THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 



MONTHLY. 



DECEMBER, 1904. 



THE RECLAMATION SERVICE. 



By F. H. NEWELL, 



CHIEF ENGINEER, RECLAMATION SERVICE, U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



A RECEXT and notable addition to the work of the government 

 -*--*- in applied science is the creation of the corps of engineers 

 known as the Reclamation Service, an organization under one of the 

 branches of the U. S. Geological Survey. The operation of these 

 engineers grows out of the passage of the Reclamation Act of June 17, 

 1902, setting aside the proceeds of the disposal of public lands to be 

 used in survey and construction of irrigation works in the thirteen 

 states and three territories of the arid region. 



The development of this corps of engineers is a logical outcome 

 of the work of the Geological Survey, and is the result of develop- 

 ment along definite lines of research. The beginnings antedate the 

 creation of the present Geological Survey, and are to be found in the 

 reports of Major J. W. Powell, the pioneer in so many lines of research. 

 His report on the lands of the arid region early attracted attention 

 to the importance of irrigation, and when he became director of the 

 Geological Survey he, through his strong interest in the subject, turned 

 much of the work of the survey in directions which led to a larger 

 knowledge of the opportunities of the creation of homes in the west. 



In 1888 the director of the Geological Survey was authorized to 

 investigate the extent to which the arid regions might be reclaimed, 

 and appropriations were given with special reference to mapping the 

 catchment areas of the principal rivers and obtaining a broad knowledge 

 of the entire country. 



In 1894 specific appropriations were had for stream measurements, 

 and these were gradually increased, resulting in the operations of the 



