IN THE DEPARTMENTS 



Forest Service, Reclamation Service, and Geological Survey 



Irrigation in A report just issued by men, is the project recently launched 

 Republican the Geological Survey by the city of Los Angeles for bring- 

 Nebraska^^^^' (^^^^^ Supply Paper ing to the gates of that city, from the 

 No. 216) states that Owens River Valley, 250 miles to the 

 about 35,000 acres are under irriga- north, a supply of pure water from the 

 tion in the Republican River Valley slopes of Mount Whitney and its sis- 

 in Southern Nebraska. The principal ter peaks along the eastern crest of the 

 irrigation is on the valleys and bench Sierras. It is planned to bring sufh- 

 lands, though some of the ditches, of cient water to supply the needs of a 

 which there are about 130 miles, ex- city with a million and a half inhabi- 

 tend out on the lower adjacent valley tants The estimated cost of this en- 

 slopes. The extent of irrigable land terprise is $25,000,000. It is launched 

 is large but the supply of water is not by a city of 250,000 inhabitants. A 

 adequate for the reclamation of the water supply of equal expense in pro- 

 entire area. In the eastern and cen- portion to' the number of inhabitants 

 tral part of the Republican Valley re- would cost the city of New York 

 gion — that is, in Jefferson, Thayer, $400,000,000. 



Nuckolls, Webster, Franklin, and Har- The first issue of bonds for the pre- 

 lan counties — the average rainfall is liminary w^ork on the Los Angeles 

 sufficient for the growth of crops aqueduct was floated at par in the 

 without irrigation except in an occa- midst of the recent depression, although 

 sional season. the bonds yield but 4 per cent interest 

 It has been hoped that the wells of pei" annum. This in itself -is a finan- 

 the uplands and valley bottoms of the cial feat of no small magnitude, 

 southwestern counties of Nebraska 1'he determination of Los Angeles 

 would vield enough water for the ir- to go 250 miles across mountain ranges 

 rigation of large areas, but the supply and deserts for an adequate supply of 

 has so far been found inadequate at P^i'e water was reached as a result of 

 most localities. The ground water, exhaustive study of all possible nearer 

 however, furnishes a sufficient supply sources and was finally determined 

 for use in gardens, for raising fruit, ^ipo" only after it had been proved to 

 ^^egetables. and flowers, and to a lim- the satisfaction of those responsi- 

 ited extent for certain crops. The ble for the city's policy that the 

 best-known irrigation plant using well ground waters of the adjacent valleys, 

 water is on the vallev bottom a short particularly those of the coastal plain 

 distance southeast of Benckelman, below Los Angeles, which during re- 

 where a twenty-acre garden is irri- cent years have been looked upon as 

 gated from a well twentv-seven feet the most promising source for in- 

 deep. The water is raised by a gaso- creased supply, are all needed for the 

 line pumping engine pumping 150 gal- agricultural interests already estab- 

 lons a minute into a reservoir cover- lished in these valleys and for the 

 ing three-fourths of an acre to a depth municipal supplies of the smaller 

 of six feet. towns that are scattered over them. 



An essential and convincing portion 



The One of the western en- of this evidence was supplied as a 



Los Angeles terprises that has at- result of studies carried out by the 



Aqueduct tracted wide-spread at- Geological Survey during the last few 



tention throughout the East and that years upon the ground waters of the 



stands as a testimonial to the bold- south end of the State, where, in 



ness and energy of western business strong contrast to San Joaquin and 



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