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The Reclamation Act (also known as the Newlands Reclamation Act or National Reclamation Act) of 1902, funded irrigation projects for the arid lands of the American West. It was authored by Representative Francis G. Newlands of Nevada. (See Bureau of Reclamation history site @ http://www.usbr.gov/history/borhist.html) The Western United States, also referred to as the American West or simply The West, traditionally refers to the region constituting the westernmost states of the United States (see geographical terminology section for further discussion of these terms). ...
Francis Griffith Newlands was born at Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi, on August 28, 1848. ...
The act at first covered only 16 of the western states since Texas had no federal lands. Texas was added later by a special act passed in 1906. The act set aside money from sales of semi-arid public lands for the construction and maintenance of irrigation projects. The newly irrigated land would be sold and money would be put into a revolving fund that supported more such projects. This led to the eventual damming of nearly every major western river. Under the act, the Secretary of the Interior created the United States Reclamation Service within the United States Geological Survey to administer the program. In 1907 the Service became a separate organization within the Department of the Interior and was renamed the United States Bureau of Reclamation. ...
Public domain, a term used to describe the vast Federally owned lands in the western United States. ...
Jump to: navigation, search High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara Irrigation (in agriculture) is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops. ...
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ...
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally-owned land. ...
The United States Bureau of Reclamation (Formerly the United States Reclamation Service) is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior which oversees water development projects in the western United States. ...
Background
John Wesley Powell, often considered the father of reclamation, began, in 1867, a series of expeditions to explore the West. He saw that after snow-melt and spring rains, the rivers of the West flooded, releasing huge amounts of water, and that for the rest of the year not enough rain fell to support any kind of real agriculture. He became convinced that irrigation was the only means by which much of the West could sustain population. He mapped locations for dams and irrigation projects. He found widespread support throughout the West, especially during the droughts of the 1890's. Jump to: navigation, search First camp of the John Wesley Powell expedition, in the willows, Green River, Wyoming, 1871 John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 - September 23, 1902) was an U.S. soldier, geologist, and explorer of the American West. ...
Several private and local organizations proved the benefits of irrigation projects. However, when it became apparent that a greater effort would be required, Representative Francis G. Newlands of Nevada introduced legislation into the United States Congress to provide federal help for irrigation projects. The resulting act passed on July 17, 1902.
It was later amended by the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-293, Title II) to limit corporate use of water and speculation on land that would benefit irrigation.
Summary of the Act The full name of the act is "An Act Appropriating the receipts from the sale and disposal of public lands in certain States and Territories to the construction of irrigation works for the reclamation of arid lands".
Section One
This section identifies the 16 states and territories to be included in the project; Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It requires surplus fees from sales of land be set aside for a "reclamation fund" for the development of water resources. Also requires the Treasury Department to fund education from unappropriated monies under certain conditions. Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Senators John McCain (R) Jon Kyl (R) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th) - Land 294,312 km² - Water 942 km...
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State nickname: The Centennial State Other U.S. States Capital Denver Largest city Denver Governor Bill Owens (R) Senators Wayne Allard (R) Ken Salazar (D) Official languages English Area 269,837 km² (8th) - Land 268,879 km² - Water 962 km² (0. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Gem State Other U.S. States Capital Boise Largest city Boise Governor Dirk Kempthorne (R) Senators Larry Craig (R) Mike Crapo (R) Official languages none Area 216,632 km² (14th) - Land 214,499 km² - Water 2,133 km² (0. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Sunflower State Other U.S. States Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) Senators Sam Brownback (R) Pat Roberts (R) Official languages None Area 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² (15th) - Land 81,815 mi²; 211,900 km² - Water 462 mi...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) Senators Max Baucus (D) Conrad Burns (R) Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th) - Land 377,295 km² - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000) - Population 902,195...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U.S. States Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Governor Dave Heineman (R) Senators Chuck Hagel (R) Ben Nelson (D) Official languages English Area 200,520 km² (16th) - Land 199,099 km² - Water 1,247 km² (0. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Silver State, Battle Born State (official) Other U.S. States Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Governor Kenny Guinn (R) Senators Harry Reid (D) John Ensign (R) Official languages None Area 286,367 km² (7th) - Land 284,396 km² - Water 1,971 km...
State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson (D) Senators Pete Domenici (R) Jeff Bingaman (D) Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th) - Land 314,590 km² - Water 607 km² (0. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Peace Garden State, Roughrider State, Flickertail State Other U.S. States Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Governor John Hoeven (R) Senators Kent Conrad (D) Byron Dorgan (D) Official languages English Area 183 272 km² (19th) - Land 178 839 km² - Water 4 432 km² (2. ...
Jump to: navigation, search Oklahoma is a South Central state of the United States (with strong Southern, Western, and Midwestern influences) and its U.S. postal abbreviation is OK; others abbreviate the states name Okla. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Beaver State Other U.S. States Capital Salem Largest city Portland Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) Senators Ron Wyden (D) Gordon Smith (R) Official languages None Area 255,026 km² (9th) - Land 248,849 km² - Water 6,177 km² (2. ...
State nickname: The Mount Rushmore State Other U.S. States Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Governor Mike Rounds (R) Senators Tim Johnson (D) John Thune (R) Official languages English Area 199,905 km² (17th) - Land 196,735 km² - Water 3,173 km² (1. ...
// History Early history Native Americans have lived in Utah for several thousand years; most archeological evidence dates such habitation about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. ...
Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Senators Patty Murray (D) Maria Cantwell (D) Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th) - Land 172,587 km² - Water 12,237 km² (6. ...
State nickname: Equality State Other U.S. States Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) Senators Craig Thomas (R) Mike Enzi (R) Official languages English Area 253,554 km² (10th) - Land 251,706 km² - Water 1,851 km² (0. ...
Section Two
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior determine the reclamation projects.
Section Three
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw all such land from public entry.
Section Four
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to contract for the project with certain conditions. Also requires that the work day will be 8 hours and that no Mongolian labor will be used.
Section Five
Sets certain requirements for those using the water, including; half of the land must be for agriculture, user must pay apportioned charges, user cannot use more than the apportioned water, user cannot sell entire water to one neighbor or any water to a non-resident, and user must pay apportioned charges annually.
Section Six
Authorizes to Secretary of the Interior to use the reclamation fund for all works constructed under the act and to pass management of projects over to the users once they have paid.
Section Seven
Gives the Secretary of the Interior the Power of Eminent Domain for construction projects. Jump to: navigation, search Eminent domain (US), compulsory purchase (England and Wales), compulsory acquisition (Australia) or expropriation (South Africa) in common law legal systems is the power of the state to appropriate private property for its own use without the owners consent. ...
Section Eight
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to conform to state laws with certain exceptions.
Section Nine
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to expend monies generated by each state within that state as much as is practicable.
Section Ten
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make such rules and regulation as is necessary to carry out the provisions of the act.
Results of the act Much of West could not have been settled without the water provided by the Act. The West became one of the premier agricultural areas in the world. Bureau of Reclamation statistics show that the more than 600 of their dams on waterways throughout the West provide irrigation for 10 million acres (40,000 km²) of farmland, providing 60% of the nation's vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts. Currently, the Bureau operates about a 180 projects in the West.
Not envisioned by the act, Bureau of Reclamation dams support 58 power plants producing 40 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Most of the large population centers in the Far West owe their growth to these power sources.
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External links - Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902
- United State Bureau of Reclamation
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