The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-02-02
MAIN POINT CONCERNING LAKE
BASIN RECLAMATION.
BY ENGINEER FITCH
Land Is FavorabIy Situated for irriqa.
tion With Avaiiabie Water
in Abundance. .

+ A letter has been received by John
w. Wade, state engineer, from C. HI
/. Fitch, United States engineer. in re
gard to some of the work done lest
year by the government in different
4 parts of Montana with the view tc
ascertaining the feasibility of reclaim
ing various tracts under the provis
ions OF the national irrigation act.
Particular reference is had to the
Sum river and Yellowstone river pro-
jects.
Yellowstone District.
e OF the proposed district on the
h Yellowstone Mr.. Fitch says:
+ "A rapid examination of what is
|, known locally as the Lake Basin
country on the north aitie of the
Yellowstone river, in Yellowstone and
Sweet Grass counties, Montana, was
i made.
There is a large tract of land, said
to comprise about 100000 acres OF
rolling upland, lying some distance
back from the Yellowstone river. The
sland slopes gradually toward the
south and east, and is 4favorably sit
uated for irrigation.
The Yellowstone river has consid-
cradle fall, but the controlling point
| for diversion of this stream to cover
| the lands above indicated would be
!, determined by the selection OF a
route for the canal which should pass
/ Through country where the cost OF
construction would be as economical
as possible. Without first running
two or three flying lines of levels to
determine this, it would be impossi-
BILE to state where such diversion
should be made.
II the water of the Yellowstone
were diverted in the vicinity of Big
Timber, the canal would doubtless
have sufficient elevation to reach all
of the lands which may be irrigated
from it, but it may be desirable to
continue higher up the river-possibly
as high as Livingston or above-in
order to run the canal behind the
river bluffs, which at several points
present difficulties in the way OF con-
struction. Along the river valley the
bluffs are i'm many places rocky and
precipitous, and behind these bluffs !
in many places the hills are very
rough and broken. There is doubtless
an adequate water supply to be OBJ I
'es'f.1'-a- $780, xs,ttowetone river |
As to Sun River.
The area between Sun river on the
north, the Missouri on the east and
the Rocky mountains on the west.s
writes Mr.. Fitch, was examined dur
ing the past season in order to deter
mine what changes, if amy, have taken
place since the investigation and sur
vey OF this region in 1889. At that
time 10 reservoir sites were selected
md several lines were run to deter
mine the area which could be irrdgat-
20. The report stated that between
sum and Teton rivers the area of the i
'ench land is about $4,000 acres, OF ,
which, perhaps, 395,00O acres could
'e probably cultivated if a sufficient !
water supply could be provided, and ,
nat fully 95 per cent of this area :
vas owned by the government and
lmost valueless, except for grazing. I
1T has been found that large por- d
lon of the public lands above refer. \
ed to have been disposed OF, but
hat the major portion is now held y
large individual tracts, and that it +
not cultivated, but is used for graz +
lg purposes, no diversion of water 4
pom the bench lands having been i,
lade. 1t was found tnat local COM
any of Chouteau, Montana, known as
le Kilraven Cooperative Canal COM
amy, is attempting to build a canal ,
lverting Sun river at the lower end !,
reservoir No. /, with a proposed -
apacity of about ATS second feet, and
is intended to irrigate bench lands
cove Sun river, the route of the orig s.
al government survey. About one s
lie OF the AZ miles contemplated has
Sen completed.
While much OF the land has been h