Show r f A L r rv w fp r f R EfF S qi d v S r w c At d' d y f. f r v. v J Lr s y Jw far d k kr r Syi TT ju c tai 43 r 6 4 r M 4 t F Ts t ta a T a hj tS mot v n JOHN STEWART one of Major Mojar Powells Powell's guides on the second trip down the Colorado and Green Rivers In Inthe Inthe Inthe the expedition of cf 1871 Is is shown at one of the out out- unless they are stored in reservoirs re reo Ultimately one of the great agricultural regions of this country will be found in inthe inthe inthe the irrigated plains and valleys valleys val val- leys of the West Sagebrush plains sand sand dune dune deserts and alkaline valleys will be covered covered cover cover- ed by gardens fields and groves all perennially fertilized ed from thousands of mountain lakes MAJOR POWELLS POWELL'S publication publication cation Lands of the Arid Region Region Region Re Re- gion followed shortly his expedition expedition ex ex- down the Colorado River One of his companions on the trip Frederick Dellenbaugh Dellenbaugh Dellen Dellen- baugh said that at least the idea of dams on the Colorado was talked about by members of Powells Powell's expedition of 1871 72 Their idea of making dams in the Grand Canyon at that time was not for power but merely to make it possible to navigate The plan was to tunnel side cliffs and then blow the cliff cuff off into the river with dynamite A SHORT time later Powell did realize that developments on the Colorado surely were possible provided only that the tremendous amounts of money be obtained to build the structures The Report on the Lands standing landings made by the party he he scenic beauty of t the e river river can be re realized from photos such as this depicting depleting the tho deep gorges gorges and steep canyons Major Maior Powell Envisioned Reclamation of West WestBy WestBy WestBy By Irrigation From Colorado Colorado Ri River System Continued from Last Week With the first white mans man's glimpse and study of two of the greatest water sources of the western United States the wild untamed Green and Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado Rivers Major John Wesley Wesley Wesley Wes Wes- ley Powell immediately started started start start- ed turning to cogs of a giant machine to preserve the rivers rivers' rivers rivers' rivers rivers' riv riv- ers' ers resources for mans man's use THE ARID regions of the Colorado Basin were largely unsettled during 1869 as pioneers pioneers pion plon- to this area either had to irrigate the land to provide food or else move on The Colorado River was practically practical practical- ly untouched as a water source and man had mostly moved on Impressed by the Mormon organization in Utah which had successfully brought a about bout irrigation of the valleys bordering bordering bor bor- dering the Wasatch Mountains Major Powell eyed this type of cooperation as a basis for turning other water uses to benefit the inhabitants of the United States at that time and for future generations FOLLOWING visits to the basin and his famous explorations explorations on the rivers Major Powell fostered dreams of reclamation reclamation re reo far beyond his time as is evidenced by an article in the North American Review In in 1889 Excerpts from the article read In all of this country wherever agriculture is prosecuted prosecuted prosecuted pro pro- dams must be constructed constructed con con- strutted and the waters spread upon the lands through the agency of canals II AS AS TH THE E season of growing growing grow grow- ing crops is comparatively short short short-in in most of the country it lasts from 2 to 3 months months- the waters of the Ing season will run to waste J n of the Arid Regions o t by Major a award Powell o was s the first step i toward toward to to- ward comprehending the necessity necessity necessity for scientific and realIstic realistic real real- government management of the public domain and toward toward to to- ward the encouragement of of those same factors in the private private vate management of private lands in the West THIS PUBLICATION helped put down the idea that the arid lands of the West were adaptable for Midwest farming farm farm- ing The report specified that water was the key to land use and that the sharply limited supply demanded classification of land for use and management manage manage- mentIN ment IN MAJOR Powells Powell's dream for conquering the great rivers he could not foresee great dams on the Old Red to control the sometimes raging sometimes meandering current cur cur- rent But he envisioned ahead great agricultural developments developments develop develop- ments and communities which would welcome throngs of settlers settlers set set- from the East Major Powell spoke boldly on his views of preserving water through lean years and good to prosper all generations In 1889 he 1889 he told the North Dakota C Constitutional Convention Convention Conven Conven- tion delegates delegate you are are to de de- pend hereafter In a great measure measure mea mea- sure sure on the running stream He admonished them Dont Don't let these streams get out of the possession of the the people The property should be beIn bein bein in the land and the right to the water should inhere in the theland theland theland land I and no company or or Individual individual in In- should have property in the running streams HIS VISION of reclaiming the arid lands to give millions of men women and children happy rural homes in the sunny sunny sunny sun sun- ny land was further stated in ina a series of articles for Century Century Century Cen tury Illustrated Monthly Magazine Magazine Magazine Mag Mag- azine He recommended to use the perennial streams during the season of Irrigation i to store surplus surplus' water that runs to waste in seasons when irrigation irrigation irrigation irrig irrig- is not practiced to impound impound im im- pound storm waters storm waters to recover er floods accumulated in valley valley val val- ley sands and to utilize artesian artesian artes artes- ian fountains HE FORESAW a system of powers developed which would I be unparalleled in the history of the world Factories could then be established and the rivers be made to do the work of f fertilization and the violence violence violence vio vio- lence of mountain torrents can be transformed Into electricity electric electric- ity to illumine the villages towns and cities of all that land Major Powell continually tried to impress those who maintained that the West was not a desert and did not need Irrigation He addressed a meeting of the International Irrigation Congress in Los Angeles Angeles An An- geles in 1893 stating that at present there were not enough sources for irrigation for all the lands HE TOLD the Irrigation Congress Congress Con Con- gress that he had strongly opposed opposed opposed op op- posed turning all the lands of ofu u j u the Colorado Basin over to cattlemen for grazing and wanted these lands land s held for irrigation Major Powell observed that an annual rainfall of not more than three or four inches reaches these arid lands of the west and short growing seasons seasons sea sea- sons of three to four months make it imperative to have an available supply of water through storage and irrigation FURTHER proof of Major Majorin in his statement If the waters are to be used great works must be constructed costing millions of dollars and then ultimately a region of country can be irrigated larger than was ever cultivated along the Nile and all the products of Egypt will flourish therein It seems amazing that one man Major John Wesley Powell the steel steel nerved nerved Union soldier who dared the first expedition expedition ex ex- down two great rivers rivers riv riv- ers of the West could foresee the great advances made today today to to- day by civilization through the mastering of the great wonders of nature To be continued next week |