Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-03-05
Two and a Quarter Millions To Be Expended
On Dams and Canals
SCENE OF GREAT ENGINEERING ACTIVITY
AcisaI Work Begun N the Sheshsne in the Wilds Of North
Western Wyoming

WASHINGTON, D. q, March ~
Especial THE Wild and wonderful
topography Of northwestern Wyomint
IL 10 be the scene Of great engineering
activity. A recent action 81 the Irriga
tIon service In setting aside two and :
garter million dollars for The con
struc,ion Of 4 huge dam and irriga
tion works on the Shoshone river In
Wyoming lends interes. TO some 1T
liz known Investigations which havs
been made Ia this unlnhabited wilder
ness. "A brief discussion Of The worl
OF the government engineers durinf
the past year In this region will b.
found 10 tho forth coming second an
nnal report of The Reclamation ser
yice. but the explorations and surveys
or the government date back almost
10 the Civil war.
The shoshone project has great pos
sIbilities and when completely worked
out will probably irrigate fully 500.
900 acres Of waste lands, parched, but
holding IN their dry embrace endur.
Ing fertility.
Rising neal the boundary Of the Vel.
iowstone National park In northwest
ern Wyoming, that natures wonder.
land the shoshone river, flowing east
ward, PUSHES into a canon cut down
through solid granite. The flow Of the
Shoshone, named by the Indians
Shrinking Water" because Of lis sui.
phurous origin among the Yellowstone
springs. Is highly variable. In time
Of flow 5000 Of 10000 cubic feet per
second. and again as low as $50 feet
The possibilities Of this project there
fore. lie In the storage OF the floods.
Joining the wallis OF this granite can.
on, the government win build q ce-
ment and stone dam. as immoyable as
the everlasting rocks themselves, and
rising 40 feet above tho river Lowell
forming q great lake covering 1900
acres. and with a storage capacity OF
1000, 000. 900 cubic feet. The canyon
at the dam site 10 but rs feet wide at
the river level, and al tho curb OF the
proposed dam f40 fee. Woe. thus form
ing an acute inverted triangle with
the point disappearing into tho river
The stored snow water viii be lend
from the reservoir onto the agrscul.
lands through a system Of TIM
nels and canals about four miles In
TO Be Well Built.
In discussing this project before a
Joint meeting OF the senate and house
last month. Frederick II.
Newell. tho national photographer, EN-
phaslzcd the necessity for most care
tul surveys. I'VE can" he said, build
/ storage dam IL the upper end 81 the
canyon and cover n vast ok.
emit of very high bench land; we can
,ome lower down and cover d lower
OF bench. and we a build 4
bird and still lower site and still Gov
i still lower lands and less or them.
Zach Of these alternatives Is being con-
in relation 10 the ultimate fur
ure development Of the country. The.
'~retically tho government prefers 10
The highest and the largest
errltory. TO secure the greatest acre
We. the cost. however, per acre is the
Il must be remembered. how
yer, that whatever project II takcn
VII he final.
like the Modern Railroad,
The works are 10 lie IL solid con
.rete and ~ the best construction and
D The same principle that 4 modern
abroad IL built. / et with d view ii
ow cost ~ maintenance III order not
throw upon The people The neccssE
y ~ practically rebuilding iii their
lumes AZ soon as they are paid for.
The high line and largest canal FOR
be shoshnne will make Il an inter,
tate project IN rs finality cutting
lcross The divide into Montana and
nto the Crow Indian reservation. Upon
he opening of this reservation flor
which a bin has been reported fayo-.
bly, ID the Honsc) the government
Engineers can 10 Into the reservation
nd pick out the reclalmable lands :
The immediate reclamation 10 result
rom the first work OF the government
this river viii be about 10000 acres
D Wyoming, but as stated the ulti.
nate utilization Of all the food waters
4 this shed will irrigate an estimated
alt million acres.