American Forestry 



VOL XX 



JUNE, 1914 



No. 6 



AN EPITOME OF NATIONAL 

 RECLAMATION 



B\ C. J. Blanchard, Statistician, U. S. K. S. 



NINETEEN hundred and four- 

 teen promises to be an excep- 

 tional year in the history of 

 national reclamation. Secre- 

 tary Lane has allotted every dollar of 

 the Reclamation fund, amounting to 

 $23,000,000, for the vigorous prosecu- 

 tion of the work. The field is so broad, 

 however, that even with this generous 

 outlay many urgent demands for the 

 taking up of important work must be 

 held in abeyance until additional funds 

 are available. A new and encouraging 

 factor has developed in connection with 

 this work which has heretofore been 

 carrried on solely under Federal aus- 

 pices. Several States, notably Oregon 

 and Washington, have evinced a laud- 

 able desire to cooperate in promoting 

 the joint construction of irrigation 

 projects. Oregon has appropriated a 

 large sum of money, and the Secretary 

 of the Interior in turn has set aside an 

 equal amount for the investigation of 

 possible projects on the Deschutes 

 River and in central Oregon. 



A few years ago a number of 

 projects were undertaken by private 

 parties who encountered vicissitudes 

 and difficulties and finally gave up the 

 task. Meanwhile, settlers have gone 

 upon the land, built their homes and 

 prepared their lands for irrigation. 

 Their condition is serious and the 

 States, recognizing their duty to pro- 

 tect the interest of these citizens, are 

 formulating plans whereby the Serv- 

 ice may join in completing the works. 

 Tnvestieations have been ordered bv 



the Secretary and engineers are making 

 plans to be presented to the Depart- 

 ment at an early date. 



In Washington a small appropriation 

 has been made for a joint investigation 

 of a large project in that State. Citi- 

 zens of California have subscribed ten 

 thousand dollars for a similar investi- 

 gation in cooperation with the Govern- 

 ment. This cooperative movement be- 

 tween the States and the Nation is emi- 

 nently proper and has been strongly 

 encouraged by Secretary Lane. 



The failure of a number of large 

 projects undertaken by private com- 

 panies and under State supervision has 

 given a setback to present development 

 by private capital. From an engineer- 

 ing standpoint many of these projects 

 are entirely feasible, the water supply 

 is ample and the lands are of excellent 

 quality. In several instances the rock 

 upon which they were shattered has 

 been the excessive overhead and in- 

 terest charges. Such projects offer 

 attractive opportunities for cooperative 

 construction by State and National 

 forces. 



The Reclamation Service is now 

 composed of a body of trained and 

 efficient men, its machinery is highly 

 organized, and it is prepared to do 

 effective work at a minimum of cost. 

 Eliminating exorbitant promotion 

 charges, all questions of profits and the 

 excessive expense of securing settlers, 

 many of these projects become at once 

 practicable and feasible and worthy of 

 prompt completion. In each State as 



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