Irrigation Area and Artesian Wells West of the 97th Meridian

An overview of a different precious commodity that was prized in the West – water.

In 1890, one of the conclusions of the Eleventh United States Census was that the population distribution and increased settlement in the west had resulted in the disappearance of the American frontier. No longer would the Census Bureau track westward migration. This was not to say the West was fully settled, or that movement from the East had even diminished, just that the unorganized and haphazard administration of the region was no more.

A primary concern of state and federal governments in these newly organized states was the oversight of land and water rights for residents, many of whom had tentative claims to their land at best. Conflicts over these rights erupted into range wars throughout the west. To help arbitrate claims, minimize tension in disputes, and ensure appropriate taxation, the Department of Agriculture undertook several surveys regarding water and grazing rights in the late 19th century.

This map, issued in 1891, shows the various irrigated areas and artesian wells available throughout the United States west of the 97th Meridian. East Texas, the Central Valley, and large swathes of the Great Plains show heavily concentrated agricultural activity which persists to this day.