57 



Assuan and Assiut was allotted 137,800 acre-feet. The lands between 

 Assiut and Cairo were allotted 482,400 acre-feet. Gizeh province 

 alone, near Cairo, was allotted 68,900 acre-feet. The territory north 

 of Cairo, principally in the delta, was allotted 243,200 acre-feet. The 

 sum of these tigures is 863,400 acre-feet, the estimated capacity of the 

 reservoir. 



The engineers have estimated that about 70,000 acres can be irri- 

 gated from the reservoir between Assuan and Assiut, giving' this area 

 about 2 feet in depth, the water being measured in the reservoir and 

 no allowance made for loss either through evaporation or seepage. 

 One authority states that only one-third of the land is cultivated in 

 any one season, which allows 210,000 acres to be served. It is 

 extremely doubtful if over 70, 000 .acres can be served in this portion 

 of Egypt during the three seasons of the year. If this area can be 

 changed from flood to peremiial irrigation the annual yield of the land 

 will be increased at least $700,00<). If 210,000 acres could be brought 

 under perennial irrigation in this part of Upper Egypt, it would mean 

 an increase in the returns to the farmer of about $2,lOO,(»0() and in 

 the revenue of the state of about $60,000 per 3'ear. 



The engineers hope to bring under perennial irrigation 468,000 acres 

 of land lying between Assiut and Cairo. This would make an annual 

 increase in the returns to the farmer of al)Out $5,700,000 and in the 

 revenue of the government of about $950,000. It is estimated that 

 160,000 acres can be brought under perennial irrigation in Gizeh 

 province alone, 3nelding an annual increase in agricultural products of 

 nearly $l,O0(»,000 and about $300,000 to the government. B}' the 

 perennial irrigation of 120, OOo acres in the delta it is hoped to increase 

 the annual returns from agriculture there by about $3,000,000 and 

 the revenue through taxation by about $400,000. 



In addition to the direct benefits from the reservoir, it is estimated 

 that an average of $1,000,000 will be saved each year on the cotton 

 crop. One year in five the Nile is so low that about $5,000,000 is lost 

 by a failure of a portion of this crop. Besides this, about $5,000,000 

 will ultimately be realized from the sale of government land brought 

 under perennial irrigation. It is believed that the water stored in the 

 Assuan reservoir will add annually to the wealth of the country a total 

 of $11,000,000. Land which can be perennially irrigated rents about 

 $5 per acre higher than that which depends upon inundation alone. 

 As shown above, the taxes on perennially irrigated land are much 

 higher than on land not so watered. It is expected that the semian- 

 nual payments on the reservoir will be met by the increased revenue 

 from the lands deriving benefit from the stored water. In the woixis 

 of Sir Alfred Milner, ''The Egyptian Government is relieved from 

 the difiiculty of paying for the works until return is received from 

 them; until, in other words, they pay for themselves." 



