The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-08-06
GASES in D ESE r.
SUCH DO SOUTH DAKOTA IRR.. GATED
FARMS SEEN.
TIE Probl lem Of Keeping ! supply Of
Water for the Dry senson solved
by the Edgen,ol.t Canal TIL ].
Z Che yenn IA River Da1amed with
Great Difficult y.-TIow the Work
Wns Accomplished.

season vast amounts of water from!
the melting SHOWS have been passing
down the various waterways which
traverse Western South Dakota, and
numerous plans for saving and storing
quantities Of water for use during the
dry season have been suggested and
experimental with by farmers and
stockmen, who find the lack of water
during the latter part of the summer
and fall serious obstacle to their
prosperity. Owing to the insufficiency
of the rainfall immense tracts Of land
on the eastern and southern slopes OF
the Black Hills have been virtually un-
productive. The lack Of moisture is
the only drawback, as the soil is as
rich as can be found anywhere in the
United States.
How to retain water for the dry
weather emergency seems to have been
solved by the originators Of the Edge
mont canal in Fall River country. This
canal is fed by the waters of the Chey-
enne river and Beaver, Pass and Big
foot creeks. The floods that came last
spring completely filled the canal and
the reserve lakes, and there is now suf-
icient water on hand to last the set
tiers on the irrigated farms along the
canal for sixty days. The water Of the
river and creeks is retained and held
by dams which have been thrown
across the streams. An immense
amount Of work was necessary
for the successful damming of the
Cheyenne river. At the point selected
for the dam the river is nearly three
quarters of a mile wide It was also
necessary to put in a backwater over
600 feet in length to protect the canal.
This embankment is made as solid as
earth, stone, logs and bolts can make
The first work was to reach bedrock
and then build bank of logs. These
logs are bolted together, the ends and
middle Of the bolts being held by
strong iron plates. Scores Of car loads
of rock were placed between the logs
in such a way that they were held Sc
scurely in place. At the, end of this
dam is head gate the outlet of which
is parallel with the sluiceway that was
cut for the Cheyenne river to run in.
The water passes into the sluice, and
the height of the water carries it into
the canal, the amount being regulated
by the gate. In no place is the head
gate subject to the full force Of the
flood water. just above. the head gate
beaver creek empties it's water, and
the dam has successfully withstood
all the force these streams could bring
against it. The south end Of the canal
runs to Cottonwood creek, dry creek
during the greater part Of the year,
but one which six or seven times dur
Ing the year carries an immense
amount of food water. Plans were
made to save this, and a dam was
thrown across the creek at point two
miles above Edgemont 3.
The irrigated farms along the canal
present fine appearance, and crops
! there will compare favorably with
those Of any section of the West.
These farms will also solve the prob
lem of supplying the Black Hills re-
gion with hay and grain, which has
heretofore been shipped in from
Northwestern Nebraska. By reason Of
the canal and irrigation facilities
! which it furnishes, thousands Of acres
Of heretofore unproductive land have
J been reclaimed, and the irrigated
! farms resemble cases in the desert
compared with other sections of coun-
/ try in that region which have not had
sufficient rainfall to insure the raising
of crops or even hay.