The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-17
THE IRRIGATION CUES rION.

The Committee Recommends Gov
eminent Aid to Start the Work.
The majority report OF the commit
tee on irrigation may be summed up,
so tar as the Dakotas are concerned,
in the following:
The eviderc ce taken at st. Paul and
at various points in North and South
Dakota revealed climatic conditions
that were a surprise, even to the mem
bers OF your committee. 1t had been
accepted almost as unquestioned that
the Dakotas were among the most 30.
cure and most advanced in agricultur-
al prosperity OF all our Western com.
munities. That they are being pop
u!ated rapidly under advanced cir
cumstauces as to pioneer life is most
certainly true. The handsome towns
and cities, the large railroad facilities
already bad, the neat dwellings and
we'll cared-fCr farms everywhere seen
along their routes; the generally young,
but always energetic and hardy popu-
lation that was encountered; all these
spoke volumes in favor OF both the
Dakotas; yet it is a simple fact that
large portion of these two new states
lies within the subhumid and arid
areas Of the United States.
The conditions OF the last five years,
eliminating in the drouth OF the past
year, have established to the minds
of the most intelligent and sanguine
of citizens therein the conviction that
without in some considerable degree
obtaining artificial storage and distri-
button of water for agricultural pur-
poses, farming in this section will re-
main a very uncertain pursuit, and
that, therefore, the general prosperity
OF the two states will be liable to be
severely affected. The average rain
fall for seven years in South Dakota
that is, of nine stations, a majority
of which are east oi the Missouri--ia
o. .9S per annum. The summer sea-
son rainfall is estimated at j 5 inches;
vet 1t has been shown to be wholly in.
adequate because OF inequality OF dis
tribution as to time and place. In
stead OF rain when needed, the farmer
is always in dread OF hot winds blast
ing the grain rs it grows heavy for
harvest.
The entire areas OF the two Dakota
states is 96,596,4S0 acres. Or this
total at least 5O,O00,00O acres may
be considered rs within the arid re-
gion, having annual rainfall not to ex.
ceed Is inches. North Dakota will
average about Is inches OF precipita-
ton per annum. At Fort Meade five
years observation gives 1850 inches.
At Bismarck, the capital OF that state,
the annual average is placed at 1880
| inches; at Fort Totten it is but 80;
in the Red river valley it will be about
22 inches. The Missouri river bisects
the two states by the northwest and
southeast, passing through three de-
grees of longitude and then turning al
most directly east. West OF that riv-
| er there Is little reason to expect t1at
any system OF reclamation will be OF
avail other than by storage reservoirs,
| running streams and q large system
OF main canals and distributories,
taking water from the Missouri river
as far north as the 4Sth degree oflati-
tude and conducting it southwark,
| using the numerous tributaries OF the
basin as both contrlbutory and dis
tributing agents, until the system.
thus reinforced from photographic
basin to basin, may be carried south
ward tar enough to serve Western
Nebraska and Kansas, rs well prob
ably az portions OF Eas tern Wyoming
| and Colorado.
But it is in it's remarkable basin or
basins of artesian water that the Da-
kotas, especially South Dakota, are
most to be considered in relation to
agricultural security and as possibly
q permanent relief at least from partial
aridity. The central and northeast.
ern section of South Dakota and the
central Dol ton OF North Dakota pre-
sent a large area Of shallow lakes and
lagoons which an accurate survey will
probably show to be available, with
proper engineering work. as series
| OF small reservoirs or drainage storage
basins. The narrow streams or riv-
ers which are characteristic OF this
whole are apparently eroding their
way deeper. This is a feature OF the
majority OF such bodies o; running
waters. Their currents are sluggish,
the fall being but slight except toward
their sources, while that Of the Mis-.
souri is large. These streams will
have to be stored and diverted from
their natural channels into high line
canals for agricultural distribution.
The low range Of hills known rs 1.-The
COtsaux," lying on the east side ofthe
great river, afford, also, opportani-
| ties for local storage basins, all OF
| which may vet be utilized.
The arteslan belt OF the James river
valley, or rather OF its entire hydro
graphic basin, is the largest water
body OF its character known to the
world. The James river takes its rise
in the Devils lake basin, and runs for
over 400 miles almost due southw ward,
until 1t enters the Missouri river at
Yankton, where the arteslan belt has
so far reached it's largest development.
The area thus embraced is at least
so miles in average width. 1t con.
tains about 100000 acres, OF which
certainly 90. per cent could be made
available tor tiiiage. From James
town, N. d.. about so miles above
the line OF South Dakota, to Yankton,
and the extreme southern part OF the
same state, there IRE now about 80
artesian town wells in operation, strik-
ing water at a depth that ranges from
1,577 feet i'm jamestown to 61O and
600 at Yankton and Frankfort. There
are in all nearly or quite 100 flowing
wells in South Dakota, though al bnt
those named as town wells are usual
ly of small bore. and were sunk for
farm wells only. The remarkable
features OF the belt OF artesian water
are it's quantity, force and continu-
ance. The pressure OF the principal
wells is from 20 pounds to the square
loot at Highmore to ITO at Yankton,
where FIVE wells supply the town with
water for domestic uses. town pur-
poses and rs power for manufacturing.
The report goes over in detail the
benefits to be derived from irrigation,
and recommends an appropriation
sufficiently large to prosecute the