The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-08
FARM ARID LANDS
Nearly Two Million Acres Re-
claimed by Government.
TWenty-Year Review Given in
Report for Fiscal Year.

washington, d. C.. Dec "a
t1Tenty-year review of government
reclamation work is contained in the
annual report for the fiscal year
ended last June of Director Arthur
p. Davis, of the United States Recla-
nation Service, Of the Department OF
the Interior, as the 18th day Of June,
Tn92 marked the completion Of
twenty years of operation of the ma
tional reclamation act
: THE investment of the government
during this period has been IN rouhu
numbers S135,OOO.0OO, which has &C
couaplished the construction OF WorkS
by which about 1.675.0OO acres OF
former arid land in the West mas oeeh
furnished with a complete water sup
plv. and about 100000 addiuonal
acres in private projects has received
a supplemental supply. On govern
ment projects the area comprises o1'-
4O2 farms, at an average area per
farm of about 50 acres, supplying
more than 80. 900 families.
with the investment mentioned tne
service has excavated more than zVv,-
OOO. 600 cubic yards of earth and rock,
of which about 100000 cubic yards
have been placed in dams. Canals ag-
gregatinz more than $4,000 miles nave
been built, including 27 miles OF tun-
neIs and 135 miles of fumes Struc-
humber of 10000 have been erected
in connection with the work
Include Roosevelt Dam.
F Some of the large projects CON
structed are the Roosevelt DAM IN
Arizona which is zoo rect hlgni & &the
Arrowrock dam in Idaho, S49 rect
high: Elephant Butte dam in New
Mexico. 3O6 feet high, and the Path-
finder and Shoshone dams In Wyom-
ing 21S and 32S feet high respec-
: reclamation work also included the
erection of many other dams, canals
and tunnels, fumes, drains, power
plants. transmission and telephone
lines. roads. railroads, pumping plants
and a variety of other classes OF IN
cidental work.
From an agricultural standpoint,
the Reclamation Service has added
another state to the unlon' equal ~ ~
value 10 its agricultural products 70
that of West Virginia or the comDlne9
values of the crops of Vermont ana
Connecticut. The value OF crops
raised on farms on goversIL1en9So M e9o 2nO
iects in 1921 amounted to $49, go, SOO'
exclusive of about $45-OOO-OOO aduI-
tionaI raised on private projects Whlch
were furnished water from WORKS
erected by the service
Crops Worth Millions.
l The value of crops grown on irri-
gated lands in the federal projects IN
1921 averaged SASS per acre. as
compared with $14.52 the average
value per acre of the ten leading crops
Il
year. Since the government projects
began the delivery of water the crops
grown on reclaimed land have ex-
ceeded S475.OOO,0O0 in value, ex-
elusive of the crop value on private
lands watered thru government
sources, and of the increased value
produced as live stock and stock prod
nets. The increased value of the
lands as a result of reclamation Work
by the government was placed at over
$500. 100000.
r. Director Davis pointed out that the
reclamation projects have not been
exempt from the vicissitudes of in
dustriaI conditions. and that altho
they enjoyed high prices during 1871.
1918 and 1919, they also suffered Sc
verely from the rapid decline in values
and available markets in subsequent
years Altho the acreage irrigated
and cropped has continued to increase,
the actual values realized in the past
two years are less than those of previ-
Gus years. The acid test of the in
.dustrial depression, he concluded, has
demonstrated, however. not only the
ability but the determination of nearly
all of the water users to meet the pay
rnerfS reduired by law.