What the National Reclamation 



Act Is 



THE National Reclamation Act, sometimes called the National 

 Irrigation Law, became a law on June 17th, 1902. (32 Stat. 388). 

 This act provides that all moneys received from the sale of publit 

 lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Ne- 

 braska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, 



South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming shall be set aside as a 

 special fund in the United States Treasury to be known as the "Reclamation 

 Fund." The Reclamation Fund excepts the five per cent of the proceeds 

 set aside for educational and other purposes. 



At the present time the Reclamation Fund amounts to about $28,000,- 

 000 and is increasing at the rate of $4,000,000 a year. 



Under the Reclamation Act the Fund is "to be used in the examination 

 and survey for and the construction and maintenance of irrigation works 

 for the storage, diversion and development of waters for the reclamation of 

 arid and semi-arid lands" in the sixteen States and Territories. 



The purpose of the Government under the National Reclamation Act is 

 to make homes for homeseekers. 



After the irrigation works are constructed, the sums expended are to be 

 returned to the Government in ten annual installments. Thus the Reclama- 

 tion Fund is self-continuing, and after irrigation works have been con- 

 structed the money can be used for further development, as it is constantly 

 returned to the Reclamation Fund by the settlers. 



The public lands affected by the Reclamation Act are subject to entry 

 under the provisions of the homestead laws in tracts of not less than 40 nor 

 more than 160 acres. No right to the use of water for land in private owner- 

 ship shall be sold for a tract exceeding 160 acres to any one land owner. 



The land owner must be an actual bona fide resident on the land and 

 the settler on the public domain must be a bona fide settler. 



Any one desiring further information should write to the General Land 

 Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C, for the circular from 

 the General Land Office issued January 25, 1904. This circular shows the 

 manner of proceeding to obtain title to public lands under the homestead, 

 desert land and other laws. In this volume the National Reclamation Act 

 is printed in full. 



EVERY American will be in accord with the great work which the Federal 

 Government is doing under the National Reclamation Act. 

 Every Californian it is believed and everyone who is interested 

 in California will find much of value in this number of FOR CALI- 

 FORNIA. This number is called the "Reclamation Projects Number" 

 because it deals with the projects which the Government has under 

 consideration, or under way, in California under the National Reclamation 

 Act. 



The first article in this number, "Opportunities for Government Irri- 

 gation in California as I Saw Them," comes from Hon. Frank W. Mondell of 

 Wyoming, Chairman of the House Commitee on Irrigation. Three splendid 

 articles tell of three national projects in California. Professor Fortier tells 

 of the work of the experiment stations, and Mr. Newell suggests how all 

 may co-operate with the government movement. 



This month's issue also contains an article by Mr. John W. Ferris, C. E., 

 dealing with the improvement of the Sacramento River and the reclamation 

 of one million acres of swamp land. 



NOTE— Every artiolt In the Reclamation Projects Number of For California was written 

 expressly for this issue. 



