552 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



December 



ble area by increasing the water sup- we restore the other. Forest fires then 



ply. not only restrict the forest area, but 



We know already that forest plan- they restrict the irrigable area as well, 



tations on the open plains of the cen- What is the remedy for this age- 



tral West are taking on the character long attack on the irrigable West by 



of natural forests, are reproducing forest fires? It is a triple one. First, 



themselves from seed, and are even ex- extension of forest reserves over all 



tending their own boundaries. Forest mountain water sheds of streams used 



planting in the irrigable mountain for irrigation ; second, a national forest 



States is still too young to afford such service to control the forest fires and 



examples, but the efforts of nature to destructive lumbering, which is often 



cover again the denuded slopes furnish their cause and nearly always their 



ample proof of what can be done. confederate, and thirdly, tree planting 



The importance of all this lies in the on denuded areas in the forest reserves, 



fact that the extension of the forest I hold with emphasis not only that 



on denuded water sheds will unques- it is the duty of the national govern- 



tionably be accompanied by an increase ment to extend the irrigable area by 



in the available water supply. I might increasing the low water flow of 



cite case after case from older coun- streams through planting on denuded 



tries to sustain this contention, cases water sheds in the forest reserves, but 



of springs restored and streams sus- I also believe firmly that we are about 



tained by the renewal of the forest, to undertake as a nation more extens- 



We have begun planting too recently ive forest plantations than have ever 



to prove it here, but unquestionably been made elsewhere. There is a def- 



man after man in this audience could inite need which can be met only with 



furnish proof of the converse proposi- the protection of existing forests and 



tion, that the destruction of the forest the planting of new ones, and it is 



reduces the water supply. It stands not to be doubted that we shall meet 



to reason that if we restore the one it. 



NEWS OF RECLAMATION SERVICE 



What the Government Engineers are Doing in Discovering 

 New Irrigation Projects, and the Work on Old Ones 



Plans for New Mexico and Texas. 



T T will be good news to tht people 

 living in the valley of the Rio 

 Grande in southern New Mexico and 

 across the line in Texas to learn that 

 the engineers of the Reclamation Ser- 

 vice have located one of the finest res- 

 ervoir sites in the country on this 

 stream. 



The investigations of the engineers 

 this season have resulted in the loca- 

 tion of a splendid reservoir site at Ele- 

 phant Butte, near Engle, New Mexico, 

 and careful surveys have demonstrated 

 its feasibility and capacity. 



Supervising Engineer B. M. Hall 

 has made plans and estimates of the 

 cost of the Rio Grande project and 

 submitted the same to the board of 

 consulting engineers composed of 

 Messrs. Davis and Sanders. The 

 board has approved the preliminary 

 plans and has recommended that final 

 surveys and preparation of plans and 

 estimates be continued. 



The reservoir site will be 45 miles 

 in length, and its 'capacity will be 2,- 

 000,000 acre- feet, or ample for the 

 180,000 acres of land to be supplied 

 by it. The cost of the project, includ- 



