The Dickinson press., 1904-02-20
SOME IRRIGATION SCHEMES.
80. y I-t 3k.t 3.tEs4
Civil Engineer Harold Points Gu,
s'tms lTrisa III, Possibilities 10
Western North Dakota.

StE19 lTrtga tel fOsstlltitl0s ~
Western North Dakota.
Editer Bismarck Tribune: Az the
request of several gentlemen inter
es,ed in the subject Of irrigation in
North Dakota, | have jntted downa
few items. winch may be of interest
as being The result Of personal Ohser-.
Walton. whilst engaged IN surveying
the tr,lcLs referred ".
An article in the Minneapolis
j. urnal headed North Dakota Irri-
gnlion," written by ". ". Jcrmune,
dated january 26lh. says. IF. +.
Weymouth who had charge Of the
Geological Survey of the irrigation
outlook in North Dakota, h.,s made
hls report, from which it appears
thai opportunity I" reclaim arid LAND
exists in the larger f1a:s on the Mis-
souri, river"
do not think tLa. amy scheme,
which takes, as ITS basic principle,
the damming Of the Missouri or Vel
Iowstone rivers, IS of any practical
| value. 1t would be far better to
cave these streams to their own err
ratio courses. You may by engin
eering skill and alter an expenditure
sufficient TO complete the Panama
canal. be able to blidle there streams,
only To find labor and money both
thrown away, as the result of a de-
~vastating ice gorge or a change in
treacheruus current When the old
Missouri takes the, bit IN its teeth,
the stnutest dam would be like u
snowti, Ike on the waters, "a moment
white then gone forever"
Again if we take into cOnsidera-
tion the fall per mil" rt the Missouri,
river from Fort Abraham Lincols to
the mouth Of the Cannonball river. u
distance Of furty-six miles, we find
that it is only 1913 feet, or n little
over .63 Of II foot to the mile. these
figures are taken from the survey
made hv the Missouri River commits.
SON in 1891. l have not the data
from Bismarck to the mouth Of the
Yellowstone, bnt presume that i,
does not vary much from the above.
In any case the height Of the bluffs
on either side rs the river would
more than offset any advantage
gained by II heavier fall per mile
For these reasons | AIN of the opin-
ion that the Missouri and Yellow
stone rivers should not be considered
in any practical scheme tor irriga-
ton purposes. Nor do We neef
them, for there is an ample supply
of what may be called upland wa err
which can lie READILY utilized, ut :
comparatively small cost. to iurni>l
all the water nee'lcl for The follow
ing areas:
Curlew Greek Hn'l its b~rancl,e
from AlmunL Station ON the n L
R'y TO Hebron, 81 distance of 3;
miles, will irriga'c 20 900 acres, an,
following ON tile same creek t. it
Junction with the Heart river, Il dis
lance Of over 30 miles, al additions:
$4,000 acres can be watered.
l Dog ..oulh Creek for II distance
: of 20 miles can furnish water for Z.
900 acres.
Louise Creek for II distance Ut 3;
miles will irriyutc 10000 ar,rs.
t Thirty Mil. Cree to its jnnc,i.,,
with the, Cedar, for Il distance If |;
] miles would irrigale 1000 acres.
: The Cedar with it's tributaries cal
{ be used for l2O miles and Would IT,
r rigate 10000 acres.
| The south fork of the Cannonbal
! river can be used for 80 miles ant
would irrigate As 5000 acres.
Chanta Pcta Greek for 80 mile
would irrigate $4,000 acres.
The north fork Of the Grand rive
and its tributaries. Lightning ant
Buffalo Greeks for II distance of 6;
miles would irligate 5000 acres.
i, Tie Green river would irrigat,
: 10000 acres.
The east and west branches of Ap
r pie Creek could he used u great al
vantage Out l am mol sunlcleilti',
well acquainted with the general Con
tour of the land adjoining this stream
to enable me to estimate the acreage
5 that would be benefi ted. In til,
, southwestern portion Of the state
can speak from experience. havin.
surveyed several hundred square
milas and travelled over nearly ever,
: section Of the district.
;. By a regular system Of dams a
different points, the melting snov
. and rains could he held and thus bill
, lions of gallons of water, which a
the present time finds its way 70 tn
Missouri river, could he intercepted
o.,I la1l g.. .E.a-