Irrigation 



Many Millions of Dollars Bein^ Ex- 

 pended in Putting W'ater on Mon- 

 tana's Fertile Acres — The Recla- 

 mation Act and What Its Provis- 

 ions Mean in the Big V/ork of 

 Developing the Treasure State. 



By H. N. SAVAGE. 



Supervising Engineer of the United 



States Reclamation Service. 



ift^yrrn 



The Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat.. 3S8), known as the National 

 Reclamation Act, was one of the most important pieces of legislation to 

 the agricultural development of Montana since the passage of the Home- 

 stead Law. More than eleven years have passed since the 

 Looking passage of the Reclamation Act. Sufficient data has been ac- 



Into the cumulated as tc the construction and operation of irrigation 



History of works thereunder, and sufficient experience has been gained in 

 the Act. the administration of the provisions of the Act, that it is prac- 



ticable to review the history of i'ts operation, and to some ex- 

 tent forecast the future. 



While the Reclamation Act was one of the most important acts of Con- 

 gress to aid in the development of the West, it was also at the time of its 

 passage distinctly novel. In no case before that time had the government 

 agencies been used in enterprises of this nature, and the intent of the act 

 was to use government funds to reclaim arid lands which are so located 

 as regards available water supply that profitable development ])v individual 

 enterprises or private capital might be out of the question. This condition 



— Six million acres of Montana land can and will be irrigated. 



