The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-04-08
IRRIGATION UP TO FINAL TEST.
Belle Fourche Project Will Show If It
10 Practicable.

10 'oSSISd0iCs
Raymond F. Walter of the United
States geological survey, who had
charge of the national irrigation work
in this section last year., has returned
to the field after spending the winter
in Denver, and expects to open his sea
son here May l.. The work this sea
son should prove whether the Belle
Fourche irrigation project is practical
BILE.
The preliminary survey Of this I'M
dertaking was made last summer. The
principal work to be accomplished this
summer is in the determining of the
amount Of water available. Upon this
entirely will depend the success "
abandonment of the enterprise. The
measurements made last summer of
the Belle Fourche and Redwater rivers
showed 10000 acre feet of water. The
work did not begin last year, however,
until June, which was subsequent to
the food season, and the flood waters
of the spring were therefore not taken
into consideration. 1t is estimated
that two acre feet of water will be
necessary to irrigate one acre of land
In this region. Mr.. Walter says the
duties of the water in his estimation
is not less than two, and it may be
two and one-half feet, depending m
what upon the amount Of rainfall and
the nature of the crops planted. Mr..
Walter hopes to show water sufficient
for the reclamation of from $4,000 to
$50, 900 acres. If 100000 acres are to
be reclaimed, not less than 100000
acre feet of water will be essential.
The estimated cost of the proposed
Belle Fourche project is $1,50O,O 900.
The intake of the main ditch is
a mile from the town of Belle FOurche,
and at this point will have a capacity
of 1875 cubic feet per minute. 1t will
be forty feet wide at the bottom and
will carry water ten feet deep. Its
course will be along the northerly side
of Belle Fourche river, and will be six
miles long from the river to the main
reservoir. 1t is proposed to form this
reservoir by an enormous dam in Dry
creek, an affluent of the Belle Fourche.
The dam will be $500 feet long, of
ea%rth-flled construction, stone rip-rap-
ped, and eighty feet high at the high
est point. Over 100000 yards of
earth will be required for the fill. This
pond will have a surface area of 1000
acres when full. and will contain
So. 900 acre feet of water. In addition
to this there will be several smaller
reservoirs under the canal on the east.
1t is estimated hat 120 miles of dis
tributing canals will be required ulti-
mately to be built as the land is settled
upon and demand created.
Mr.. Walter says that the land in
this region will not require as much
water for irrigation as land in ColO-
RADIO, partly owing to the greater rain
fall and partly to the presence of less
sand in the soil than in Colorado. The
annual precipitation in Western South
Dakota varies in different localities.
At Fort Meade, the military authOri-
ties have kept careful records OF the
readings of the rain gauge since 1879,
and there a precipitation Of 1912 inches
is shown. At Spearfish the precipita-
ton is somewhat greater, and at Rapid
City it is less.
Last year a force of fifteen men was
In the field, and this year the force
will be doubled. 1t is proposed to sur
vey all of the land within the area
covered by the ditch. with five-foot
contour. Chief Newell of the division
will be here at the opening of the sea
sons work.