The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-01-26
IRRIGATION IN WYOMING
Governments Vast Project In
the Big Horn Country.
ENTIRE COST WILL BE S2,5OO,OOO

san, 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 10000
acres of hitherto desert lands spread
out to the northeast of the Shoshone
river from the town of Cody and for
merly 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
irrigating 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 undertak-
| Ing impelled him to halt and enter into
I 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 J. 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, 60 feet
| wide at the surface Of the stream and
! 160 feet wide at the top of the dam.
| The dam is to be 200 feet above the
water and go feet beneath. where it
/ will be necessary to penetrate to reach
solid bedrock. Through the operations
! of nature this ninety feet has been
filed in with powders and slabs from
! the cliffs above, some of them being
] thirty feet thick. This has been es
atablished by Captain G. A Hammond
| and Professor Swendsen, drill experts
/ Of the geological survey. So it 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 a 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 summer watering resort
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 mixture Of mountain and wide
valley lands, the latter at present COW
cred with sagebrush and greasewood,
but of such a 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 a 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 mixture of lime
stone and sandstone which has been
tilted and in many places thrown to
one side by an eruption of silurian
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 a tunnel cut 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
will be taken from the canal and drop
ped 100 feet, where it will be utilized