Topics in Kansas History: AgricultureIrrigationAridity, especially in central and western Kansas, was a major obstacle to the advance of the farming frontier. Generally, the limited rainfall was not sufficient to allow farmers to pursue the type of agriculture to which they had been accustomed. Although dry farming techniques eventually made some areas relatively productive, there was no substitute for adequate moisture. Whether for family or livestock use, or for crop irrigation, farmers and ranchers had to find a way to tap the underground water supply. Although windmills were used for some irrigation--particularly fruits and vegetables--their primary function was pumping water for households and livestock. Windmills were manufactured in many different places throughout the West and Midwest. Several Kansas towns had factories that produced this important piece of machinery. During the drought years of the 1890s, more farmers began to tap the underground water supply. Finney Countians like T. J. Dykes led the way with windmill-powered pumps, which pumped groundwater into a reservoir pond. Water could then be run through ditches to the field when needed. Some farmers who could not afford to buy wind-mills tried homemade models. This type was called a "jumbo," "mogul," or "go-devil." They were popular in Kansas and Nebraska during the 1890s. In most areas, windmill irrigation proved unsatisfactory when tried on a large scale. One alternative in southwestern Kansas was to divert water from the Arkansas River. Nearly 100 miles long, the Eureka Irrigation Canal was one such effort. It was completed in 1888 and served Gray and Ford counties. Irrigation became big business and important politics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During the drought years of the 1890s, enthusiasts formed local, state, and national organizations to further irrigation interests. Before entering political office, Joseph Bristow published the Irrigation Farmer and was active in several regional irrigation conferences. In 1895, the Kansas legislature created the state Board of Irrigation and appropriated $30,000 for irrigation experiments. Increased irrigation during the late 1890s forced lawmakers and other state officials to confront many different problems and issues. One of the main ones pertained to the reduced flow of water in the Arkansas River caused by ditch irrigation. Kansas began to battle with Colorado, its upstream neighbor, over the limited supply of river water. This legal dispute continues to this day. Although much of western Kansas lies above what many considered to be an inexhaustible supply of water, farmers were unable to tap this resource for large scale irrigation with windmills alone. Especially in the uplands, where water might be over 100 feet below the surface, equipment with more lifting power was needed. This came after the turn-of-the-century in the form of the internal combustion engine. By 1911, J. W. Lough was irrigating 180 acres of his farmland southwest of Scott City. Despite unusually dry weather, Lough harvested large crops of sorghum, alfalfa, oats, barley, watermelon, and several varieties of vegetables. In 1920, crops on 95,000 acres of Kansas farmland were under irrigation. Eighty-five percent of that land was located between Dodge City and the Colorado line. Most of the irrigated fields were devoted to alfalfa, wheat, and sugar beet production. Find resources on irrigation. 
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As
Great Plains historian Walter Prescott Webb once explained: "The windmill
was like a flag marking the spot where a small victory had been won
in the fight for water in an arid land."
