Desert Land Act

Intentions:
– Encourage economic development of arid and semiarid public lands in Western states
– Allow citizens over 21 to apply for desert-land entry to irrigate and reclaim land
– Originate from Lassen County Act and co-sponsored by Senator Aaron A. Sargent
– Aim to promote growth in the West and influence water rights
– Lead to communal and individual irrigation systems and private water companies

Outcomes:
– Lack of residence requirement led to fraud and land speculation
– Notable areas patented under the act include Salt River, Imperial Valley, Snake River, Gallatin, and Yakima
– Communities benefited from the Reclamation Act of 1902
– Growth tracked in eras: 1877–1887, 1888–1893, and 1893–1910
– Fraudulent activities by cattle producers marked the first decade post-act

1877–1887:
– Era known for fraudulent activities, especially by cattle producers
– Decline in the cattle industry marked the end of the era

1888–1893:
– Stricter regulations and checks for irrigation systems reduced fraudulent activities
– Settlers required to submit maps and plans of irrigation
– Amendments encouraged communal irrigation systems
– Ended with the Panic of 1893

1893–1910:
– Increased interest in irrigation and migration post-Depression of 1893
– Peak of original entries in a year marked the end of the era

After 1910:
– By 1920, most irrigation systems were in place in lands grown in the West from the act

See also:
– Great American Desert

References:
– Bureau of Land Management (PDF). Retrieved 29 November 2017
– Ganoe, John T. (1937). The Desert Land Act in Operation, 1877-1891
– Ostrom, Elinor (2011). Reflections on Some Unsettled Problems of Irrigation
– Gates, Paul W. (1978). Land Policies in Kern County
– Landstrom, Karl S. (1954). Reclamation under the Desert-Land Act