1906 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 47 



was placed upon the statute books These people come to the irrigated 

 about three and one-half years ago. lands under radically different condi- 

 The operations of the Reclamation tions from those affecting the water 

 Service in connection with the work of users upon existing irrigated areas, 

 the Forest Service will add to the The Reclamation Act provides that the 

 movement the influence of two impor- Secretary of the Interior shall deter- 

 tant branches of the governmental ser- mine the area necessary for the sup- 

 vice. Aside from the influence of of- port of a family on public lands en- 

 ficial action itself, there is another tered under its provisions; shall limit 

 phase of the work of the Reclamation the area to which water can be sup- 

 Service which will have a marked ef- plied for lands in private ownership to 

 feet upon the development of the in- not more than 160 acres for any one 

 terest in the forestry movement. person ; and all private land owners 



The Reclamation Service has begun are required to reside upon the land 

 the construction of thirteen irrigation irrigated or in the neighborhood. This 

 projects, and will during the next P ollc y will prevent a monoply of the 

 spring begin the construction of ten land or of the water, the history of ir- 

 others. Upon these twenty-three pro- "gated areas showing a tendency to- 

 jects there will be expended in the wa rd reduction of individual holdings 

 course of the next three or four years rather than toward an increase, 

 about $30,000,000. One of these pro- When the works are constructed, 

 jects a small one will be practically the Secretary of the Interior is re- 

 completed this spring, and another will quired by the act to turn over to the 

 be so far advanced that a portion of water users the management and op- 

 the area can be placed under irriga- eration of the system, under rules and 

 tion. It is expected that 50,000 acres regulations approved by him. The 

 of land will be placed under irrigation water users form corporations, known 

 this summer. In the season of 1907 as water users' associations, and pro- 

 the lands under irrigation from pro- vide for the regulation and control of 

 jects of the Reclamation Service will the water systems by themselves, giv- 

 be increased to about 350,000 acres ; in ing each community complete local 

 1908 the area irrigated will be about government. 



750,000 acres, and in 1909 nearly all of q^e Reclamation Act affords oppor- 

 the twenty-three projects now author- tun j ty f or thorough and careful inves- 

 ized will have been completed to the tigation of the conditions before con- 

 extent of the first sections undertaken struction is begun. It supplies ample 

 and will provide for the irrigation of f un d s for proper and permanent con- 

 about 1,250,000 acres. struction. It eliminates all speculative 



This means that during the next interests from any control in the sys- 

 three or four years there will be added tern, and turns over to the water users' 

 to the present population of the irri- association a well-constructed system, 

 gated area in the West about 20,000 free from all doubtful questions of 

 families. Before many years the pop- ownership or control of the water stip- 

 ulation supported by this area may ply. As a result, the water users' asso- 

 easily be several hundred thousand ciation under each project will be a 

 people, and when the lands attain a powerful body representing a united 

 development such as the irrigated dis- local community, in a position to look 

 trict of southern California has reached into the broader aspects of the irriga- 

 in thirty years, will sustain a popula- tion problem. They are usually located 

 tion of about a million people. In the close to the forest reserves upon which 

 meanwhile, other projects will be con- their water supply depends, and they 

 structed by the Reclamation Service cannot fail to be a potent factor in the 

 and new additions made to the popula- future development of the interests of 

 tion. forest preservation and management. 



