Arizona republican., 1916-10-06
COMING |RR|GAT|ON MEETING
 MOST IMPORTANT IN HISTORY

The water in the river close al hand being exhausted a number of these community irrigationists would combine to build an earthen dam and reservoir at some favorable site and at some great distance up the stream The success of these primitive irri- Sationists in the matter of raising crops had a tendency to attract other settlers. As greater acreage was brought under the blow it be came necessary to get greater sup plies of water ard only expensive reservoirs would suffice from which water could be conducted through canals constructed at great expense along rugged mountains slopes.
 These enterprises invited the in- vestment of capital and great irri- gatior corporations were formed. each securing water privileges, which in time, became of great value.
 At about this time the national government began to take cognizance of the importance of irrigation as means of bringing greater areas O. land under cultivation and the Carey act, which prescribed a species of cooperation between the federal and state governments and private enter l priseS, became a law Then was enacted the far reaching national | law of 1902, known as the "Reclama- tion Act" Under this act, the pro- | ceeds of the sale of public lands amounting to approximately S100G0 = 1 900, was set apart to be devoted to the development of irrigation enter prises throughout the semi-ard west under the direction of the federal gov , ernment.
 And so irrigation as means to- ward development of otherwise waste | lands has progressed from the brush and earth dam of the pioneers of 50 | and 60 years ago. to the great Ele- ! phant Butte dam at Elephant Butte. | N. M. the largest mass of masonry in the world. impounding the largest artificial body of water in the world. the last word as it were in the con- structior of irrigation systems.
 in the domain of law, Irrigation has i come up through much sorrow and many trihulations, to quote an au- thorlty on the subject. At first there was no law. simply the custom of the settlers: then the fragmentarv federal law of 1866 recognizing the right of appropriation. Since that time there has been a tumble of laws and decisions recognizing here the old riparian doctrine of the common law and elsewhere spurning it en- tlrely In one state the contention would he made that unused wate- belonging to the United States; in other states it would be held that water was the property of the state through which it passed.
 Tn some states it would be main tanned that the water is an insepar able adjunct to the land: other states
 insisted upon the right to sell and dispose Of water as separate property
 Because of the various and vary lnS contentious it was deemed wise Dy those who were interested. iron one motive to another. in the ques tion or irrigation, to get together and deternine whether or not order might De brought out of the chaos which existed. The result of this gettino together was the founding of tho international Irrigation congress which held it's first meeting in Sal. Ldke Clty, September 15 to r, 1891.
 Much was accomplished a thi. meeting In the way of attracting the attention of the general government to the absolute necessity for tb, 1 enactment of laws which would make easler for settlers in the so-calleC aIlu west 10 get water to their lands D0rlng the years which have inter. Vencd since the foundation of tb. congress much has been done to TO. uuce the question of conservation nj water for irrigation purposes to ar exact science
 since the passage of the reclama tion aet ir 1902 27 great irrigatio, proJeots have been undertaken bv tb, Ghlted States government under tb, urectlon of tke department of the in, terlor- Asa result hundreds of thous. ahds or acres of fertile lands provid. Ing homesteads for many thnueand ol horne building settlers have neer reclaimed '' 'eei
 Of the total number of proioct, undertaken by the government fou are In the immediate vicinity of r. Fdso the Roosevelt or Salt river ITO Ject in Arizona; the Hondo m, CaFis2ad projects in New Mexico an, SHe Elephant Butte project in Nev
 MeNico and Texas. And tho reatos or these dams in point of expcnsive ness, m point of size a.. in yol,n. water stored. is the Flenban
 pu't~ dam, the dedication of whicl
 py President Wilson or an ac,rodito'
 personal representative will be tb rloWhlng feature of the annual neot
 ing or the International Irrieatio, congress of 1916, to be held at tb
 CaHl october II and at Fl Paso Tex ! ffs