The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-03-23
IRRIGATION IN WYOMING
Governments Vast Project In
the Big Horn Country.
ENTIRE COST WILL BE S2,5OO,OO0

How One Hundred and Sixty Thou
sand Acres of Desert Lands Are to
Be Redeemed For Agricultural Pur-
poses--Big Crops of Alfalfa, Grain
and Potatoes Are Looked For.
One of the greatest of the irrigation
projects now being undertaken by the
government in the arid regions of the
far west Is what Is known in official
circles as the Shoshone project, In Big
Horn county, Wyoming, says the Des-
eret News Of Salt Lake. This is moth
Ing less than a scheme, now fairly
launched and under way, for the re-
demption through irrigation Of 100000
acres Of hitherto desert lands spread
out to the northeast Of the Shoshone
river from the town of Cody and for
! meriy known among the Indians Of
that section as the "Stinking Water"
because Of the rank sulphurous fumes
arising from various vents and crevices
In the earth adjoining the stream,
which Is also more or less impregnated
with the chemical.
Sinking Water river has proved alto
gether too uneuphonious for the mod
ern refined ear, and it has been chang
ed to ShoShOne.
Some years ago Buffalo Bill Colonel
w. F. Cody sensed what might be
done in this section in the way of irri-
cation and started out to organize big
irrigatng company with view to do
ing just what the government Is now
proposing to do. But it was not long
before the immensely Of the undertake
ing impelled him to halt and enter into
negotiations with the government to
take the job off his hands. Finally,
about two years ago, Cody was induced
to sign off all his claims to the lands
Immediately under the scope Of the
project, and then the government took
hold. The scheme was placed under
the immediate direction Of Civil Engi-
neer ]. Ahern Of the reclamation bu-
reau Of the geological survey for Wyo-
ming and the necessary Typographical
surveys made.
The site of the proposed dam has
been located in the Box canyon, half a
mile below the junction Of the north
and south forks and six miles above
the town of Cody, where the walls Of
the canyon are LOO feet high, 80 feet
wide at the surface of the stream and
100 feet wide at the top Of the dam.
The dam Is to be 200 feet above the
water and 90 feet beneath, where it
will be necessary to penetrate to reach
solid bedrock. Through the operations
of nature this ninety feet has been
filled in with powders and slabs from
the cliffs above, some of them being
thirty feet thick. This has been es-
tablished by Captain G. A. Hammond
and Professor Swendsen, drill experts
Of the geological survey. So 1t will be
necessary to eXcavate for that depth,
and in the meantime a short tunnel
and canal will be run around the south
side of the dam site, through which the
stream will run The size Of the cross
section of the dam has. not yet been de-
termined, but will be ample for any
pressure that may be brought to bear
by 200 feet of water
The water will be set back some
eighteen or twenty miles, the forks
above being widened from one to three
miles. and with such depth Of water
Captain Hammond sees no reason why
pretty siZeable steamers should not be
placed thereon, and this, combined with
the remarkable scenery and glorious
climate, ought to make any scheme to
build here a summer watering resort a
reasonable one The elevation at the
dam Is $500 feet above the level Of the
sea, which is neither too high nor too
low for health purposes. The country
Is a mixture of mountain and wide
valley lands, the latter at present COW
cred with sagebrush and greasewood,
but Of such character as will war
rant expectations Of immense crops Of
alfalfa, grain and potatoes when once
water is spread over It, In fact. Cap
tain Hammond says for potato cOun-
try this cannot be surpassed, some Of
the tubers growing to the dimensions
Of respectable sized pumpkins-that is.
local enthusiasts make that claim. I'm
mense beets are also grown there.
The country is a mixture Of lime
stone and sandstone which has been
tilted and in many places thrown to
one side by an eruption Of silurlan
granite from the beginnings OF first
things in geology. This granite is very
hard and has pushed its way through
to the tops of the various peaks and
will furnish the material for the DAM
The river will furnish 100000 acre feet
per annum, and eighty feet up from
the stream bottom headgates will be
put in and tunnel acut through the
side hill to the main canal beyond,
which is to be fifty miles long. capable
Of discharging 1900 second feet. There
Is more water in the local sources Of
supply than can be entirely utilized,
and when the reservoir is once full
part of the year some Of the water will
have to run to waste
Seven miles below the dam water
10 fol-