The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-11
IRRIGATION PROJECT
NEARING COMPLETION
Government Dams at Belle
Fourch Will Be Done
Within Year.
LARGEST IN THE NATION
Immense Dam Being Built OF Con.
crete and Steel. and Reservoir
Will Cover 5000
Acres.

Belle Fourche. s. D.. Oct. 5s-Bcfore
another year has passed. the first re-
suits OF the immense irrigation project
now I'm process of completion VIII be
seen. BY that time the inlet canal
carrying the water six and one-halr
miles TO the reservoir dam will have
been completed. and the lands which
will draw their supply from the ditches
taking their rise from this canal wiz
be supplied. The main portion OF the
land included In this project VIII not,
however. be supplied with water before
1909, ns the great reservoir dam VIII
not b. completed until that year.
Driving down the valley OF the Belle
Fourche river. one travels for two
miles before coming upon the hrst
step In this work. the diversion dam.
which In almost completed. This dana
like all the work. In constructed with
n view 10 permanency. IL Is all built
OF concrete and steel. with the excep-
ton OF the false work I'm putting In
the concrete. From this dam the wa
ter passes through the inlet canal. also
practically completed, for distance
OF six and one-hnlf miles to tho i'm
mensc reservoir dam. the largest Garth
an dam I'm the United States. IL VIII
cover 5000 acres OF land and will hold
zoe, 0O0-acrc feet OF water. The ems
bankment itself will be over one milo
long. lis feet high. 500 feet wide az
the bottom and 20 feet wide at the top.
IL will be built entirely OF earth. with
the exception OF n concrete facing next
TO the water. The contract for this
work was let year ago. the contract-
ors being allowed four years In which
To complete tho task. The contract
also includes work on both the north
side and the south side feeders and 10
valued at over Si,OO0.o00.
The contractors are now pushing
work with a large force OF men, nearly
"A thousand men and n quarter ns many
teams. To say nothing OF the three
steam shovels which are never idle.
forming the working force OF this firm.
The work OF building the dam II &C
immense an undertaking that although
men have been busy since carly In
the summer there does not appear. to
the casual observer. TO have been much
accomplished. At present. however. tho
sum total OF each days grading II the
moving OF not less than 1000 yards of
earth. Fairly rapid progress II made.
as the country liz not a difficult one In
which to work. owing TO the absence OF
rock and the character OF the earth.
The gravel for the concrete work. OF
which "a large amount Is done. IL OBJ
tanned from the gravel pits near Sno-
ma and hauled a distance OF six miles
by the traction engine. Each OF these
engines draws five wagons holding
seven cubic yards. or ten tons. each,
thus giving To each train a capacity OF
about thlrty-lve cubic yards, or fifty
tons. The cost daily for each train
is about S2s. and each train makes
two trips. The building OF narrow
gauge railroad from the gravel pits
90 the dam Is now being considered
and Il IL estimated that with this
method OF transportation the cost
would be considerably reduced.
The contractors on the south side
feeder canal, which runs from the
dam through the south stretch OF coun-
try, secured an extension OF time on
their contract. and now expect 10 have
the first eight miles completed by tho
middle OF this month Some OF the
most difficult construction work on the
entire project ~ encountered In this d.
vision, as many draws and creeks arc
Ia be crossed. where concrete cdlvertS
must be built TO care for the storm
waters. There will also be concrete.
reinforced steel inverted syphon six
feet In diameter and 500 feet I'm length
to carry the water under the Bcllo
Fourche river. II will be placed from
i've To eight feet below the bed OF tho
stream. and will be less expensive than