Message to the Congress on Fund for Reclamation of Arid Land

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

The act of Congress approved June 17, 1902 (32 Stats., 388), set apart as a fund for the reclamation of arid lands the moneys received from the sales of public lands in certain of the States and Territories, excepting the 5 per cent. of the proceeds of such sales theretofore set aside by law for educational and other purposes. The receipts into the reclamation fund to June 30, 1909, were $58,439,408.93, and the estimated total receipts to June 30, 1910, are $65,714,179.06. The total amount accumulated in the fund to date is estimated at $69,449,058.76, of which all but $6,241,058.76 has been allotted to the several projects. On June 30, 1910, the net investment in reclamation works amounted to $53,781,302.88, of which $52,945,441.03 had on June 30, 1910, been expended in the following primary projects:

Stale                                Project                               Net Investment

Arizona.......................... Salt River.....................................           $8,430,959.16
Arizona-California......... Colorado River............................                   44,201.97
California...................... Orland.........................................                 378,603.11
Arizona-California......... Yuma ........................................               3,781,355.19
Colorado....................... Grand Valley.............                                     73,110.38
Colorado....................... Uncompahgre...........                                 4,106,639.04
Idaho............................. Boise..........................................               3,373,292.30
Idaho............................. Minidoka.....................................              2,900,896.56
Idaho............................. Snake River storage..                                      69,142.75
Kansas........................... Garden City.................................                 378,316.07
Montana........................ Huntley......................                                    854,420.36
Montana........................ Milk River....................................                  519,387.23
Montana........................ St. Mary.....................                                   265,874.03
Montana........................ Sun River...................                                    599.958.59
Montana-North Dakota Lower Yellowstone....                                  2,888,899.93
Nebraska-Wyoming...... North Platte..............                                   4,609,476.50
Nevada.......................... Truckee-Carson.........                                 3,975.976.42
New Mexico.................. Carlsbad... ...............                                     617,665.56
New Mexico.................. Hondo........................                                   346,024.76
New Mexico.................. Leasburg....................                                    193,418.82
New Mexico-Texas........ Rio Grande................                                      76,060.58
North Dakota................ Buford-Trenton.........                                      278,294.40
North Dakota................ Williston......................................                    528,171.31
Oklahoma...................... Cimarron ................................                           8,873.17
Oregon.......................... Central Oregon.........                                        40,133.44
Oregon.......................... Umatilla......................................                 1,155,983.22
Oregon-California......... Klamath.....................                                   1,830,600.39
South Dakota................ Bellefourche...............................                   2,313,525.22
Utah............................... Strawberry Valley.....                                      913,177.91
Washington................... Okanogan..................                                      538,281.41
Washington................... Yakima........................................                 3,116,333.48
Wyoming....................... Shoshone...................                                  3,378,387.87
Total........................................................................................... $52,945,441.03 

In addition there had been invested in secondary projects June 30, 1910, $587,390.71; in town site development, $10,955.49; in Indian irrigation, $198,704.21, and for general expenses, $38,811.44.

The reclamation act requires the return to the reclamation fund of the estimated cost of construction, and therefore entrymen and private land owners receiving water from such projects are required to contribute their proportion of the cost of construction, operation and maintenance of the projects wherein their lands are located. The total cash returns to the reclamation fund from water right building charges to June 30, 1910, were $902,822.25, and from water right operation and maintenance charges, $249,637.19. In addition there was to June 30, 1910, an additional revenue of $2,086,173.73 derived from sales of town lots, sales of water, leases of power, &c., which are under the law credited as a reduction of the cost of the project from which the receipts are derived. On June 30, 1910, the Government was prepared to supply water in reclamation projects to 876,684 acres of land, and the area of lands included in the projects now under construction amounts to over 3,100,000 acres. No new projects have been undertaken since March 4, 1909, the efforts of the Government having been directed toward the completion of the thirty primary projects theretofore undertaken.

The additions to the reclamation fund from the sales of public land, while approximating between six and seven million dollars per annum since 1902, were found to be insufficient for the completion of existing projects with such expedition as the necessities of the settlers and landowners within the projects undertaken seemed to require. I accordingly recommended the issuance of certificates of indebtedness or bonds against the reclamation fund. The act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stats., 835), which authorized the issuance of not exceeding $20,000,000 of certificates of indebtedness repayable out of the reclamation fund, made the appropriation subject to the conditions that it should be expended upon existing projects and their necessary extensions, and that no part of the same should be expended until after the projects had been examined and reported upon by a board of army engineer officers of the United States Army and approved by me as feasible, practicable and worthy. The board of engineers selected spent the summer in field examinations of the projects, and has submitted to me its report upon each of the projects, heretofore undertaken, together with recommendations as to the allotment of the proceeds of the certificates authorized to be issued. In addition, pursuant to my request the board has submitted its recommendations for the allotment of that part of the reclamation fund derived from the sales of public lands to supplement the $20,000,000 loan and to carry on worthy projects not participating in the distribution of the loan.

