> How was this land released to citizens previously and how has that changed since?
It was doled out via the Homestead Act. Anybody could take the land and farm it. And what land did they take? Land that they thought they could grow enough on to not starve. What land was that? Land with water.
The land that didn't get taken was land that had no water - not enough to run a farm. And it probably still doesn't have enough water for a subdivision, at least not one with lawns.
It was doled out via the Homestead Act. Anybody could take the land and farm it. And what land did they take? Land that they thought they could grow enough on to not starve. What land was that? Land with water.
The land that didn't get taken was land that had no water - not enough to run a farm. And it probably still doesn't have enough water for a subdivision, at least not one with lawns.