The Reclamation of the West 



23 



cultivation, it will mean a population 

 in the western half of the United States 

 almost as great as that now in the east- 

 ern half of the country. Figure 6 

 shows the areas where it is probable 

 that irrigation can be 

 carried on, or where it is 

 now being carried on and 

 where it can further be 

 extended. If the West 

 is developed to the extent 

 that all these patches in- 

 dicate, we will have a 

 wonderful change in the 

 social and commercial re- 

 lations of the United 

 States as a whole. 



The comparatively reg- 

 ular distribution of these 

 irrigable lauds in each 

 state is notable. The 

 entire extent of irriga- 

 tion development in each 

 state is of course very 

 small, but if I am cor- 

 rectly informed, the pro- 

 ceeds from the small irri- 

 gated area in Colorado 

 are already greater than 

 from the mines. 



While it is not likely 

 that a very large propor- 

 tion of the arid West will 

 ever be reclaimed, yet 

 nearly all the land has 

 value in one way or an- 

 other. The stock raising 

 or grazing industry will 

 always occupy eighty or 

 ninety per cent of the 

 arid lands of the West. 

 It is the great industry as 

 far as area is concerned, 

 but in value of products 

 is not as great as is the 

 cultivation of the soil. 



different widely in the different states. 

 The law provides that so far as practi- 

 cable the amount shall be spent in the 

 state where it originates, but in fact 

 the available funds are almost always 



Top of Torrence Falls, Gunnison Canyon 



Attempts to go down Gunnison Canyon by boats having been 

 unsuccessful, Mr Fellows, an engineer of the Reclamation Service, 

 and an assistant, by floating, swimming, and climbing for ten 

 days succeeded in getting through and locating the site of the 

 tunnel (page 27). 



THE RECLAMATION FUND 



The reclamation fund comes from the 

 disposal of lands in thirteen states and 

 three territories, and the amount is 



inversely apportioned to the needs of 

 any one state. 



From Nevada, the state having the 

 largest opportunity for development, 

 the amount of mone) 7 is represented by 



