Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1922-09-14
TURNS THE DESERT
INTO RICH FARMS
RECLAMATION SERVICE is TO
CELEBRATE TWENTIETH AN
NivERsARY NEXT YEAR.
ARID LAND MADE PRODUCTIVE
Vast Irrigation Projects Have Been
Carried Out Successfully and Values
Have Been Increased Tremendously
by This Government Bureau.
BY JAMES p. HoRNAoAY

BY JAMES p. HORNADAY
Washington United States
reclamation service will celebrate its
/ twentieth anniversary next year. I'm
mediately after the enactment of the
organic act the reclamation service
was organized by the secretary of the
interior, first under the direction and
control of the director of the geological
survey but not part OF the geological
survey; then on March o, 1907, by or
der of the secretary of the interior. as
an Independent service under a direc-
tor of It's own. Investigations and sur
veys We're begun in 1902 immediately
after the passage OF the act and con-
struction was begun in 1903. Projects
were selected in most of the arid and
semi-arid states. Active construction
work reached a maximum In 1907. and
then tiuctuated to fit the flow Of in
coming funds to another maximum In
1915.
In 1906 and 1907 the reclamation
service began the delivery Of Irrigation
water from works constructed under
the act, and also from several canal
systems built under private auspices.
which We're absorbed into the larger
government projects In association
with improved and more extensive
systems of distribution, as well as
large storage reservoirs built by the
service. Since the passage of the
reclamation act the gross expenditure
Hereunder has BEEN roughly. $780,
100000. This includes considerable
money that is turned over somewhat
rapidly; for example, the annual turn
over for operation and maintenance.
The net Investment In construction
work to date is in the neighborhood OF
S130,O00.OOO.
Big Increase In Land Values.
1t Is Impossible to give precise values
for the project lands before and after
the government work, but It is known
that the direct increase In land values
has been great. This is illustrated by
the frequent sales OF the irrigated
lands at high prices Such prices are
commonly reported at $500 $500 and
S4OO per acre and In the case of high
ly improved land have, In rare In
stances. reached as high as $1,000 or
Sl,0OO. On the basis OF productivity.
the desert lands were well nigh worth
less before the government work, and
large areas of the projects were then
held at $40 per acre or less.
1t has been roughly estimated that
government irrigation has increased
the value Of the project lands 5000 per
acre on the average, or total of over
SSo0,OO0,OOO; that 1t has increased the
value of 1,000,000 acres In other prot
ects served under the Warren act by
800 or total of $100,OOOOOO. The
increase In the value of lands In the
cities, towns and villages within the
projects is believed TO exceed $780, |
OoO,O0O, making total increase In land |
values of over S50O.0OOOOO, based on |
government reclamation work. These
estimates are, of course, extremely |
rough and would be less In 1921 than
In 1919, owing to changed financial con-
dltions.
Growth OF irrigated Acreage.
The following table shows the pro-
yressive increase in irrigated acreage,
and crop value since 1913. Thase fig
ures, 1t should be particularly noted,
relate only to those areas on the recIa-
nation projects proper which are COW
cred by crop statistics and do not in
,lude a large area receiving either a
or partial water supply I'M
Ter the Warren act from the Irrigation
works constructed by the service. In
GUIDED in these areas, from which no
'rop statistics are secured by the serv-
&c, II is estimated that the value of
,rops produced in 1920 amounted TO
nearly S114,000,000.