Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 22, 1922, Page 30

PAGE FOUR GREAT STRIDES IN IRRIGATION WORKS SHOWN Transformation Wrought by Water Puts State in Agricultural Class; Over 3,000,- 000 Acres Involved in Projects, BY FRANK ©. EMERSON. (State Engineer) The impression still exists in the mind of the average out- sider that Wyoming is a state largely devoted to sage brush, sheep herders, cowboys and coyotes, with a few oil derricks introduced during recent years to break the monotony. The general view of the state that anyone obtains from riding across Wyoming by train would largely confirm this impres- sien. The true is, however, that Wyoming is « « of large and va- ried natural resources, and is rapid- ly developing = many lines. Wyoming ts & leader in the Production of sheep and beef cattle, and despite adverse cor jonas of the last two years the stock industry will continue to be of prime importance to this atate. The development of our great off resources has steadily progressed until Wyonting {ts now among the leaders in petroleum prod. ucts. The production of eal, tron ore and other minerals large proportions. whole, has continued in The state, as a has made wonderful progress 1 thes nea in the last deo- Importance of Irrigation. The Gevelopment of the agricul- tural re: es of Wyoming has steadily progressed along with other! activities. In the state ars fond great areas of fine farm lands utat will compare favorably fcr the rais- ing of many crops with any agriyul- tural section in the United Sta.os. ‘The promotion of agriculture will only s44 to and increase our other enterprises, and in the last analysis affords for Wyoming the best basis for permanent prosperity. In the eastern part of the state we find large areas of Innd that, by rea- gon of climatic conditions and a com- paratively ample precipitation, can be auccessfully farmed wit tion. The development of large ex tensions to present acreage can be expected by the use of modern dry farming methods. Our greatest agri- cultural developm however, will come through far under irriga- tion. An abundant one of our greates! he applica’ fertile Jands hb acres of pra : Further developments proposed will add greatly to the areas ay reclaimed. Ty the higher altitudes the hardier grain and root crops, and native hay, timothy, clover and other forage crops can be succes! iy raised and are well adapted to the portions of the states where the natural fine range conditions are favorable for stock raising and the dairy indus ‘Th sections of lower altitudes, such as the Big Horn basin, the Sheridan, heatiand end Riverton countries, and the North Platte valley below Pathfinéer reservoir, practically all ‘the crops adapted to the temperate gone can be raised in abundance. The culture of sugar beets, potatoes and other root crops, and of alfalfa and all varieties of small grains, has been very successful. Apples and other fruits are successfully produced in certa! theltered sections. Sanican the lower and higher altt- tudes of the state crops produced ere adapted to the various climatio con- ditions that apply. With but Uttle exception wherever water can be practically applied to the land suc- cessful farming can be carried on, and {t fs only necessary to select those crops that are adapted to the condl- tions which apply in each locality. History of Irrigation in Wyoming. ut drriga-|, | crise | wi plan to assist in the reclamation of ite arid Ignds, | Development of Today. | Im round numbers it is estimated that abount 1,850,000 acres of land are under trrigation in Wyoming today. An additional arsa of 450,900 acres is included under completed projects and ready for development by indjvidual farmers. Dxtensions to existing proj- ects would cover an additional 400,- 000 mcres. Thece estimates would therefore show that about 2,200,000 acres ara irrigated in Wyoming, or under projects now under way. Other projects proposed, and which appear to be economically feasible within the near future, comprise areas of over 1,000,000 acres. It is estimated that the development of irrigation in the state will comprise at least 4,000,000 acres within the century. . . S. Reclamation Service. ‘The United States reclamation serv- ice is carrying on work upon three large projects in Wyoming. It {s now recognized that the federal govern- ment is usually the proper agency for the undertaking of the great irriga- tion projects of the west, as it has become evident that the great re- sources of the government ere re- |quired in order to properly finance and promote such projects as 100,000 acres or more. The benefits that ac crue to the nation as a whole well warrant the development of © such by the feders) government The .ultimate development of the Shoshone, North Platte and Riv- erton projects in Wyoming, as now nstruction by thé reclamation areas of probably 000 acres and’ may ably exceed this in each It is therefore rcadily seen that the work of this great agency ts very important not less than 1 even conside he development of other Profects lin the state can be expected of j tho reclamation service. Co-operative [Investigations of large projects upon the North Platte river in the Sara- toz ampment y and in the vicinity of Casper have been carried the state an the reclamation service during the iast season. It