The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-03-22
COOPERATIVE IRRIGATION.

One of the measures passed by the
ninth legislative assembly is of con
siderable Importance to Montana citi'
zens who may become interested in CO.
operative irrigation projects. The
new law requires that assistance be
given by the state, through the Carey
land act board, to persons of small
means who propose to construct their
own irrigation facilities, the method
of operation being described in the
law as follows:
parties desiring such aid shall in.
corporate as a cooperative irrigation
association for the purpose Of recla.
nation by their own labor of arid
lands open to reservation under the
said acts of congress and of the set.
Element upon said lands. Each mem.
Der shall subscribe to one share of the
stock for each 40 acre tract of land to
be filed upon and reclaimed by him
and the total number of shares issued
by such association shall be limited to
one for each 40 acres of land filed up
on. After the articles of incorpora-
lion are filed with the secretary of
state, the fee for which shall be five
dollars, the association may apply to
the Carey land act board for aid and
it shall be the duty of the state engi.
neer, or his assistant, under such rules
and regulations as the board may
adopt, to investigate the proposed
project and if found feasible, to pre-
pare the maps and data required for
reserving the land under the Carey act
and subsequently, to furnish the asso.
citation with the engineering plans
necessary for reclaim alton and to ex.
ercise a general supervisory control
over their execution.
"ThereupOn the said board shall, If
in the judgment of the state engineer
the reclamation of such land is feast.
BILE and practicable, cause the same to
be reserved and contract with the Uni
ted States subject to the same limita-
tions as herein before provided, for
the reclamation of the same. The as.
ISOLATION shall pay the United States
land Office fees for the reservation of
the lands and Immediately after con.
tract shall have been entered into with
the United States shall pay to the
Carey land act board twenty-five cents
per acre filing fee for each acre re.
served. When all or any part of said
land has been reclaimed the board
shall apply for patent for same, pro.
vided that all cash outlay required for
obtaining patent shall be paid to the
board by the association Immediately.
"After water has been available for
irrigation of said lands for four sea.
sons the association shall, not later
than Nov. l of said fourth season,
pay to the Carey land act board such
additional amount not exceeding one
dollar per acre as may have been
agreed upon between said board and
such association before the reserva.
ton al made, for all said land pat
ented to the state and %thereupon deeds
shall be issued by the state to each of
the stockholders of said association
having settled upon any OF said lands,
for SO many acres as their stock may
entitle them to respectively.
''After the state has obtained patent
IT may issue deeds at any time when
the land is paid for in tracts of not
less than 40 acres nor more than 100
acres to any stakeholder designated
by the association, being a settler up
on any of said lands. Water rights
for said lands shall be appurtenaut to
and inseperable from the legal sub
division for which il was a%ppropri-
ated.'
The money received from the sale of
lands reclaimed under this act are to
be used, first. 10 pay the small current
expenses OF the board: second, to re-
imburse the state for expenses hereto.
fore incurred, and, third, to pay some
OF the Indebtedness created by the pro-
decessor Of the Carey board.
State Engineer John w. Wade il
chairman Of the Carey board, the
other members being Secretary of
State \. n. Noder ana State E.xamiu-
er L. L. Collins.