, 1922-08-17
ROTARIANS HEAR
STATE ENGINEEk
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN CARBON
COUNTY IRRIGATION PROJECTS
EXPLAINED By OFFICIAL

The guest OF honor and principal
speaker at the regular weekly lunch
con of the Rotary Club Friday was
Frank C. Emerson, state engineer
and representative of this state On
che Colorado River commission, of
which Secretary of Commerce Herb
ert Hoover is the head.
During the latter part Of June the
same speaker addressed the Lions
Club on the same subjects: the pro-
posed Saratoga-Encampment irriga-
ton project and the problem Of the
equitable distribution of the waters
OF the Colorado river, In which sew
en- states are vitality interested. Since
that time there has beer a general
movement forward in the direction of
actual accomplishment in the great
irrigation project which will be car
Red out by the United States Recla-
nation service in Carbon county, so
that the speaker vas enabled to
bring a later and more encouraging
message to his Rawlins hearers.
Mr.. Emerson prefaced his remarks
by calling attention to the fact that
matters involving the permanent es-
tah,isAmelt of irrigation systems and
the expenditure of vast sums of the
public's money, necessarily moved
along slowly and that it was a COM
mon error to get impatient and think
the subject vas being forgotten or
neglected. In the present instance
exhaustive surveys have been made
and preliminary work has been kept
up constantly, with the result that
the Saratoga project, as 1t Is called,
which will render 1000 acres of
rich land available for irrigation and
l1,,In~ra~ - fo n do
clared absolutely feasible by the
government engineers.
The paramount importance 10 Raw
Inns and the entire county of the
completion Of this reclamation pro-
ject was impressed by Mr.. Emerson
upon his hearers. Not only will
these big areas. with their added pro-
ductivity, enrich the present wners,
but will be. a permanent source of
wealth to the entire community. He
called attention to the fact that agri-
culture is the most important of the
basic industries and that when the
government, through Its reclamation
service did finally install an irriga-
ton system 1t was built for all time
and dedicated to posterity as well as
those now living to enjoy its bene-
fits. He said that long after our
coal mines are exhausted and II oil
wells pumped dry men would be en-
gagged in raising food for the world
and would be deriving advantages
from reclamation work now being
planned and executed by the govern
ment.
or vital interest also to the rich
territory surrounding Saratoga and
Encampment, as well as to this city,
Is the continued operation and main
tenance of the Saratoga and Encamp-
ment railroad, which Mr.. Emerson
helped survey and which while
sometimes called the SLOW and
Easy was nevertheless Of great i'm
partance and must be kept running.
The additional tonnage which will be
.sure to follow the completion OF the
irrigation project will absolutely as
sure the continued operation of this
essential railroad link.
When Mr.. Emerson assumed the
office of state engineer findings had
been put on record, but not finally
confirmed, to the effect that the
Pathfinder dam, which to a great ex-
tent serves the people Of Nebraska,
was entitled to practically all OF the
water of the North Platte river, 10
the exclusion of land owners in the
'kgulc IAEOuSA "uASA AN
and alongside the banks Of which
they. had builded their homes. This
decision was revised and adjusted
Sauitably through the efforts OF the
governor and state engineer with the
result that Justice was done Wyom-
ing farmers and more than sufficient
water allotted from the Platte to
supply the 40, 000. acres in the Sara
toga region.
Last week this project was visited
by a party OF reclamation project en-
gineers, including Director Arthur F.
Davis. Chief Engineer F. E. Wey-
mouth, Andrew Weiss, who Is IN
charge Of the work on the North
Platte and Mr. Emerson. A. . re.
suit Of the visit Of these Officials II
81 announced that actual conatfuc-
lion ID assured ~ soon ~ certain a.
Sssiis ~ werkcd out and the financial
&e6ture taken are Of. The final
Stanap al approval on the part OF the
federal recfamation has been placed
avon d essat Development plan
Vhich u1aDy 20 much to this section.
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