At the turn of the 20th century, it was evident that there was a "widespread concern about overcutting forests, flooding, and erosion..." (Sowards) throughout the United States. Many people were not aware of the environmental damage that their actions could lead to during this time period. As seen in the late 1800s, Americans hunted for bison, resulting in the extinction of the species. Likewise, as cities throughout the nation began to grow and overpopulate, pollution was an issue and was harming animal and plant life, along with the land itself. Just as Theodore Roosevelt was entering his first term as president in 1901, questions concerning conservation arose. Going forward, several acts and laws were passed in order to preserve and protect
…show more content…
Signed into law on June 17, 1902, it clearly described how the nation would take action to provide irrigation and a steady water supply for states in the west. According the act, at the beginning of June 13, 1909, there would be higher fees and commissions in 16 western states in order to begin an examination and survey for “the construction and maintenance of irrigation works for the storage, diversion, and development, of waters for the reclamation of arid and semiarid lands…” (Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902). Specifically, this demonstrates how the government wanted to reclaim the land, meaning that it wanted to restore the land to its former glory. Soon, places in the United States that did not receive sufficient rainfall would be getting plenty of water to farm and live a healthy and clean lifestyle; this was very important to the people who lived in these areas. In many ways, the Newlands Reclamation Act was similar to the Homestead Act of 1862 since the two acts were designed to encourage settlement. However, in addition to this, the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902 created hydroelectric plants for power throughout the nation and was designed to irrigate lands. With neither regulation nor a steady supply of water in the west, the water posed, “‘common resource’ problems, meaning that certain individuals or entities may
Signed into law on June 17, 1902, it clearly described how the nation would take action to provide irrigation and a steady water supply for states in the west. According the act, at the beginning of June 13, 1909, there would be higher fees and commissions in 16 western states in order to begin an examination and survey for “the construction and maintenance of irrigation works for the storage, diversion, and development, of waters for the reclamation of arid and semiarid lands…” (Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902). Specifically, this demonstrates how the government wanted to reclaim the land, meaning that it wanted to restore the land to its former glory. Soon, places in the United States that did not receive sufficient rainfall would be getting plenty of water to farm and live a healthy and clean lifestyle; this was very important to the people who lived in these areas. In many ways, the Newlands Reclamation Act was similar to the Homestead Act of 1862 since the two acts were designed to encourage settlement. However, in addition to this, the Newlands Reclamation Act of 1902 created hydroelectric plants for power throughout the nation and was designed to irrigate lands. With neither regulation nor a steady supply of water in the west, the water posed, “‘common resource’ problems, meaning that certain individuals or entities may