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As early as 1867, bills were introduced in Congress to encourage irrigation and reclamation of unproductive land and, in 1877, the Desert Land Act linked irrigation to grants of public land. Congress also authorized studies of the Westâs geology and water supply, which culminated in comprehensive reports.
1. (Law) an act passed by the US Congress in 1862 making available to settlers 160-acre tracts of public land for cultivation. 2. (Law) (in Canada) a similar act passed by the Canadian Parliament in 1872.