The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-07-17
Of
PRIVATE LANDS
HARDEST WORK
(rhis Is Mr.. Wctkcrs Fourth and
Concluding Article on the Settle
mcnt of the Lower klamath Lake
Bottom Lands

| II Is u we'll known fact that about
half the land In the Lower klamath
Basin are private lands, that is. own
ed by private individuals, while the
other half OF the lands arc sovereign
lands OF the State and the State
lands bear the same relation to the
Government that privatN lands do,
BY going over the map and looking
mp the location of the State Lands In
the Lower Klamath Basin. with re-
ference to the private lands. II will
be seen that they are the most diff
cult to irrigate being distributed In
small tracts around the Lower Klam.
ath Basin and furtherest from the
source OF water supply. II Il was i'm
practicable and unfeasible to reclaim
and irrigate the private owned lands.
which were nearest the source OF wa
ter supply. would It not be far more
unfeasible and difficult to irrigate
! the state lands and would not the
government have looked at It in this
manner IL they had not have aban-
doned the Reclamation OF the Lower
klamath Marsh Lands.
Orders Survey Of Lands.
On March 2tst. 1919. the Assistant
Secretary Of the Inferior ordered u
segregation srrvev cf al. the lands In
the Lower Klamath Easin. for which
the state Of California applied TO
have segregated az Swamp and Over
flowed lard This seems to have been
at thai tim" the intention of the L.
:. Land Department, but recently an
opinion had been rendered bv the
Assistant SECRETARY of the Interior
denying the Serre cation survey. This
is thh only reliable information that
| nav" SO far received. What Is the
import and nearing of the denial of
this segregation survey?
Mary Ehiid on Land
1t Is n well known fact that about
lip settlers have built structures on
this land and established their resi-
dences there. and are starting con-
test tC obtain this land as State Agri-
cultural Land from the State of Cali
iornia The denial of the segregation
survey in no way effects these set
tiers, as Land around navigable lake
belonging To the State and which
never belonged to the United States
need not be segregated by au-
thorit. IF the United States, because
they d" hct come under the grant of
1850.
No Lands UIadcr Contest.
10 SUI" No the conditions as the"
are in the Lower Klamath Basin
from the Court decisions and the do
cisious of the United State
Land department there are no swami
and overflowed lands in this Basi,
winch are now under contest. bu.
these lands were all sovereign stat,
lands, which became State agricultur-
al ianCS upon the recession of the
water which left them high and drv
These lnlds are mostly all settIed nm
on the actual settlers in tracts of
l'o a"res. who are contesting tbe
swamp Land Claimants, who are talk
ing large tracts. The water level in
several feet below the surface of this
iihd ana It is now capable of growing
crops without further drainaqe and
mas reached a condition where irri-
E"tioh vii! be absolutely necessary.
Title to these lands has never passed
from the State to the National Gov
ernment, but still rests in the State
and these lands will be disposed of in
accordance with the California law.
JOSEPH F.. WETZEL,
President o; the Lower Klamath
Lake Settlers association.