The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-17
IRRIGATION IN MONTANA.
Exhaustive Review ofthe Work Now
Done and to Be Done
Soon.
Prosperity Depends On Agricul-
ture, the Hope of Agriculture
Is Irrigation.
Canals Already Built and the Territory
They Scrve-Others In Process of
Construction.

Territorially Montana is the third larges,
state in tho United States. 1t embraces 93,
$40, 200 acres. 1t is wholly within the aric
region. Agriculture cannot be carried OIL
in this state without irrigation to the ex
tent to supply the population. There ar,
meager exceptions when under favorabl,
conditions irrigation may be dispensed
with. The most extensive agricultural val
leys are those of the Yellowstone, the Mis-
souri, and the Milk river. Important val
leys, though less extensive, are the Bitter
Root, the Gallatin, the Madison, the Jeffer-
son, tho Dearborn, the Sun river, thu
Flathead country, in Missoula county, thu
Deer Lodge River valley, in Deer Lodge
county, the Beaverhead, in Madison coun
ty and Beaverhead county, and the Judith
river country, in Fergus county. In al
these valleys there is more or less irriga-
ton.
The United States. west of the one hun
dredth meridian of longitude, presents thu
most extensive connected field for irrigation
on the earth, and within this field Montana
is the best watered section of intra-moun
tain country, has conditions which war.
rant, physically and economically, the prof
liable expenditure of capital in irrigation
Agriculture is the foundation of msteria
prosperity. The development of our mines
the success of stock growing, the sustaining
of our towns and cities, rest on irrigation.
Not much is yet done in this particular, if
we consider the opportunities and needs. 1t
is useless to attempt an accurate statement
of the condition of irrigation in Montana.
The state has recently provided n bureau of
agriculture, but has not any collected and
preserved statistics on irrigation. Nor is
there any requirement upon any bureau or
officer to investigate and report on this
subject of prime Importance. Floating
newspaper mentions and some personal, but
not extensive, knowledge of the subject are
the basis of the following statements:
We should mention the Gallatin canal,
on the east sire of the West Gallatin river,
in Gallatin county, about twenty miles
long, fourteen feet wide on bottom and
twenty-four feet wide en- top and three feet
deep, grade two and one-half feet to the
mile. constructed two years ago. The West
Gallatin Irrigation company's canal. locally
known as the Gregory High Line canal,
issuin . from the west side. of the West Gal
latin rive in the same county. is now con-
%structinr. The head gate is located in the
northeast quarter of section twenty-eight,
township three south, range four east. The
capacity for passing water is thirty thous-
and mine 8 inches-the first section of the
canal is twenty-four feet wide on bottom,
six feet de; tn of water. The canal
runs northeriy some twelve miles. then
turns westerly AMI covers high bench lands.
The fall of the river for some miles below
the head gates is fifty feet to the mile. In
the main part Of its length the canal is
fourteen feet wide on bottom, about TWEEN
IL four feet wide on top, carrying four feet
of water in depth, on a grade of three feet
to the mile-ca,elully and permanently
constructel-to be at least thirty miles in
length. and 'prospectively much longer,
having under it Epwar DIS of 10000 acres of
irriqable lands, of as fine cereal producing
quality as are foundi in the state.
Ihe Excelsior canal, Oh the cast side of
the same river. In the same county, is a
large ditch now constructing, adapted to
water some of the same lands that lie un-
der the East Gallatln canal.
Tn the west side of the West G~allatin
river there is the largo ditch of the Manhat
tan Mailing company's ranch, nineteen
miles in length, twelve feet wide on the
bottom.
There is also another ditch, now twelve
feet wide on the bottom aud now being en-
larCed to sixteen feet wide on the bottom,
to carry as the flow in the ditch ten thous-
and miners. inches, called the Flowers
ditch. lie c, also, is the Needle ditch,
Lewis ditch and Anceny ditch.
Gallatin valley is the best watered and
the most extensively irrigated valley in the
state.
The Dearborn canal begins about section
sixteen. township eighteen, north of range
eight west. unsuryeyed lands, which lie in
the canyon of the North Fork of the Dear
born river, in Lewis and Clarke county.
The waters of the river are diverted by an
immense dam. 23S feet long, composed of
cribs built OF twelve-inch logs bolted to-
gether and filled with rock, the whole be-
ing laced upon solid rock in tho bed % the
stream; the canal runs thence over a hill
which separates the DEARBORN from the
head of Flat creek; this portion of the
canal being fou and3 onc-half miles long,
twenty feet wide in the bottom, thirty-eight
feet at the top and viii convey six feet
depth of water. The canal is so planned
that a taft 100 feet long and twenty feet
wide can be tioated Town by the force OF
the current and the guidance of two men,
The main continuous canal will be when
entirely completed 113 miles in length anj
the lateral bitches 475 miles long. Creel
beds and lakes are utilized to a very large
ex ent, thus saving the construction of the
same length of canals, covering 200 co,
acres of land with an expenditure of about
$4,000. The supply of water is so plentiful.
that, with the aid of reservoirs, the whole
100000 acres can be irrigated at one time.
The land covered is of excellent quality
of a sandy loan character and varies il
depth from two to twenty feet. The far.
mers will be charged about 81 an acre pei
annum. 1t is the purpose of the COMPANY
to extend its system to the great body OF
land lying southwest of Great Falls. The
new Montana and Canada railroad will
cross its lands, thus affording the farmers
easy access to the markets with their cat
tie. sheep n grain.
The company will be ready to deliver
water during the coming irrigation season
Wilson d Ihompson's canal, known as
the Crown Butte canal. This is one of the
enterprises that will cover a large amount
of land in Cascade county. This work OF
lrrigating some of the excellent land OF
that region has been undertaken as a pri.
waite enterprise by Wilson & Thompson. OF
Helena, and by a system of reservoirs they
will have when completed a canal twenty.
five miles in length.
The Glendora Reservoir, Canal and Irri
CATION company's undertaking is situateC
near tho village of Choteau, in Chotear
county. There is a low bank which sepa,
rates the Teton end Muddy rivers, com
prisin9 fifty or sixty Thousand acres of fin,
land, and this company is organized with :
view of lrrigating this land. The system
comprises about twenty-five miles of man
canals fed by two reservoirs which are nat,
ural expressions III the prairie; one of then
a mile and a quarter long by about a hall
mile wide and about fortv-two feet deem
the other covers about eighty acres of Ian,
and is about thirty feet deep. These tw,
reservoirs are connected by a canal: the
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