is believed that reports atpon the pro- jJocts investigated will show at least ‘part of the posrible projects feasible {of development at an early date. Fur- their investigations of possibilities jftpon the Grenn river will probably be undertaken guring the coming season. | A decided effort is now belrig made |to pass through congress a compre- hensive reclamation bill that will pro-| vide additional funds for the work of the reclamation service. In the re cent message of President Harding to! congress a definite commitment was | made by the administration to recia-| mation work. The Western States’ | Reclamation association, aa composed, |of representation from ‘the 18 states |of the arid west, ts making every ef-| fort to secure the passage of such legislation through congress. With a favorable attitude upon the part of the administration, and the west) united tn an effort to secure proper jJestsiation, the situation appears en-| couraging. With the passage of the, | proposed legislation the activities of Irrigation was practiced in WyY9/the reclamation service in Wyoming| ming as early as 1854, and we have) can be considerably extended, and vested rights of record of 1862 prio) aqq greatly to the development of our ity. Development to any particular) agricultural resources. extent, however, did not start iced | Progress During 1921. the "80s. From 1885 to 1900 thou-) one year 1921,has been one of sands of projects ranging from le88\inuch interest in relation to the than an acre to several thousand| velopment of the irrigation tnteres acres in extent were dewtoped. Water of Wyoming. ‘This ts true notwith- for these undertakings was ensy of standing the fact that the general @iversion from the streams end the fnancial situation over the state, as irrigation works comparatively sl!m-| wel as over the country et large, has ple to construct. As the less difficult prevented any large activities in ao- enterprises were gradually exhausted tual construction work upon. private the number of projects undertaken irrigation projects. ‘The United States decreased; but the area of lands cov-|reciamation service has been able to ered became greater, and during the| carry on {ts usual program, as the period from 1900 to 1910 many larse/tunds provided from the regular projects were undertaken. sources for reclamation work have Practically all of the larger private) not been diminished. The service has projects operated under the Carey/ therefore been able to add largely to act, which provided competent/its works during the year. Several means for. the control of title and/ amendments and additions to lawe at-(ptreums between Wyoming and Utah,/* sale of. water rights for the lands {r-|tecting the frrigation interests of the rigated. Several faflures occurred !n| state were made by the 1921 legisla- connection with the larger projects /ture, and in each case the legislation uring this period, principally by rea-| was constructive in character and fon of the fact that many problems) provided valuable afd in several fea- connected with large trrigation prod-! turas. @cts were not understood: The re-|. Further marked progress was made sult of the several faflures was a loss| quring the year toward a Proper so-/ of confidence in development of larg® lution of interstate water right ques- projects by private means. a'his con-| tions that materially affect Wyoming | Gition has made {tt very difficult tolIn these and other ways there has property finance such projects, and/been a distinct advance in the trriga- @uring the last Gecade but little prog-| tion Interests of the state during the Tees tn new construction has been| year 1921. mage. About the usual number of permits With the experience gained by the/ have been issued for small ditches and past, and the knowlege of the suc-| reservoirs throughout the state, indl- cess of developments that have been| cating that the thousands of smal! Property undertaken, there is no ques-| water rights are being continually in« tion but that the development of|crensed. Most of these projects ere many of the large projects proposed| comparatively small, in the aggre- in the state can be successfully no-| gate provide for the irrigation of large! complished. It seems apparent. how-| areas. Today there are over 1,000,000 ever, that the state iteelf should take|acres of land trrigated in Wyoming} & part in the work, and the neces-|by projects ranging from less than| sity for state aid is set forth ©|an acre to 1,000 acres tn extent. | Geotail in the last biennial rep Comparatively Mttle activity has oc- the state eng! ing is | curred & the year in connection| to take proper advantage of its watar| with larger projects under private de-| gupaly the state tteelf must evolve al velopment. No permits have been is! = 11 tt et 96 meee tenes (50) hee — cro 0 | | | caee nn | | Jeaursess} : | lwes CONVERSE; NIO B VARA ! | : sued during the year for large private projects. Improvements and exten- sions, however, have been made upon! projects heretofore under way. Work) has progressed during the year to conciderable extent upon the Lake DeSmet reservoir near -Buffalo, the Cottonwood project on the Green river, the Hawk Springs project near| Torrington, and several other larger, projects throughout the state. The difficulty of financing the larger