis We are at the beginning of iris
ed ton work in this state. There g
ut millions of acres of fertile land S,
at ceptible of irrigation and the
at clamation of such vast areas will
s" a task worthy of our best effor
ur Let us consider what will be the
suit of a contamination of our IL
be CATION possibilities.
'st What Irrigation Has Done fol
d. Other Localities.
so In looking forward to what n
&C. be accomplished in the future
Pr can form some opinion of what