The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1904-12-31
Project is lmpractic ubie.

James a. brench, who made head
quarters in Dickinson last summer,
while doing government work in the
Bad Lands, has just made an official
report, extracts of which will interest
many PRESS readers.
The survey was made with view of
asccrlaining the feasibility of conduct
ing water from the Little Missouri to
the headwaters of the Cannon Ball and
Grand rivers. The following extracts
are given:
The Little Missouri river heads in
Wyoming and flowing in a northeasterIy
direction crosses the southeastern corner
OF the state of Montana; then entering
the state OF South Dakota, and thence
into North Dakota, its course is north
erly for 100 miles, where 1t turns abrupt
ly to the east and enpties into the
Missouri river at Fort Berthold Indian
reservation.
The small discharge that occurs dur
Tor the crops, June, July and August.
necessitates the storage of the waters OF
this stream. Owing TO the low, flat
country through which it passes in
Montana and South Dakota, there is
no available reservoir Storage would
have to be provided at some point below
the divides in Cannon Ball and Grand
river drainages. The division selected
at point 40 miles south Of the south
boundary line of North Dakota, and
fur miles north of Ashcroft, South
Dakota The canal line would follow
for 5 miles through fairly good country
for construction, with three or four
exceptions where Gu, banks along the
river would be encountered.
In the vicinity OF the boundary be-
tween North and South Dakota the line
would have to head several creeks that
could not be crossed under an ordinary
heavy fill. This condition increased
rapidly descending the river, the creeks
growing longer and the canyons deeper
and wider, with side hills and cut banks
Of great height.
In the case Of Spring, Skull, Coyote,
Seven, Five, Horse and other creeks
adjacent, it would be next to impossible
to cross by fumes or syphones or by
fills, owing to the great expense. 10
head them means 10 miles or more of
heavy work with numerous culverts and
heavy fills. Where these creeks cross
the direct line OF the canal they vary IN
depth from 50 to 200 feet and from one
to four thousand feet in width. For
each creek there is corresponding cut
bank from 50 to 100 feet in height and
vertical cliffs from 400 to 1000 feet or
more in length. These would have to
be gone through and cannot be avoided.
From below Spring creek the river is
in the Bad Lands and a simple inspec
ton is sufficient to condemn any canal
construction. There is no place along
the Little Missouri that comes under the
investigation where there is a possibility
of dam being constructed to store the
waters. There is no dam site, no reser-
voir Of capacity, the river falling approx
imately eight feet in one mile, with a
narrow valley. making a small area for
storage. Any further investigation of
the possibility of diverting the Little
Missouri river in this vicinity would be
an unnecessary expense, and drive
along the canal line that would have
| to be followed would be convincing of
the cnormour amount OF work that would
have to be done. particularly along this
| stream is North Dakota.
The shortest canal that would divert
the waters OF the Little Missouri river
into The Cannon Bail and Grand river
drainage would be a length OF more
| than l7omiles.