Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-12-05
IRRIGATION IN NORTH DAKOTA
"%@'' 80 49,: ~ = - = = - -
II" y 50 ~
H. Storrs Electrical Engineer y s. Reclamation Ser.
vice. In Charge Irrigation Work In North Dakota.
Address at National Irrigation Congress- Ell Paso Texas.

Surveys and examinations of the
entire arid portion of North Dakota
have been pushed Systematically and
energetically by the reclamation serv-
ice to discover a locality where the
natural conditions offer fighting
chance of working out a feasible IT.
rigation project. But the topographic
features of the state are distinctly un-
favorable to the storage and diversion
of water from its streams, and while
it's neighboring state in the west Of
fers a dozen possible projects, many
of them evidently feasible, North Da-
kota seems to possess few of any pos
sibilities of large irrigation projects.
The smaller streams are fiat in slope,
variable in flow, devoid Of favorable
reservoir sites and hemmed in by
high banks Of earth, all of which con-
ditions are unfavorable to storage or
diversion of irrigating water.
Plans for Pumping.
This season, however, it was deter
mined to ascertain whether it would
be feasible to pump water from the
Missouri river for irrigating the in
viting bench lands which extend for
many miles along it's banks. The
reclamation service has been unwilling
to resort to this method of securing
irrigating water, on account Of its
presumed high cost, if any cheaper or
simpler method couId be discovered.
The feasibility Of any pumping prof.
ect is not assured until it is demon
strated that the value of the lands
and crops will warrant the necessary
expenditure for pumping machinery,
canal system and annual operating
expenses. These expenditures must
be borne by those who receive the
benefits of the irrigating water, since
every dollar expended by the gov
eminent for such purposes must, soon
or late, be returned to the reclamation
fund. For this reason it is really the
people concerned in any such project
who, by agreeing to cooperate with
| the government, decide that the prof.
ect shall be considered feasible.
The engineer can determine the
natural conditions, the cost of irriga-
ton works and their maintenance and
operation, and can present figures
| showing the cost per acre for irrigat-
ing a proposed tract of land 1t then
rests with the land owners to decide
| whether they will agree to pay what
is required to install and operate the
| proposed irrigation works.
Irrigation Education Necessary.
The people of North Dakota have
much to learn regarding the value of
irrigation. Almost no irrigation has
been attempted thus far, and the ma
jority Of farmers have had no oppor-
| tunity to see what has been accom-
plished in other states. Undoubted-
! ly when the facts are presented to
and understood by the people they
will be as ready to accept the condi.
tons and secure the dement's resulting
from reclamation projects as have
been the farmers in Montana and
| other western states.
AS a result of preliminary investi-
cations not yet completed, the re-
| clamation service will soon present to
land owners in the vicinity of Bis
marck, in Buford-Trenton and posi-