RECLAMATION OF THE ARID 



WEST. 



BY A. C. KOMIG. 



The uncertainty of crop results in the arid and semi- arid regions 

 of the West, by reason of unfavorable climate conditions and inadequate 

 rainfall at crucial periods of crop development, suggests the problem 

 of redemption and whether it be not possible to mend this condition by 

 artificial means and promote a more generous and timely precipitation. 



It is conceded that if a duplicate of Lake Michigan were placed in 

 the center of the area bounded by the longitude of Kansas City, the 

 Rocky Mountain range, British America and the Gulf, there would be 

 increased humidity, evaporation, dews and climatic conditions analo- 

 gous to Missouri or Eastern Kansas. But in default of any such basic 

 source for evaporation what is the remedy, how shall we find a sub- 

 stitute? Manifestly by the conservation of storm waters impounded in 

 a system of artificial lakes, catch basins, storage reservoirs and dams 

 on the farm. 



This is the conception of a system outlined by Major Powell, late 

 director of the United States Geological Survey and by him recom- 

 mended to Congress as a panacea for the evils of aridity and as a re- 

 straining factor and permanent relief from disastrous flood calamity 

 on the lower Mississippi and streams traversing the arid regions. 



It is a self evident fact that so long as the present status exists, 

 and storm waters are permitted to flow unrestrained, depositing mil- 

 lions of tons of silt on the bed of the lower Mississippi, lifting ithigher 

 and higher above the surrounding plain until a vessel seems to be 

 floating in mid air, just so long will flood calamity result, entailing 

 enormous and constantly increasing expense for repairs. 



The timely suggestions Major Powell have borne good fruit. 

 Congress in 1888 voted $100,000; in 1889, $250,000 for surveys, typo- 

 graphical maps, segregating and locating storage reservoir sites for 

 impounding storm waters. Of the 147 sites selected by the Coast and 

 Geodetic department in 1890, 33 are in California, 46 in Colorado, 27 in 

 Montana, 39 in New Mexico and 2 in Nevada. The aggregate sites 

 selected since 1889 will approximate 400, including four or five artific 

 ial lakes on the upper-Mississippi. 



This work of the Coast and Geodetic department is preliminary 

 to the great scheme of redemption. The construction of dams, en 

 bankments, canals, and laterals for irrigation facilities remains tot 

 future development and it rests with the people of the arid region to 

 work up an interest and arouse an enthusiasm that will culminate in 

 fruition. 



