INFLUENCE OF THE WORK OF THE 

 RECLAMATION SERVICE ON THE 

 FORESTRY MOVEMENT 



BY 



MORRIS BIEN 



Consulting Engineer, U. S. Reclamation Service. 



f~\ NE of the fundamental purposes sufficient water supply to irrigate the 

 ^ of the forestry legislation of re- lands under them. Dams and canals 

 cent years is the conservation and reg- have been cheaply constructed and im- 

 ulation of the water supply. In the properly located so as to leave them 

 western half of the United States the inherently weak and subject to damage 

 water supply is vital. According to or destruction by natural conditions, 

 the census reports, there are about ten The irrigators, consequently, have 

 million acres now under irrigation, and had an inadequate water supply and 

 a population of several millions is di- have been required to engage in a 

 a-ectly or indirectly dependent upon the struggle to maintain their rights to the 

 water supply. The enormous business water claimed by them. The result has 

 interests of this great population have been that the canal owners and the 

 not in the past exercised their propor- water users have been so entirely en- 

 tionate influence upon the development grossed in the effort to maintain their 

 of the forestry interests of the public, systems and defend their water supply 

 Considering that they are dependent against aggression that they have been 

 iov their future prosperity upon the unable to give attention to the broader 

 proper management of the forests on aspects of the industry, 

 the public domain, they should consti- The legislation of the western states 

 tute an overwhelming force in this has to a large extent contributed to 

 movement. It is true that several asso- this condition. The protection of the 

 ciations are actively engaged in devel- l aw was not needed when the water 

 oping the public interest in the West, supply was abundant, but as develop- 

 but the western people are not in the ment extended the laws were inade- 

 fore-front of this movement as they qU ate to enable those using the water 

 should be. to pro tect their rights. 



The principal cause of this slow de- In several of the states legislation 

 velopment is inherent in the local con- has been recently enacted which will 

 ditions. Most of the irrigation sys- improve these conditions. As the irri- 

 tems are constructed by corporations, gators are relieved from the necessity 

 Even under the best of conditions the of devoting their whole attention to 

 enterprises have not been properly these fundamentals of possession, they 

 managed from an engineering point of will have opportunity to become inter- 

 view. Construction has usually been ested in the broader views and will 

 "begun without adequate preliminary take the place among the advocates of 

 investigations. There are many in- forestry protection to which their im- 

 stances of expensive dams being con- portance entitles them. This develop- 

 structed without the necessary water ment will necessarily be slow, 

 supply available for storage. Large There is, however, a new element in 

 canal systems have been built without the situation. The Reclamation Act 



*Read at Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association, Washington, D..C, 

 January 16 and 17. 



