108 



THE IREIGATION AGE. 



be supplied through the Spokane market. Then con- 

 sider that the Spokane Valley is surrounded by moun- 

 tainous country and that the only land excepting the 

 valley itself is many miles distant, and it will be readily 

 seen the wonderful incentive which this valley land offers 

 to the raiser of some special kinds of farm produce. 

 Fruit, berries, vegetables, dairy produce, etc., must be 

 secured near at hand in order that it may be shipped 

 to this mining country and arrive there in good condi- 

 tion. At the present time, when the irrigated land is 

 but making a start at production, it can be understood 

 why the mining towns are seldom supplied with the 

 above. To be sure, other portions of the State Yaki- 



MAIN CANAL, GREENACRES, WASH. 



ma, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Clarkston help out in 

 supplying the market, but they are all over one hundred 

 miles away, and the freight and commission charges 

 necessary cause the high prices which are found in the 

 Spokane markets. Now that irrigation is making it 

 possible to raise these articles in the valley it can read- 

 ily be seen why the returns to the farmer are so great 

 and why these lands will increase rapidly in value. 



We are showing in this connection scenes in the 

 Greenacres irrigation district near Spokane, Wash. 

 These cuts fairly well illustrate what may be accom- 

 plished by irrigation. This section is owned by the 

 Spokane Valley Land & Water Co., Spokane, Wash. 



NEW IRRIGATION ENTERPRISES. 



There ought to be a big demand in the inter- 

 mountain country this spring for implements used in 

 canal and ditch excavation and dredging. There are 

 two immense corporations starting in at American Falls 

 and Twin Falls on the Snake river in Idaho; the for- 

 mer for electrical power generating and irrigation, and 

 the latter for irrigation. One of the canals of the Twin 

 Falls Company will be 69 miles long and 80 feet wide 

 at the bottom. This gives a canal sufficiently large for 

 transportation purposes, and will doubtless be used thus 

 to a considerable extent. The railroads, too, are to 

 enlarge the borders of their operating garments, and 

 implements needed in construction work will be largely 

 called for this spring along the lines of the D. & R. G. 

 Oregon Short Line, and the Pacific roads. 



ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NEBRASKA 

 IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION. 



(From staff Correspondent) 



Held at Lincoln, Neb., January 22. 



A large representative body was present at the 

 opening of the annual convention of the Nebraska Irri- 

 gation Association in Room 106, University Hall, this 

 morning at 10 o'clock. The session continued through- 

 out the day and adjournment was taken at 4 o'clock. 

 Unusual interest was shown in the discussion. Between 

 ten and fifteen counties were represented by from one 

 to ten delegates each. The discussions were of intense 

 interest, covering wide range of topics, and a very val- 

 uable paper wa& read by Assistant Secretary Stevens of 

 the State Board of Irrigation on the water supply of 

 Nebraska. 



The association was called to order by President 

 Wolfenbarger, who delivered his annual address, which 

 is as follows: 



To the Officers and Members of the Nebraska Irri- 

 gation Association : We assemble in annual convention 

 and conference after a lapse of more than the regular 

 term, and it has been deemed a matter of great im- 

 portance that this association, which was the pioneer of 

 practical irrigation in its broadest and most compre- 

 hensive view, should again take up educational and 

 promotive work looking to the material, economic and 

 general welfare of our great commonwealth. 



Since we last met Congress has passed an important 

 act providing for national aid and, to a limited extent, 

 national supervision along certain lines of irrigation, 

 but this only increases the importance and urgency of 

 maintaining our organization and keeping it in step 

 and touch with the progress of our day. 



This new national enactment calls for a most care- 

 ful analysis and consideration on the part of our com- 

 mittee on legislation, and it is the hope of your presi- 

 dent that this new committee will be selected with 

 great care and with especial reference to the fitness and 

 ability, of its members to grasp in a timely manner the 

 vital problems that confront our people in assisting 

 in the wise administration of the present law, and in 

 suggesting and urging necessary amendments, which are 

 practically certain to be needed as time progresses. 



Irrigation, although practiced in the great West for 

 more than a third of a century, may be still truthfully 

 said to be in its infancy. Only a small proportion of 

 the waters available for irrigation purposes have as yet 

 been applied to beneficial use. Uncounted millions of 

 cubic feet of storm and flood water pass over the sur- 

 face of our soil, carrying with it more or less of injury 

 and destruction, before it reaches the -Gulf, and the 

 present generation and its successor owes it to civiliza- 

 tion to see that man utilizes his great opportunity in 

 turning this great force of nature into an engine for 

 his advancement, protection and legitimate enjoyment. 



Our present law is poorly understood, and in fact 

 remains uninterpreted by our Supreme Court, with 

 conflicting decisions pending on appeal or error from 

 the District Courts of our State. In certain sections 

 of Western Nebraska tbe rights of prior appropriators 

 are wholly ignored^ and confusion and dissatisfaction 

 exist among many who have staked their all on the 

 promises of protection held out by our present and ante- 

 cedent statutes. It is hoped that the atmosphere will 

 soon be cleared, and a broad and comprehensive policy 

 as broad and comprehensive as the statute and our con- 



