Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of UtahPowell, John Wesley
History
Report on the lands of the arid region of the United States, with a more detailed account of the lands of Utah
Powell, John Wesley
Irrigation -- Utah; Irrigation -- West (U.S.); Public lands -- United States; Rain and rainfall -- West (U.S.)
The diversion of a large stream from its channel into a system of
canals demands a large outlay of labor and material. To repay this all
the waters so taken out must be used, and large tracts of land thus
become dependent upon a single canal. It is manifest that a farmer
depending upon his own labor cannot undertake this task. To a great
extent the small streams are already employed, and but a comparatively
small portion of the irrigable lands can be thus redeemed; hence the
chief future development of irrigation must come from the use of the
larger streams. Usually the confluence of the brooks and creeks which
form a large river takes place within the mountain district which
furnishes its source before the stream enters the lowlands where
the waters are to be used. The volume of water carried by the small
streams that reach the lowlands before uniting with the great rivers,
or before they are lost in the sands, is very small when compared with
the volume of the streams which emerge from the mountains as rivers.
This fact is important. If the streams could be used along their upper
ramifications while the several branches are yet small, poor men could
occupy the lands, and by their individual enterprise the agriculture of
the country would be gradually extended to the limit of the capacity
of the region; but when farming is dependent upon larger streams such
men are barred from these enterprises until coöperative labor can be
organized or capital induced to assist. Before many years all the
available smaller streams throughout the entire region will be occupied
in serving the lands, and then all future development will depend on
the conditions above described.
In Utah Territory coöperative labor, under ecclesiastical organization,
has been very successful. Outside of Utah there are but few instances
where it has been tried; but at Greeley, in the State of Colorado, this
system has been eminently successful.
THE USE OF SMALLER STREAMS SOMETIMES INTERFERES WITH THE USE OF THE
LARGER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account