Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-12
PROJECT
NEARING COMPLETION
Government Dams at Bells
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.
another year has passed, the first re
suits of the immense irrigation projec
now in process Of completion Will b.
seen. BY that time the inlet cana
carrying the water six and one-haE
miles to the reservoir dam willvhavt
been completed. and the lands whic.S
will draw their supply from the bitches
taking their rise from this canal will
be supplied. The main portion of thu
land included in this project will not
however, be supplied with water before
1909, as the great reservoir dam. viii
not be completed until that year
Driving down the valley of the Bell,
Fourche river, one travels for two
miles before coming upon the frs
step in this work, the diversion dam
which is almost completed. This dam
like all the work, is constructed will
a view to ~permanency. 1t is all buih
of concrete and steel, with the excep.
ton Of the false work in putting i,
the concrete. From his dam the wa.
ter passes through the inlet canal, ais;
practically completed, for a distance,
of six n one-half miles to the i'm
mense reservoir dam, the largest earth.
en- dam in the United States. 1t will
cover 5000 acres of land and will hole
2O0,O00-acre feet of water. The EN-,
pdilhIiiSIil llSGll VIII DS over one Illlt
long, 115 feet high, 500 feet wide a,
the bottom and 20 feet wide at the ton
1t Will be built entirely of earth, Will
the exception of n concrete facing mex
to the water. The contract for thi,
work was let a year ago, the contract
ors being allowed four years in which
to complete the task. The contraa
also includes work IN both the nortl
side and the south side feeders and /,
valued at over 81, 900, 600.
The contractors are now pushin.
work with a large force of men, nearl.
Il thousand men and a quarter as mani
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 is 81
immense an undertaking that although
men have been busy since early i,
the summer there does not appear, Il
the casual observer, to have been mucf
accomplished. AT present, however, tn,
sum total of each days grading is tn,
moving of not less than 1000 yards Of
earth. Fairly rapid progress is made
as the country is not a difficult one il
which to work, owing to the absence CT
rock and the character of the earth.
The gravel for the concrete work. C,
which a large amount is done, is oh.
iained from the gravel pits neal Sno.
ma and hauled a distance of six mile,
by the traction engine. Each of theSi
Engines draws five wagons holdin,
seven cubic yards, or ten tons, zach
thus giving to each train a capacity O,
about t~hirty-five cubic yards. or fit.
TINS. The cost daily for each trair
Is about SIS, and each train make.
w trips. The building of a narrow
Eauge railroad from the gravel pit,
TO the dam is now being considered
n it is estimated that with thil
method Of transportation the cos
would be considerably reduced.
The contractors on the south sid,
feeder canal, which runs from TIL,
liam through the south stretch Of coun.
Try, secured an extension Of time or
their contract, and now expect to hav
the first eight miles completed by tn,
middle of this month. Some Of tn,
most difficult construction work on tn,
nntire project is encountered in this di
vision, as many draws and creeks ar,
to be crossed, where concrete culvert
must be built to care for the storm ,
waters. There viii also be a concrete
reinforced steel inverted syphon ST, ,
feet in diameter and 500 feet in Length ,
% carry the water under the Bell, I,
river. 1t will be placed from |,
to eight feet below the bed Of tn, !
and will be less expensive tina, !
steel spans. :