Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-09-30
.CH,AI|NDL Err REPORTS
ON IRRIGATION

Irrigation Engine Ell 4
With the / !. !. Go j I ! ernor
Govarnor White to appoint at once al
state engineer a. s \; NJ i
u After this app ointment fell on me III
the middle 81 the summer, each weeks:
work ',r showed more clearly how great
the possibilities here, how much work
could 9 advantag eously be done and III.
how many directions Investigations
ought to be carried, until I was fairly
staggered, although / was somewhat
conversant with the situation through
having been IN charge Of the river
gauging K and stream-me asurement
work that the federal government or
reclamation service Is doing in this
and one adjoining state. In the first
season (and q very short season. only
q mere beginning has been made, but
It'll s hoped that this may be Of value
In revealing what work ought to be
done In the hmm diate future and how
It should be conducted. "a detailed
report will be made to the governor
this. winter, and the legislature will be
asked to consider the. question and to
decide whether there lis a need for
the continuance OF this line OF work
and how extensively 1t should be car
ried on. h S..E Il, t ~. " :&..$ i.
f. This first seasons work may be out
lined in few minutes. Il. III. :,. = .:a Z. !.
Fl Measurements Of the quantity Of
water flowing In the flow fora consid-
Ierable E number Of years, allow the
amount and customary variation dur
ing each season In an ordinary year
10 be known with reasonable accuracy;
this is prerequisite to the most advan-
ltageous utilizati lon OF the streams. Just
as an intelligent farmer, or as a rec
ord Of the measurements Of his GUS
toners Is needed by the successful
coatmaker, hence this line Of work IS
Of prime Importance; but 1t Is already
carried on to a considerable extent in
this state by the United States Re-
Iclamation Service under federal ap-
preparation, and furthermote is Of
much greater value when thus carried
ION definitely through !, continuous
period of several years. So it did not
seem advisable that the work to be
done under the direction Of your as
1sociation should be / at first carried
along that lire. except when, incident
ally to other work, occasion offered
| without extra expense. Y
The latter half Of the summer i
spent with small feldparty+ in d
rapid preliminary survey or reconnais.
sance along some Of our streams to de
termine the location and extent OF irri.
! gable lands, the practicable sites for
reservoirs such as are needed to store
i the spring floods. and the most feasible
4 methods Of utilizing the water. An
4 effort was put forth to make some
little examination OF as much territory
/ as possible, and the work was carried
Ealong most of the length Of the valleys
Cd: the Cannonball. the knife, and the
Little Muddy, besides some smaller
4 streams: hese were not selected as
being the OILY possible regions for irri.
cation, nor as being necessarily the
[ most profitable ones. but because time
4 was lacking for more than avery few
lot the many attractive propositions
meriting attenti lon. n was necessary
to keep economy IA view In the work.
to avoid needless dlpli eation Of work
| In covering territory where Reclama.
4 ton Service 81 other parties Of eng.
|neers with the same object have re.
4 Gently been Or are likely to be soon. to
consider extent Of lands and the pos.
sibility 5of emil listing government as.
distance where tracts suitable foT
further survey should be found; and
Ito be governed BY accessib ility and
Isuitability Tor immed iate settl cement. B
An extended report Of this work
win Re submitted during the winter,
accompanied ny q schedule of the
many other projects which ought e
have Immediate md thorough inyesti.
4 cation but tor whic the most con.
yenient oppo rtunity has not vet "a
Ifered.
n this connec Ton should be clad
10 hear from my who have such pro.
sjectsf Al view y, their own vicinity in
order that a the E,ort ~ least !
brisf mention may III made os On
Iknown posstb ~. whether 81 no.
4 my extended a atiop has been
nad n them ANY detsi ~ conc snina
alocation ma extent of sslch isris able
4 tract. SOURCE ofI inter- supply char