Building on the Beginnings in Irrigation

BUILDING ON THE BEGINNINGS IN IRRIGATION* The Possibilities of Irrigation in Utah and the West of Great Import to Young Men. By Jerald E. Christiansen The beginnings in irrigation were made in the remote past, probably soon after agriculture was first practiced. A number of references are made to it in the Old Testament. The great empire of Babylonia depended upon irrigation for its very existence. Baby- lon was built upon the Euphrates River in the midst of the desert of Mesopotamia. Egypt has irrigated since prehistoric times and was early called the "granary of the world." In the days of Joseph, the people came into the valley of the Nile to buy corn during periods of famine. Irrigation was practiced in Italy by the early Romans, in Spain by the Moors over a thousand years ago, and in China and India since before the dawn of history. Irrigation has been practiced also on the American continents since time immemorial. There is ample evidence that irrigation was an age-old practice in many places in the United States, Mexico, and South America, when Columbus discovered America. In northern Chili are ruins of. an ancient civilization, so old that tradition has no record of its existence. The practice of irrigation is very much in evidence by the remnants of old ditches and canals. In the Salt River Valley, of Arizona, are the remains of an extensive prehistoric irriga- tion system that covered fully two hundred fifty thousand acres. Modern irrigation had its birth with the arrival of the "Mormon" Pioneers in Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. The land was so dry that it was necessary to turn water out of City Creek to moisten the ground before it could be plowed. This was the first irrigation on a community scale by the Anglo-Saxon race. These hardy pioneers are given credit and the honor of founding the practice of modern irrigation, because, in the words of Dr. John A. Widstoe, they "con- tinued to work, dug extensive canals, brought thousands of acres under irrigation, devised methods of irrigation, established laws, rules and usages for the government of populous settlements living 'under the ditch;' in short, they developed permanent irrigation agriculture on a community scale, under the conditions and with the knowledge of modern civilization." The advancement of irrigation in the United States has been due chiefly to private enterprise. At present, there are, approximately, nineteen million acres under irrigation, of which about one-third has been developed by partnership or individual effort; one-third by mutual companies, and one-fifth by commercial companies and ir- *Valedictory address at the commencement exercises of the Utah Agricultural College, 192 7.

BUILDING ON THE BEGINNINGS IN IRRIGATION 901 rigation districts. The remaining one-tenth has been developed by public agencies; largely by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Indian service. The Reclamation Act of 1902 was the first real step of the Federal Government into the problems of reclamation. This act created the Reclamation Fund from the sale of public lands in the western states to be used as a revolving fund for the construction of irrigation works. The cost of the construction was to be paid back without interest within a period of twenty years. This was the firsc subsidy made by the Federal Government for the advancement of irrigation. Thus far more than one hundred fifty million dollars have been spent in this work. The total irrigated area now served by the Bureau of Reclamation is about 1,300,000 acres. Modern irrigation has not been confined to the United States. India irrigates two and a half times the area that we do. Large areas are also irrigated in France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Egypt, Ar- gentina, Chile, Mexico, Japan and Australia. That the extension of irrigation is a vital problem, is apparent from a brief survey of the growth of the world population, which has increased from about nine hundred millions to more than eighteen hundred millions during the last one hundred years. In other words, from the beginning of the human race until the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century, the population had grown to only nine hundred millions, and during the brief period of one hundred years, it has more than doubled. New countries have been settled; vast areas have been brought under cultivation; modern irrigation has had its birth and has become a very important factor in the production of the world's food supply; — all within this brief period of time. Professor East, of Harvard University, says that the world population is now increasing as rapidly as at any time during the past, and he estimates that the annual increase is about twelve millton people. The better lands of the earth are already under cultivation. Large areas in some of the semi-arid regions of the world, which, without irrigation, are not adapted to the rotation of crops, are becoming depleted in soil fertility and are going back into barren wastes. With the more complete control of the water by irrigation, live-stock farming and crop rotation may be practiced and thus the fertility of the soil may be maintained. The problem confronting the United States is somewhat similar to that of the world, but the rate of population increase is much higher. Our population has grown from less than 15 millions to approximately 110 millions during the last century. At the present rate of increase it will double every thirty-eight years. In order to take care of our normal growth, we must increase our production by better methods of agriculture, and by bringing a large area of new land under cultivation. Part of this area will come from the clearing

