The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-02-22
IRRIGATION IN WYOMING
Governments Vast Project In
the Big Horn Country.
ENTIRE COST WILL BE s2,5oo,0o0

How One Hundred and sixty Thou.
sand Acres of Desert Lands Are to
De Redeemed For Agricultural rur-
poses-Big Crops OF Alfalfa, Grain
And Potatoes Are Looked For.
One Of the greatest Of the irrigation
projects nov 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 a big
irrigating company with Il 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
negotiations with the government to
take the job off his hands. Finally,
about two years ago. Cody vas 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 vas 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 dan has
been located in the Box canyon. half II
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, GO feet
wide at the surface Of the stream and
16O feet wide at the top Of the dam.
The dam is to be 200 feet above the
water and 90 feet beneath, where 1t
will be necessary to penetrate to reach
solid bedrock. Through the operations
Of nature this ninety feet has been
dlled 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 it will be
necessary to e~Xcavate for that depth,
and in the meantime Il 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 wldened from one to three
miles. and with such Il 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
| vsnccnp,lJn .r, 'sl,n D1nv,:,,, .% <1,r>
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 sayebrush and ~greascwood.
but Of such Il character as will war
rant expectations of immense crops of
alfalfa, grain and potatoes when once
water is spread We it. In fact, Cap
tain Hammond says for Il potato coun-
try this cannot he surpassed. some of
the tubcrs growing to the dimensions
Of respectable sized pumpkins-that is,
local enthusiasts make that claim. I'm
menSe bectS are also grown there.
The country is Il mixture of lime
stone and sandstone which has been
tilted and in many places thrown to
n 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
npr annllm and cirhtv foot I'm from
the stream bottom headgates will be
put in and Il tunnel cut through the
side hill to the main canal beyond,
which is to be fifty miles long, capable
Of disclarging 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.
Caynp p,ilac ho1nu, tho dam 1.,%,,