IRRIGATION WORK IN THE WEST 

 A Concrete Distribution Structure on the Salt River (Ariz.) Project 



Industry in the introduction of improved 

 crop plants adapted to arid conditions; that 

 we approve the work of the Weather Bureau 

 and urge more extended determinations of 

 rainfall and climate throughout the western 

 L'nited States ; that we indorse and approve 

 the work performed in the offices of Drain- 

 age and Irrigation Investigation in the De- 

 partment of Agriculture ; that we commend 

 the plans adopted by the Federal Government 

 for a more complete use and coordination of 

 our living waters for irrigation, water supply, 

 power and navigation, to the end that this 

 great resource may be the greatest good to 

 the greatest number of our people; and that 

 we favor the movement toward the wiser 

 use and conservation of all of our natural 

 resources recently started by the President 

 of the United States and the governors of 

 the several states at the instance of the In- 

 land Waterways Commission. 



Whereas, an accurate knowledge of soil 

 conditions is essential to the profitable de- 

 velopment of irrigation and agriculture in 

 tne arid region, and whereas the Bureau of 

 Soils of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture is supplying this as rapidly as 

 appropriations will permit, therefore, be it 



Resolved, That the Congress of the United 

 States is respectfully urged to support the 

 work of the bureau with a liberal appropria- 

 tion. 



Whereas, the Congress of the United 

 States, at its fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth ses- 

 sions, reduced the appropriation for the topo- 

 graphic and water resources branches of the 



590 



United States geological survey from $350,- 

 000 to $300,000, and from $200,000 to $100,000, 

 respectively, and whereas the work of these 

 branches of the public service is especially 

 vital to the development of the arid region 

 because of the necessity of accurate predeter- 

 mined knowledge of the water supply avail- 

 able for irrigation, and the topographic con- 

 ditions controlling its use ; therefore, be it 



Resolved. That this congress respectfully 

 and emphatically urges that these appropria- 

 tions be restored to the original amounts at 

 the coming session. 



That this congress recogrrizes the growing 

 importance of the development of electric 

 power, not only for the purposes of lighting, 

 manufacturing, and commerce, but also in 

 aid of irrigation by pumping from subterra- 

 nean sources. Developments already accom- 

 plished in this direction warrant the assump- 

 tion that, in the not far distant future the 

 lands irrigated by water pumped from such 

 sources will equal, if they do not exceed, 

 lands irrigated from the natural flow of 

 streams. The development and use of our 

 streams for the generation of electric power 

 not only aids and increases irrigation directly, 

 but is beneficial in many other ways. First, 

 it renders possible and profitable the con- 

 struction of reservoirs in the high mountains, 

 withholding excessive floods, thus aiding 

 reclamation and also conserving this inju- 

 rious flow which is later added to the bene- 

 ficial flow of water available for irrigation. 

 Second, it is the one great source of supply 

 immediately available for lighting, heat and 



