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Show VA.Tl;lt STORAGE, (lovernir.ent Construction for Reservoirs tho only Practical Method. From Bulletin of Secretary Maxwell of tin- National irrigation Congress. The session of Congivss just closed shows more H vo. practical interest, in irrigation work for the West than any previous 'ongvi'ss in history, and it appears ap-pears to In- a fact that public men arc-waking arc-waking up Lo (.lie possibilities of developing develop-ing the West through this means, and also that the development, of the West will benefit every eastern Interest. Although Al-though the attempt to secure a governmental govern-mental appropriation for the building of reservoirs was finally defeated, yet the Senate, by its vote, has committed Itself in favor of the policy, and the light for the recognition of western rights will Ik: vigorously prosecuted in the next Congress, Moreover, some wry nil en'nting facts have been brought lo light upon the subject in the Senate and House, and the eastern men have learned a good deal about irrigation. irriga-tion. For the information of Senators in this connection a resolution was passed directing tho Secretary of the Interior to furnish a general statement of the origin, character, and extent of the surveys sur-veys of reservoir sites made by the U. S. Geological Survey, with brief memorandum memo-randum its to present conditions of water storage and the more important facts, in each large hydrographic basin, with a summary of estimates as to probable costs of constructing dams, etc. In response to this Dr. F. H. Newell, the Government Hydrographer, sub-mi sub-mi Hod a report upon reservoir surveys, which was printed as Senate Document No. UH, 55th Congress, 3d session. While Mr. Newell's report comprises only about twenty pages, it contains tuich a comprehensive and able account of surveys of reservoir sites as to be highly valuable to interested parties. It may not be generally known that over two hundred reservoir sitos have been surveyed and described by the Geological Survey. Years ago when the question of reservoir sites for irrigation ir-rigation purposes was being first generally gen-erally agitated, Congress passed a law authorizing the Government to reserve from settlement, sites suitable for reservoir purposes. Although comparatively little has ' been done in the construction of reser voirs by private enterprise and no Government Gov-ernment work whatever has been undertaken under-taken in this Hne, yet the value of the surveys made and the withdrawal of these sites from public entry against tho time when they will be utilized as reservoirs is apparent. Whether dams are to be constructed by individuals, individ-uals, by States or by national Government, Govern-ment, the value of the knowledge arising aris-ing from these surveys is equally great. They enable each citizen to determine for himself where reservoir sites exist, and, in a general way, whether a dam can be constructed to advantage. Although, Al-though, as stated, a large number of these sites have been accurately surveyed, sur-veyed, in but a comparatively few instances in-stances have dams been constructed and are reservoirs now supplying the needed water to lands under irrigation. This is true particularly of the more valuable of the sites. One fact, Mr. Newell states, has come prominently forward during the last ten years, since the inauguration of the reservoir work, and that is that water storage on a large scale can rarely be made profitable to individuals or corporations. cor-porations. Water conservations is expensive ex-pensive at best, and existing conditions, laws, and customs are such that the person who builds a dam on the headwaters head-waters of a stream is seldom in a position posit-ion to be benefitted financially by the water he impounds. The capitalists who have put their money into such enterprises have involuntarily become philanthopists benefactors of theirfel-low-men. but not gainers themselves to a notable degree. The community as a whole has been unquestionably enriched, en-riched, directly or indirectly, to an extent ex-tent many times the first cost of the works, but these benefits cannot redound re-dound wholly to the constructors. W hile reservoirs in general cannot be made resources of profit to the investors, in-vestors, there is no gainsaying the fact that they are indispensable to the community. com-munity. They may be classed with liirht-houses and river and harbor work, which, under existing laws and customs, cus-toms, cannot be made sources of private train, and yet must, be had if a full development de-velopment of the natural resources is to be obtained. |