212 National Geographic Magazine. 
THE IRRIGATION PROBLEM IN MONTANA. 
By H. M. WILSON. 
TuE development of the irrigation resources of a region under 
the supervision of the Government, requires study of the social 
and political conditions and of the industrial occupations of its 
inhabitants. 
The determination of the best plan for the utilization of its 
waters and agricultural lands is a problem in irrigation en- 
gineering. The solution of this problem calls for an intimate 
knowledge not only of the best methods of construction, but 
also of the values of its various agricultural products and soils ; 
for a knowledge of its rainfall, evaporation, and steam volumes 
and of the duty of water. It further requires such an under- 
standing of the topography of the region as will enable the 
engineer to determine the area of the catchment basin of each 
stream, and to intelligently select sites for the construction of 
canals and storage reservoirs and to determine from what source 
of water supply each district may be best irrigated. 
Experience and practice in various parts of the world have 
already proven that irrigation enterprises, undertaken on a large 
scale by private capital have seldom been remunerative invest- 
ments, in fact, have frequently been financial failures. This 
is due to many causes among which may be mentioned the fact 
that, though all the irrigable land may be finally settled and 
the works made to do their highest duty, taxes must be paid for 
many years and considerable sums expended annually for main- 
tenance before the entire amount of available water is utilized, 
and interest is realized on the whole expenditure. 
Most of the successful irrigation enterprises undertaken in the 
United States owe their prosperity to the ownership and sale of 
lands under their canals. In order to secure a proper remunera- 
tion to the capital which provides the water, and an efficient 
water service to the farmer who uses it with justice to both 
interests, State legislation must fully define the rights and 
responsibilities of appropriators, the units and methods of meas- 
uring the flow of streams, granting the right of way and 
appointing proper officers to see that the various laws are enforced. 