The report of the board is based not only upon its field examination of the various projects but upon information derived from personal conference with the field officers and employees of the reclamation service and data furnished by such officers and employees. In addition settlers, landowners and other parties interested in the projects were given an opportunity to be heard. The feasibility of the projects was considered from an engineering and economic standpoint, the board giving consideration to the character of the projects, whether international, interstate or intrastate, the relative amounts of public and private lands capable of irrigation, the money already expended, the necessity of completion of the projects in order to secure its return, the existing contracts or agreements with water users' associations and private individuals and the protection of water rights. The board also points out the importance of certain additional legislation authorizing the sale of surplus stored water and the modification of conditions of payments for water rights on certain projects which will otherwise fail of returning their cost to the reclamation fund. The Secretary of the Interior in his annual report to me has recommended similar legislation.

The board recommended the allotment of the $20,000,000 provided by the act of June 25, 1910, to the following named projects:

Salt River, Arizona.................................................... $495,000
Yuma, Arizona and California................................... 1,200,000
Grand Valley, Colorado............................................1,000,000
Uncompahgre, Colorado.......................................... 1,500,000
Payette-Boise, Idaho................................................ 2,000,000
Milk River, Montana................................................ 1,000,000
North Platte, Wyoming and Nebraska...................... 2,000,000
Truckee-Carson, Nevada………………………… 1,193,000
Rio Grande, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico..…….4,500,000
Umatilla, Oregon......................................................... 325,000
Klamath, Oregon and California.................................. 600,000
Strawberry Valley, Utah........................................... 2,272,000
Sunnyside, Yakima, Washington............................... 1,250,000
Tieton, Yakima, Washington........................................ 665,000
Total.................................................................... $20,000,000 

and that the interest on the loan as provided by said act be charged against the projects on the amounts contributed for their completion.

The recommendation of the board for the tentative allotment of the general reclamation fund among the various projects for the years 1911 to 1914 inclusive was as follows:

Yuma.......................................................... $2,380,462
Grand Valley.................................................... 500,000*
Uncompahgre................................................ 2,045,000
Minidoka......................................................... 528,000
Payette-Boise................................................ 4,585,435
Huntley............................................................ 110,000
Milk River..................................................... 2,950,000
Sun River...................................................... 3,278,000
Lower Yellowstone......................................... 578,000*
North Platte.................................................. 2,185,000
Truckee-Carson........................................... 1,594,000
Rio Grande...................................................1,855,000
Missouri Pumping........................................... 270,000*
Belle Fourche.................................................. 480,000
Okanogan......................................................... 13,000
Shoshone..................................................... 2,000,000
Total ……………………………………$25,351,897

* Conditional.

No allotments either from the loan or from the general reclamation fund were recommended for the following projects, except for necessary maintenance and operation:

Orland, Cal.; Garden City, Kan.; Kittitas, Wapato and Benton, Yakima project, Wash.; Carlsbad, N. M., and Hondo, N. M.

The last named projects are, with the exception of the Kittitas, Wapato and Benton units of the Yakima project, completed or nearly completed. With respect to the said three units of the Yakima project, the board recommended development of a general system of storage reservoirs for the Yakima Valley, provided Congress authorizes the sale of excess stored water, so that the return of the cost of building of reservoirs may be secured, but did not recommend any allotment of funds for the construction of reservoirs or canals specifically for the said units.

After careful consideration of the report of the board of engineers I approved the same, believing that it sets forth a plan for the distribution of the loan and of the available reclamation fund that from an engineering and economic standpoint will best secure the speedy completion of those projects which, because of their character, the needs of the settlers, treaty or interstate relations, protection of water rights and prompt return to the reclamation fund of the moneys invested should be given the preference in construction and completion over such projects, or parts of projects, which are more remote and may properly wait until a later date for construction or may secure water through private canals, in the event the Government is authorized to dispose of surplus water to the owners of such canals. My approval, however, is subject to the condition that the amounts allotted to the various projects may be adjusted and modified from time to time as is found necessary for the intelligent and proper prosecution of the work and the advantage of the service. I have authorized the Secretary of the Interior to call upon the Secretary of the Treasury from time to time, as the same are needed, for the funds provided for by the act of June 25, 1910, in accordance with the allotments recommended by the board and approved by me.

Pursuant to the recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior and of the board of army engineers I earnestly recommend the enactment of a law which will permit of the disposition of any surplus stored water available from reclamation projects to persons, associations or corporations operating systems for the delivery of water to individual water users for the irrigation of arid lands, and the enactment of legislation which will give executive authority for the modification of conditions of payment for water rights on certain of the projects where, by reason of local conditions, the return of the cost of the projects to the reclamation fund will not be secured unless settlers are permitted to make payments on terms or conditions other than those specified in the public notices heretofore issued. In this connection attention is directed to the provisions of Senate bill 6842 now pending. Attention is also directed to the other legislation pertaining to reclamation projects recommended by the Secretary of the Interior, which legislation would aid in the administration of the reclamation projects.

With the funds now at our disposal and the enactment of the additional legislation suggested it is hoped that the work upon the several projects for which allotments have been made may proceed to an early completion and that the settlers and water users upon the projects upon being furnished with water for the irrigation of their lands may be enabled to return to the Treasury the sums expended in the construction of the projects. In accordance with the requirements of section 2 of the reclamation act the Secretary of the Interior has already transmitted to Congress the ninth annual report of the Reclamation Service, and in order that Congress may be placed in possession of all the information at hand to date with reference to the reclamation projects and the estimated cost of their completion I transmit herewith for its further information a copy of the said report of the Board of Army Engineers.

WILLIAM H. TAFT.

The White House, January 5, 1911.