Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1889-08-17
A Place that Appears to be AL
most Arranged by Nature
for a Reservoir.
What is Being Done by Miles
City and Country People TO Help
Complete the Ditch.
IRRIGATION.
A Location for a Reservoir where Il viii dlo
Lots Of Good.

One of the most favorable spots 10
Custer county fnr the storag. of water
for irrigation purposes is locatsd IN the
southeastern portion Of the county he-
tween Box Elder and Little Beaver
creeks and about four miles south OF
what are locally known as the Lodge
Pole Hills. This IL the locality in
which Chris Rsmme's sheep ranch is
situated and II is from Mr.. Ramme
that we get the following lnformation:
In the vicinity located ABOVE are two
lakes, known "a Soda Lakes. One of
them il about two miles long by half
a mile broad, and is shallow. The
other Is nearly circular and about one
mile across and carries from three TO
four feet Of water in ordinary seasons.
These lakes are about three -fourths Of
mile spart and are each iDelosed In
basin formed by the surrounding
buttes. Mr.. Ramme's attention has
been particularly directed to the shall
low lake, with view of some time
msking a reservoir out Of II, for the
storage OF water for irrigating pur-
poses. and now that he finds that
committee from the U. s. Senate has
been here collecting information on
these points, he IL very glad to tell all
be knows about Il. The shallow lake
he ssys, can he completely enclosed
by filling in about 500 yards between
the spurs of the buttes surrounding
the lake. This done a perfec basin
or reservoir is secured, the cspacliy Of
which is only limited by the height at
which the feeding stream would have
to enter II. This stream is Lone Tree
creek, carrying water at all seasons,
and when augmented by spring fresh
ets, or rainfslls. running bank full
which means 8 to 10 feet deer and 25
to 30 feet wide. At point about two
miles above tie lake. Lone Tree could
he tapped and a ditch constructed to
the lake entering II at an elevation
that would ensure depth Of s 10 10
feet Of water in the reservoir. At the
outlet where the five hundred yard I'LL
would be made, the fall il rapid aud
some engineering would be necessary
to prevent washing out. At this point
fall Of 2j feet could lie had for mill
power. Below this, q valley twelve
miles in length and from six to eight
miles in width stretches out, every
foot of which could he irrigated and
when ~ treated become lavishly pro-
ductive of every description Of roots,
cereals, forage plants aud small fruits.
Mr.. Ramme has small garden
patch under irrigation. his ouly water
supply being the wsstage OF "A small
spring used for domestic purposes.
such a supply IL necessarily made
quate to any extended operations, but
to the limited extent possible Mr..
Ramme has been remarkably success
full with all sorts Of garden truck, the
growth OF which far exceeds his most
favorable experience 10 Wisconsin, /,
where he spent over twenty years and
was familiar with agricultural pro.
ducts.
The soil Is Of such nature that u
put under irrigation by the plan pro-
posed, the valley above named would
support a settlement Of over 800 fami-
lies. And this Ia only one Of a hun
dred such localities in Custer county.