IRRIGATION IN U.S.

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 5

IRRIGATION IN U.S.

WORKS USED FOR SEVERAL PURPOSES FLAT RATE ON WHOLE AREAS APPROVED “To-day we are inclined to hear much of possibly over-glamorised schemes, involving gigantic dams and great canals, but the fact remains that more than half of all irrigation in the United States has been developed by the individual farmers, alone or with a partner, who has simply diverted water from a handy stream and spread it over his land,” said Mr N Lamont, irrigation officer attached to the Department of Agriculture, in an address to the Canterbury branch of the Geographical Society recently. Mr Lamont returned from the United States, where he studied irrigation methods. Individuals and co-operative organisations accounted for two-thirds of the irrigated lands. Of the remainder, onesixth of the total was operated by public utility type of organisation, and almost all the other sixth by the Bureau of Reclamation, he said. The Bureau of Reclamation was principally an engineering organisation responsible for the reclamation of desert and other lands, which would probably not be touched by private concerns. It was estimated that another 20,000,000 acres in the United States could be developed as irrigated land, but only with difficulty. Lange storage reservoirs or very long and expensive canals would be necessary. Such projects were being developed by the Bureau of Reclamation tnrough a new technique under which the same structures could be used to store water for irrigation, for flood control, maintenance of navigable canals, and production of hydro-electric power. These had some resemblance to the Rangitata diversion scheme in Canterbury. “Another principle that has been invoked (and I think legitimately),” said Mr Lamont, “involves recognition that the whole community, urban as well as rural, benefits from the establishment of irrigation in the vicinity. Legislation now exists in the United States whereby a whole area, towns and country, can be taxed in the form of a flat levy to provide funds for irrigation development.” After tracing the complete development of irrigation in the United States, Mr Lamont showed films of some of the major works.