902 IMPROVEMENT ERA of forests, part by the drainage of swamp lands, but a large part must come from the reclamation of the arid West. We must build on the beginnings in irrigation. In order that our building will be perma- nent, it must be gradual as needed. At the present time there is a temporary over-production of agricultural commodities. However, in the building of irrigation projects, we must look into the distant future. After three-quarters of a century of activities in Utah, we have reclaimed from the desert only 1,370,000 acres. Our ultimate irrigated area will probably be nearly 4,000,000 acres, There are three essentials to meet the future needs of reclamation: First, engineering skill; second, scientific irrigation knowledge; and third, cooperation of the people. The beginners of modern irrigation in America built low diver- sion weirs across the smaller streams out of loose rock, brush and timber. No great engineering skill was required. Today the building of irrigation projects demands the construction of large and expensive storage dams, tunnels and canals. For example, the American Falls Dam on the Snake River in Idaho, recently completed at a cost of approximately eight million dollars, will store enough water to cover all of Utah's irrigated area to a depth of about fifteen inches. The proposed Colorado River development includes the construction of one' dam that will be nearly twice as high as any dam in the World, and that will hold back fifteen times as much water as the American Falls Dam, or enough to cover the irrigated area in Utah to a depth of about nineteen feet. The magnitude of the water pressure against this dam will be enormous. For example, each foot of length must resist a pressure of nearly 5,000 tons. Of equal importance to the building of massive irrigation dams, is the acquirement and dissemination of scientific knowledge con- cerning irrigation practice. Water supply is the limiting factor in western irrigation expansion. The determination of what the engineer has termed 'the duty of water," is one of the most difficult problems to be solved. What area of land shall be irrigated with a given quantity of water? What are the best practices in the economical utilization of this water? The pioneers were not concerned with these questions; there was plenty of water for all. Men of vision early saw the coming need for scientific knowledge that would lead to the solution of these problems. Agricultural colleges and experi- ment stations have contributed greatly to the needed information. To illustrate, as a result of more than 100,000 determinations of the moistuse content in the soil before and after irrigation, it is now possible for the irrigation engineer to tell the irrigator just how many hours it is necessary to run an irrigation stream on an acre or land properly to moisten the soil. The third, but most important, essential for the ultimate develop- ment of our agricultural resources is cooperation of the people. The out- standing factor in the success of the founders of modern irrigation

BUILDING ON THE BEGINNINGS IN IRRIGATION 903 was the cooperative spirit that existed. With the development of our state, man has become less dependent upon his neighbors, and that spirit of cooperation has decreased. Today there are large numbers of independent irrigation companies diverting water from the same source and conveying it through parallel canals to neighboring lands. Cooperation means the consolidation of these organizations for the distribution and more economical utilization of the water. For in- stance, in Cache Valley there are forty-five independent companies distributing water for about one-fifth the area that is served by one irrigation district in California. The success of irrigation demands the close cooperation which has been well described by Dr. John A. Widstoe in the following words: "The nature of irrigation is such as to bring into close social relationship the people living under the same canal. A common interest binds them together. If the canal breaks, or water is misused, the danger is for all. In the distribution of the water in the hot summer months, when the flow is small and the need great, the neighbor and his rights loom large, and men must gird themselves with the golden rule. The intensive culture, which must prevail under irrigation, makes possible close settlements, often with villages as a center. Out of the desert, as the canals are dug, will come great results of successful experiments in intimate rural life; and out of the communities reared under irrigation will come men who, confident that it is best, can unflinchingly consider their neighbors' interests with their own; and who, therefore, can assume leadership in the advancing of a civilization based upon order and equal rights." Logan, Utah I "Old Faithful" Geyser Yellowstone National Park The wonder-geyser that I am has won for me much fame; My work is prompt, I never fail, Old Faithful is my name. For years I played, while Redman gazed with fear into my dell; They seemed to think this part of earth was nothing short of hell. But now I cheer the crowds that throng to me from every clime, Who fear m: net. but gaze with awe upon my work divine. I caus. ^ne pi. -'d to think of God, whose foot-stool is the earth; I cause the nuck to ponder deep into my wonder-birth. My allied forces, deep, unknown, are held from those who gaze. Who only see my spouting force, that sprays in different ways. The heating plant beneath my crown is great, and greater still Than men would think, if they but knew the work of nature's will. I'm proud to serve the men today, who seek in nature's life An atmosphere to build them up beyond the fangs of strife. Gird up your loins, declaring now, you are to live and try To do your bit, while here on earth, as faithfully as I. Mink Creek, Idaho CHRISTEN HANSEN