pri- vate developments is The United States reclamation serv- ice has continued tts valuable work in the state during the year. Work upon the Fort Ieramte canal on the! North Platte project has progressed rapidly, and large additional areas are) coming under frrigation in the vicin- ity of Torrington. Upon the Shoshone Project the development of power at the Shoshone dam is well under way, and various extensions have been made to the distribution system over the project. Construction upon the Riverton project has been prosecuted 1 to’a considerable extent, and ssveral miles of the main canal have been completed. Work upon the diversion 1 dam for this project, across Big Wind otarted. river, is well Legislation. The more tmportant additions to laws passed by the 1921 legislature, that affect our irrigation interests, in- clude the act concerning reservoirs, that about 1,350,000 acres of land are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 oO u ‘3 21 co-operation with the state of Uten 3? and the Coloredo River commission. ‘The new reservoir law permits of a better and more economical use of stored water, and provides a good means of handling situations that Were difficult of proper solution under. the revre rigid features of old reser-| voir laws. ‘The reciprocal enactment of the measure applying to interstate by the legislatures of the two states, will allow proper disposal and adinin- istration of the waters of the streams tween the two states. The act providing for a commis- that now wander back and forth *| 139 stoner from Wyoming upon the Colo-| 49 rado River commission is similar to the act passed by the six other states of the Qolorado river drainage basin, and to the act of congress covering the same matter. The work of this commission will be important to the jentire southwest as affording a com- petent means for the proper solution of the many problems arising in con- nection with the use and disposal of the waters of the Colorado river and its tributaries. Through the agency of this commission, and legislation that will follow, it ts believed that Wyoming will secured and pro- tected for all time in any use it may have of the waters of the Green river, one of the tmportant tributaries of the Colorado. Future Ontlook. The future holds much of prom- tse for the development under trriga- (Continued on Page Five) 124 126 {27 {29 30 81 84 35 \ 80 aT 42 43 44 43 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 1 Steen Feqnamese > cuj\ome 35 seats 50 tides pa <ieumninp @ smmnilighot Projects Completed 8308 oo It covers every project of 4,000 or more acres, ‘The numerals in the first column of the table refer to the numbera on the map and furnish a simple method of locating any given project. The succeeding columns give the names of the projects, the character of each enterprise, whether a United States reclamation project, a Carey act project, etc.; the source of water supply, and the acreage of land watered or to be watered. Attention is called to the note stating that small projects of less than 4,000 acres—and therefore not included The table follows. No. Name of Canal or Project Interstate Canal Fort Laramie Shoshone Project Canal Shoshone Highline Canal ‘Wyoming Canal Fremont Canal Hawk Springs Wyoming Devel’ment Co. System North Laramie Land Co, James Lake System Lake Hattie Supply System Canal Medicine Bow Rock Creek Convervation Co, Big Creek Canal Sterra Madre Sahara Medicine Wheel Clark's Fork Project Sidon Lovell Irrigation Co, Cody Canal Lakeview Irrigation Co. Oregon Basin Project Fontenelle Canal Seedskadee Highland Canal Boulder Canal East Fork Canal Utah-Wyoming Canal Buffalo Basin ‘Tremont Canal Green Mountzin C Johnson “Co, Irrigation Distri Devil's Gate Parkman Note—The thousands of small projects in the state cover in the aggregaie over 1,000,000 acres + ae Character of Enterprise U. 8. R. S. U. 8. R. 8, U. 8. R. 8. U. 8. R. 8. U. 8. ROB. Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act Irrigation District Irrigation District a Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act, U. 5. R. 8. * Carey-Act Carey Act Proposed Proposed Carey Act Carey Act $ Co-operative Carey Ast Carey Act ive i Act Act ig Proposed MS Carey Act $ Carey Act Carey Act Carey Act Proposed in this table—represent a combined area of more than 1,000,000 acres. With the 2,195,715 acres represented in the Projects wet out in the table, this means that considerably moro than 3,000,000 acres elther under trrigation or included in projects building or proposed to be built. of land in Wyoming aro S 5 North Platte River North Platte River Bhoshone River . Shoshone River - 200,000 80,000 40,000 80,000 80,000 19,415 15,000 13,000 40,000 12,000. 80,000 15,000 15,000 12,506 Total pebgereseesreaersenssnsteoacencere oe Projects Uncompleted ES The foliowing table, in conjunction with the accompanying map, presents probably the most comprehensive | survey of irrigation development in Wyoming yet published, whether actually completed, under construction, or proposed. “THE CASPER DAIRY AND ICE CREAM CO. Ye Our “Tip Top” Ice Cream may be secured at the leading fountains. Itis the favorite Ice Cream because it is the BEST. ° Our Milk and Cream stands high in the rigid tests of the health depart- ment, A) Use Casper Dairy Products Best and Safest Phone 471