The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-02-10
Alkali in the Yellowstone Valley
Gan Be Eradicated, Says
Prof. Whitney.
"A SURVEY BEING MADE
Conditions + Simple and the Danger
Can Be Avoided by Certain
Methods by Owners.

MllCO0 W0lGuoy, culol VI tuo sUA4S III
vision in the department. of agriculture,
has made a report to the secretary on
the alkali soils of the Yellowstone val.
ley. This report is full Of interest,
owing to the serious trouble threatened
at several points in Montana from the
rise of alkali in the soils. When the
country was first opened up there was
no suggestion of this kind of trouble,
but, after ten or twelve years of irriga-
ton, it has begun to assume alarming
proportions.
Professor Whitney reports that in
August, 1892, he was driven over a
large part Of the Billings valley by sew
eral gentlemen interested in the matter.
The conditions seemed so very impor-
tant that he sent back to Washington
for an equipment for the electrical de-
termination of the salt content of the
soils, and returned to Billings when
notified that this had arrived. The
brief investigation satisfied Whitney
that further Investigations would give
results of very great practical value by
showing the farmers just what the con
ditions were in the soil; what they had
to fear if existing methods were con-
tinued; what they had to guard against
to prevent the spread of alkali, and
what they would have to contend with
in reclaiming some of the already
abandoned lands.
Last spring Thomas Fl. Means, an as
sistant in the soils division, was sent to
Billings to make a more detailed inves-
tigation. He was charged to collect
data as to the general distribution of
the salts with reference to the topo-
graphy of the land, and the position of
the %irrigating ditch, and to make such
a detailed examination Of a small area
that an underground map could be con-
structed, showing the amount and dis
tribution Of the alkali salts under the
surface. The results of this investiga-
tion appear Of so much practical value
that arrangements are being made to
continue the work and to make an
underground survey of the entire val
ley. 1t is estimated that III six months
time and at an expense not exceeding
81, 200. a sum utterly insignificant in
proportion to the great value of the
probably results Of such an expedition.
the necessary data could be collected
from Billings eastward to Miles City
or possibly Glandive and suitable un-
derground maps prepared, with a view
to preventing such serious calamities as
have Overtaken some of these lands in
opening up new districts and for the
reclamation Of abandoned irrigated
+ Io,,lo -, %Lo Vo11ox,4oro .o1lo-
In his letter transmitting his report
to the secretary, Professor Whitney
says:
81 sincerely trust that arrangements
may be consummated for nthe compile
ton of this survey. 1t must not appear
to those ~unacquainted with the subject
that the rise of alakli and the disastrous
effects following the application Of irri-
cation waters is peculiar to the Yellow
stone valley. These are problems which
have to be confronted in all arid re-
gions the world over and wherever IT.
rigation is practiced. The Yellowstone
valley was really selected to start the
alkali work of the division because
there the problem is SO simple and the
conditions can be SO easily controlled.
All Of the irrigation districts Of the
country contain more or less alkali and
are subject to the evil effects of o~ver-ir-
rigation, and the community is to be
congratulated where the conditions are
SO simple and SO easily controlled as in
the Yellowstone valley"
The report proceeds to say that the
Yellowstone valley in Montana is ap-
proximately 400 miles in length, but
the area which has been especially con-
sidered in these Investigations is that
part between Billings and Glendive, a
distance of about $50 miles. All of the
detailed work was done in the i'm
mediate vicinity Of Billings. The val.
ley at this point is about six miles in
width. Irrigation has been practiced
for twelve or fifteen years. The water
for the main ditch supplying the valley
at this point is taken out of the river
nearly forty miles above the town Of
Billings.
"Many theories have been advanced
by the land owners as to the source of
the alkali and as to the conditions
under the surface" says Professor
Whitney. "The belief is wide spread
that the alkali flats could probably be
reclaimed by flooding the surface dur.
ing a dry season and washing the crust
of. Our preliminary Investigations
showed them plainly that the crust con.
tanned only o small proportion Of tho
alkali, and convinced them that this
method would not be efficient. They
are beginning to realize that the Less
water they use the safer.
"TheEe 10 generally little system In
the application Of water to the land.
Very few Of the planters know how
iluoh they use. and none Of them pro.
1end 70 know how much they need.
IT. wstar n applied when lhe surface
apDeass ~. ard u h then spilled In