The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-09-29
A BIG SCHEME
OF IRRIGATION
Cooperative Company to Start Re.
cIamation in Teton County.
1T is A SOCiAlISTIC MEASURE
J. II. Huseby of Helena Has Been
Chosen Manager Of the Enterprise.
CaIderhead Talks to a Great Falls
Newspaper.

returned from a brief visit to Teton
county, just north of Great Falls, |
where he had been to look over the |
prospects of the Teton Cooperative |
companys irrigation scheme there, |
says the Great Falls Leader.
Mr.. Calderhead is enthusiastic and |
states that one of the largest irriga- |
ton schemes of the state will go |
ahead at once in that section, teams |
and men to be put on during the lat
ter part of the present month J. H.
Huseby of Helena has been chosen
manager of the enterprise and will
sUperintend the work from the begin
ming. Mr. Huseby having been with
the party to look over the ground.
The Cooperative company is backed
by Helena parties and its progress
will be watched with interest.
1T is a great proposition" said Mr..
Calderhead. enthusiastically. last eve
ming, land is one of the most extern
sive irrigation schemes that has been
undertaken in this state. We will
utilize the government reservoir site
No. 80. which will form lake fully
six miles long and half as wide. The
dam at the lower end will be sixty
feet high and the water will be OBJ
tanned during the flood season, so
that none of the water rights below
will be interfered with. Under this
immense reservoir are 10000 acres
of splendid land which will be re-
claimed at once. The land lies near
Bynum, above Choteau. 1t is per-
feet location for plant of this sort.
The reservoir site is basin which
could not be better adapted to it's
IL no. ia chinna0 nv
hand. Every condition is perfect and
the land that will be covered is of the
finest quality.
"The Teton river which drains a
large area of the main range Of the
Rocky mountains, the floodwaters of
which will be utilized to fill the res
ervoir, was measured for thirty-siX
, days during the flood season of 1902,
and $4,000 acre feet found available
for that purpose. Can acre foot is
one foot Of water in depth, covering
one acre of land, of 1850 cubic feet)
In addition to this there is available
the surplus flow of the river during
the fall. winter and early spring
: months. supplying much greater
quantity in the aggregate than will
ever be necessary to fill the reser-
vOir.
Lying below the reservoir and to
the south of Muddy creek is what is
known as Burton bench, a vast plain
of beautifully smooth land, part of
which is occupied by the famous Bur
ton Beach colony. This colony was
begun about seven years ago and
now comprises over $50 farms, all in
. a highly prosperous condition. There
:. are several schools, a church and
: store. and a telephone system con-
/ Meeting with the Rocky Mountain
s Bell Telephone company's lines. North
It of Muddy creek and within sight OF
the Burton colony are 10000 acres OF
rich lands that We propose first to re-
a claim. A portion of this area is pub
d lie land and is subject to selection
e under the homestead and desert land
e. acts It is for the reclamation of this
tract that the Teton Cooperative Col
ony company No. |. was organized
- The company is capitalized at $50,
), O0O,O with 10000 shares, or one
- share for each acre to be irrigated III
~ the district Each share of stock car
ID ries with it a perpetual right t
~ water for one acre of land subjec
VI to an annual toll of % cents for eacl
"a acre foot of water, which represent:
10 proportionate share Of the actua
II cost of maintenance and operation o
NJ the reservoir system.
to For the present the irrigation sys
v. TEN will consist of an earthen dan
v. 40 feet high. 10 feet wide on top ant
IL 21O feet wide on the bottom. diver
e sion headworks and dyke or cana
10 to convey the waters of Teton rive
es to the reservoir, a tunnel through al
adjacent sandstone hill to drain tn
~ reservoir together with regulatin
as the need for it increases.
Later we will add to the system
valve and necessary waste way.
u. In the building of the dam mer
at toned. brush and earth will be uset
!. and the earth will be carried in b
water from a ditch coming in froI
. above along a side hill. This ditto
will be built this fall and the brusl
4 etc, be got ready so that work On tn
big dam may be commenced fir:
thing in the spring. Horses an
scrapers will dump the dirt frol
above into the small ditch and tn
dirt will be carried down the hill il
to the brush for the forming of tn
dam, which will make one of tt
strongest dams possible for the pu
pose, and at the same time the lea
expensive. Mr.. Huseby has he
much experience in this kind of VOL
and is a practical man, capable
doing the right thing.
There are thousands upon thou
ands of acres of land lying north
Great Falls which only needs wat
and cultivation to make it blosso
like the rose. and We are doing o.
little part. We expect to carry
the whole proposition by cooper
ton and I see no reason why
should not be a success. The land
there and the water is there and wi
such a combination there can be
such thing as failure. Twenty far
ers already living in that sectit
I, ord and