126 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



machinery to build water facilities such as stock reservoirs and 

 pumps. The Department of Agriculture also lends money to 

 cooperative associations and individuals so that they can get 

 these water improvements if they will agree to carry out sound 

 farm management plans approved by the federal authorities. 

 This law is primarily designed to develop small water facilities 

 not large irrigation works such as those which are built by the 

 Bureau of Reclamation. 



The Water Facilities Act, although it limits the amount of 

 government money to be spent on one project to $50,000, does 

 not prevent other interested agencies from contributing as 

 much additional money as they think necessary. All these 

 projects must be approved by the Water Facilities Board. The 

 money spent for the improvement of water facilities on any 

 private property must be supplied in part, at least, by the 

 farmer. The Department of Agriculture cooperates only with 

 those individuals or associations who develop the water fa' 

 cilities in a way that fits in with the unified plan of land use 

 in that area. Any money lent to the land owner must be paid 

 back over a period of twenty years. 



One unique provision of the Water Facilities Act is the 

 power it gives the federal government to refuse to provide 

 money for the development of water unless the state or local 

 governments pass laws protecting the water facilities developed 

 under the act. 



The Work Relief and the Public Works Act of 1938 gave 

 the Secretary of Agriculture $175,000,000 to lend to farmers 

 in need so that they could make themselves secure by improv 

 ing their land and equipment. The Farm Security Adminis' 

 tration, which manages this program of farm rehabilitation, 

 turned over $5,000,000 of this for water conservation. This 

 money was to be spent in such a way that it would help re' 

 establish people by giving them water for their stock, for gar' 

 den irrigation, and other necessary farm uses. Its primary ob' 



