Powell’s Map

The development of the West was essential, and Congress knew it. They wanted to hear from John Wesley Powell, arguably one of the most knowledgeable people of the western lands. He was the Director of the US Geological Survey and had first-hand experience of the area. While presenting his idea, he’d brought a map titled the “Arid Region of the United States”, which showed the western half of the nation divided into a bunch of oddly shaped territories. Powell’s map was carefully designed so that each state would have its own watershed that would distribute water equally among all of the proposed states. 

Powell believed this would be a great idea, because the federal government would have all the power and control, unlike in the East where most water systems were excluded. Instead of the traditional political boundaries, Powell proposed to separate the state hydrologically, but Congress was displeased. This would ruin the plans of many people who secured advantageous land, and so it was rejected. In lieu, government surveyors decided to just draw the straight lines you know today before thinking it through. Because his proposition was denied, this fueled wars and arguments about the distribution and control of water for years to come - arguments that still affect us today.