THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Ill 



constructed at the expense of the territory directly 

 tributary to these works; the Department of Com- 

 merce and Labor should be maintained at the expense 

 of laboring classes and others directly concerned, while 

 the Department of Agriculture should be conducted 

 by levying tribute on the farmer. 



In discussing this subject, manifestly one of great 

 interest and importance to the people of the west, it 

 is necessary that we allude briefly to some of the 

 theories which have had their origin in the bureaus. 

 In this connection I have the pleasure of referring to 

 an official publication of the Bureau of Forestry, en- 

 titled "The Use of the National Forests," which first 

 saw the light of day on June 14th of the past year. I 

 regret that time does not permit a detailed discussion 

 of the policies indorsed and the catching phraseology 

 in this little book of forty-two pages. On page 13 the 

 following paragraph occurs : 



"What happens to the water? Nothing except 

 that the flow is steadier. The creation of a national 

 forest has no effect on the laws which govern the ap- 

 propriation of water. This is a matter governed en- 

 tirely by state and territorial laws." 



On page 20 it is stated that one of the most vital 

 reasons for making and maintaining national forests 

 is to save every drop of water and make it do the most 

 effective work. This is followed by a paragraph which 

 is supposed to be an argument sustaining the theory 

 that forests do conserve water. On page 24 it is stated 

 that in accordance with the principle that when a private 

 party uses a thing which belongs to all the people he 

 should pay for it, so a reasonable charge is made for 

 the water conserved by the forests. The writer has 

 studied the question of the effect of forests on the 

 run-off of streams for more than twenty years. He has 

 made measurements for the purpose of demonstrating 

 whether or not the theory has any foundation in fact. 

 He has conversed with those who have made similar 

 investigations and particularly with people who have 

 been living within forested areas especially in Wyom- 

 ing. It was found several years ago that the Forestry 

 Bureau needed a recognition of the theory in order 

 that it might obtain support where late water is re- 

 quired for irrigation. Although the officials of the 

 bureau are scientific men, yet when it comes to an 

 appeal to public sentiment they do not hesitate to 

 indorse any theory which will gain support regardless 

 of the scarcity of scientific data which might establish 

 the value of the same. It is my opinion that the people 

 at large have heard this theory stated so often as a fact 

 that it is now seldom questioned. The writer has 

 made inquiries in every possible direction for some 

 scientific information which will bear out the theory. 

 The bureaus at Washington have been called upon and 

 to date not a single fact has been presented which in 

 any way sustains it. The so-called arguments set forth 

 in the publications I have just referred to are the stock- 

 in-trade phrases of those who need the theory and who 

 are willing and anxious to lead the people to support it 

 without giving reliable reasons for so doing. I do not 

 deny that forests have an influence on the flow of 

 streams in certain localities. We do know that it re- 

 quires a large volume of water to support a forest and 

 the water taken up by the trees is all dissipated in the 

 air. The water belongs to the people of Wyoming. 



Why should the state not charge the government for 

 the water needed to support the forests? Any man 

 desiring to satisfy himself relative to actual conditions 

 should camp on our mountain ranges during a spring 

 and summer season. Those who have accepted the 

 theory of the Bureau of Forestry without question will 

 be surprised to find that the floods of a destructive na- 

 ture come from the snows which fall on the forested 

 areas. These floods carry drift which damages irriga- 

 tion works and all other structures along our streams. 

 The observer will be able to satisfy himself that no 

 snow remains in forested areas after the first of August 

 and that no water of sufficient volume to be measured, 

 comes from such areas after that date. They will 

 find further that practically all of the late waters 

 come from regions above timber-line. Trees break the 

 winds and the snow which falls lies in a blanket. It 

 evaporates from the branches of the trees with the re- 

 turn of warm weather and melts on the ground and 

 the water runs away in a single week or two, causing 

 our high and dangerous waters. Vegetation has but 

 little chance to grow where the rock is constantly dis- 

 integrating and where the water percolates rapidly into 

 the ground. On these slopes the wind has an unbroken 

 sweep and great drifts are deposited. These drifts melt 

 slowly and furnish much of the late water, whether 

 they be located above or below timber-line. 



Not being satisfied with placing the burden of 

 administration of forest reserves on local people, it 

 is now proposed that a charge should be made for all 

 water that comes from the reserves. The money re- 

 ceived is tp go to the bureau which will enable it to 

 pay more men to police more forest reserves so that 

 more fees can be collected to administer other reserves 

 and so on without end. This policy is indorsed by 

 bureau chiefs regardless of the fact that their theory 

 of forest conservation of the water has not been sub- 

 stantiated by scientific data; and in face of the provi- 

 sion of the constitution of Wyoming, ratified by Con- 

 gress, which reserves ownership and control of the wa- 

 ter within boundaries to the state. Section 1, Article 

 VIII, of the constitution reads : 



"The water of all natural streams, springs, lakes 

 or other collections of still water, within the bounda- 

 ries of the state, are hereby declared to be the property 

 of the state." 



Section 31, Article I, of the constitution reads: 



"Water being essential to industrial prosperity, of 

 limited amount and easy of diversion from its natural 

 channels, its control must be in the state, which, in 

 providing for its use, shall equally guard all the various 

 interests involved." 



If water users can be charged for water which 

 runs from forest reserves, it is probable that settlers liv- 

 ing to leewarcl of such reserves will in a short time be 

 obliged to pay the Forest Service for the shelter they 

 may receive from the winds. This would be more logi- 

 cal, in the light of our present knowledge, than a charge 

 for water supposed to be conserved. The people of 

 the west love trees. However, they have a greater love 

 for mankind. A forest should be used to benefit the 

 race to the greatest possible extent. It can be repro- 

 duced in fifteen years, hence it should never be per- 

 mitted to restrict any business which has grown up 

 only through the exertion of the people for a generation. 



