The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-15
SURVEYING FOR NATIONAL jRRl.
CATION At CODY.
MAKES THIRD IN WYOMING
System Now Investigating contem-
plates Utilizing the Waters
Of Shoshone River.

of the provisions of the national irri-
cation law. Already two projects
have received attention from the de-
partment of the interior and now
a third is to be surveyed and inves-
tigation into its feasibility made. The
latest proposition to receive consid-
Grafton is at Cody and has for it's OBJ
ject the reclamation of a large area
by irrigation from the Shoshone river.
What is being done is told in the fol-
lowing taken from the Wyoming
Stockgrower and Farmer, published
at Cody:
Work will be commenced this week
on the surveying, plating and esti-
mates for the third national irriga-
'tion proposition to receive attention
in Wyoming, the field Of operation
| being the beautiful level bench land
| lying on the north side of the Sho-
| shone river opposite Cody.
jeremiah Ahern, an engineer of ex-
perience, has charge of the work here
| and has been on the ground several
days. Mr.. Ahern made the survey
and report on the first Wyoming pro-
position under the new reclamation
law, on Piney creek in Johnson county.
and was directed to push this work
next.
H. r. Evans arrived from Reno,
New, last Thursday and other en-
ployes of the government will be here
in a few days until the party numbers
20 or more.
Camps are being established from
the canyon, three miles above Cody,
along the proposed route of the canal
to some miles below town. and it is
estimated that the work will require
something like four months time for
the completion of the plans and esti-
mates. These reports will be filed
with the secretary OF the interior,
who will decide as to the merits of
the proposition and the feasibility OF
constructing the proposed works I'M
der the national irrigation law.
1t is probable that the headgate
will be located about two miles above
the mouth of the canyon and that a
low dam will be put in at that point.
Former estimates made by private
parties have placed the number OF
acres that can be brought under this
canal at from 100, 900 to 10000 acres,
and all engineers who have examin.
ed the ground agree that there is not
a better or more economical irrigation
proposition to be found in the entire
Rocky mountain country. 1t is there.
fore reasonabl ycertain that this fer
tile tract OF land will be reclaimed
by the government, and that within
two or thdree years there will be more
than 1000 families living on irrigated
ranches within from one to ten miles
of Cody on what is now practically
a desert for the want of moisture.
This land is still held under the
Cody-Salisbury segregation, but if the
interi droepartment decides to put
in the proposed irrigation plant, title
will revert to the general government
and the land will be opened to settle
ment under the homestead law, each
settler paying the government his
pro rata share of the actual cost Of
the irrigation system.
Land at Wheatland, under the Carey
canal is now selling at from $25 te
$50 an acre, according to improve
ments, and if this system is put In
it is safe to say that it will add three
millions of dollars to the assessed
valuation of this county within five
years from this date. which sum Il
many times greater than the cost O
the enterprise.
The public will watch development:
with the keenest interest and when
ever it is decided by the secretary o
the interior to commence construc
ton work, there will be a grand rusl
for filings on the land.
With this enterprise in progress OF
, the north side of the river and tn
Oregon Basin irrigation scheme be
, ing pushed seven or eight miles soutl
t of us, Cady may be expected to yer.
: soon advance to the position of tn
: foremost city of northern Wyoming
$ if mt of the entire state.
The Wiley-Guernsey plans will re
claim q tract at least one-third large
, than this government proposition. an
i the two together will add more tina
: 81. OOO. 600 to the wealth OF the count
within the next half dozen years.