1904 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



207 



Nebraska The annual summer 



Meeting. meeting of the Nebraska 



Park and Forestry Asso- 

 ciation was held at York, Nebraska, 

 June 14 and 15. The attendance was' 

 not large, but the program was good, 

 and a lively interest was manifested in 

 forest subjects. Frank G. Miller, Chas. 

 A. Scott, and Wm. H. Mast, of the Bu- 

 reau of Foresty, each presented subjects 

 bearing upon the work the Bureau is 

 doing in that state. A committee was 

 appointed to look into the possibility of 

 securing land in the Pine Ridge region 

 of northwestern Nebraska for a state 

 park and forest. The Pine Ridge coun- 

 try is very picturesque, and in many 

 places there is a good stand of timber, 

 but much of it is being destroyed by 

 indiscriminate cutting. If a few thou- 

 sand acres of this timber land can be 

 bought at a reasonable price, it is hoped 

 the state legislature may be induced to 

 buy it for the purpose mentioned. 



North Dakota Chief Engineer Newell, 

 Artesian Belt, of the Reclamation Ser- 

 vice, recently received a 

 letter from the president of the North 

 Dakota Irrigation Congress relating to 

 the development of the artesian basin of 

 North Dakota, and asking that hydrog- 

 raphers be sent to ascertain the possi- 

 bilities of artesian well development in 

 the western part of the state for the 

 purposes of irrigation. 



It is believed by the people of North 

 Dakota that there is a strong artesian 

 basin or flow underlying the whole 

 state which might be touched by wells 

 of various depths. 



Under the direction of Engineer N. H. 

 Darton, investigations have been carried 

 on of the underground water resources 

 of the eastern portion of North Dakota, 

 and it is hoped during the coming sea- 

 son provisions can be made for an inves- 

 tigation of the artesian possibilities of 

 the western portion of the state. 



It is believed that the main artesian 

 flow west of the Mississippi River in 

 this state lies entirely too deep to be of 

 service either for irrigation or domestic 

 purposes. Small flows appear to be ob- 

 tainable locally from the Laramie sand- 



stones, but their volume, so far as now 

 known, is too small to give promise of 

 being serviceable for the reclamation of 

 public lands. The importance of this 

 matter, however, is fully appreciated by 

 the Service, and it will be given careful 

 consideration. 



Irrigating The recent action of Con- 

 Indian Lands, gress in passing Senator 

 Bard's amendment to the 

 Indian Bill has put another definite task 

 upon the Reclamation Service. The 

 Secretary of the Interior is now author- 

 ized to subdivide and utilize the Indian 

 lands along Colorado River. The rec- 

 lamation of the country adjacent to what 

 has sometimes been called ' ' the great 

 American Nile " is thus assured. 



The plans to irrigate these lands have 

 long been regarded with special favor 

 in southern California. The chambers 

 of commerce in Los Angeles and other 

 cities were indeed nothing loath to urge 

 Congress to take prompt action in the 

 matter. 



The passage of Senator Bard's amend- 

 ment is especially interesting, as it is 

 now possible for the Secretary of the 

 Interior to carry out an agreement made 

 with the Indians years ago, to the effect 

 that their lands might be subdivided 

 and irrigated by a private corporation. 

 Suitable laws were passed, but the com- 

 pany failed to build the works, and the 

 Indians have been waiting for other re- 

 lief. From time immemorial they have 

 been accustomed to cultivate the lands 

 along the river in spots wet by the 

 natural overflow. These areas have 

 now passed into the hands of the whites. 

 All that is left the Indians is desert land 

 that, without water, is valueless. With 

 water, however, it can be made to pro- 

 duce several crops a year. Under the 

 amendment to the Indian Bill, relief 

 has finally come to the impoverished 

 Indians. 



The Secretary of the Interior is now 

 free to build the necessary canals under 

 the terms of the reclamation law, and 

 to allot to each Indian five acres of land 

 with water. He need not wait on any 

 private corporation . As the Indian f am - 

 ilies average from five to six persons, 



