Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-03-27
ARE ALIVE TO THEIR
OPPORTUNITY
SOUTH DAKOTA PEOPLE ACCEPT
OPPORTUNITY .oFFERED BY
.s UNITED STATES. 4

SOUTH 0AkOTA PEOPIE ACCER ssi
OPPORTUNITY OFFERED BY
UNITED STATES.
NINETY THOUSAND ACRES WILL
BE IRRIGATED 10000 Al
READY APPROPRIATED.
/ Minneapolis Journal: Every doubt
as to the construction Of the gigantic
irrigating scheme in this vicinity Is
now at an end. The Belle Fourchs
Valley Waters Users association.
composed Of the owners Of the land
embraced in this scheme, has met and
voted to enter into the final contract
with the government for the work. II
few days a surveying party from
Denver will arrive to look after the
preliminary work incident to the let
ting of the first contract for construc-
ton on April 10. The surveying party
will be in charge Of H. E. Green Of
Denver.
Not many comprehend the magni-
tude of this irrigating scheme, not
even here in the Hills. The project
viii cost over $4,000 900, and an ap-
preparation of $2,1oO,Oo0 has already
been made. It viii reclaim about
90, 900 acres of choice farming land.
5000 being government land subject
to, location. This land Is not arid
but has been famous ever since the
first settlers for its excellent grazing.
| The land to be watered lies on each
side Of the Belle Fourche river. A
dam will be built a mile and half
below this city for the purpose OF
diverting the water from the Belle
Fourche and Redwater rivers to the
mammoth reservoir on Dry creek.
six and half miles away. The inlet
canal will be forty feet wide at the
bottom and sixty feet wide at high
water line, carrying water ten feet
deep, with a capacity of 1855 cubic
feet a second.
The mammoth dam will be built a
half mile from the mouth of Dry
creek, which will cover about 5000
acres when full, with maximum
depth Of ninety feet and capacity of
150, 900 acre feet of water, or enough
to cover seventy-five acres of land
two feet deep. ..-
From the reservoir two main dis
tributing canals will be built, one to
the north on Indian creek falkland.
thence to Willow creek divide, cross
ing, Owl, Indian and Horse creeks.
This canal will be sixty miles long.
The other canal will be run on the
west side of Owl creek and will irri-
gate the land along the river and the
body of land west of the mouth Of
| the Owl, and will water the land on
the south side of the Belle Fourche
river in the vicinity of Butte, Vale
and Empire. This canal will be thirty
miles long.
1t Is probable also that a reservoir
which will cover 1900 acres with a
which will sover 1900 acres with a
maximum depth of thirty feet and a
water capacity of $4,000 acre feet.
This reservoir will water land along
the lower Belle Fourche river, and it
will also be supplied with the food
water from Indian, Owl and Horse
creeks. The structure are to be of
Norma mont obaraotor owl OH I.4..~,.
are to be complete, and the water to
be delivered to each farm. Each per-
son owning land will be privileged to
receive water for 60 acres and no
more. The government land will
probably be settled in 80 or 120-acre
tracts.
The soil in this district is especial
ly well adapted to the growing of
small fruits. The largest landowners
have had correspondence with capital
lists of Michigan in respect to the
building Of beet-suger factories. Tests
made three years ago at the agricul-
tural college at Broohngs, for
the purpose Of determining the per-
centage of sugar in beets grown in
Butte county gave % per cent, which
is the highest Of all the counties in
the state. 1t is estimated that there
are something like 100000 acres OF
grazing land adjacent to this irrigated
tract. One Of the staple products
that will be grown win be alfalfa for
winter feed for the range stock 1t is
estimated that the annual income
from the irrigated crops win be
81 100000, and the government land
now valued at S. to $40 an acre viii
be icreased valuation of the irrigated
ground Of many millions Of dollars.
The proposed new line to the coast
BY the Milwaukee railway company
~-vf1 49, 4. -