Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-24
NEW FARMS FOR THOUSANDS
Many acres in Black Hills Region to Fe
Added to Agriculture.
GREAT BELLE FoURcH; IRRIGATION PROJECT
Some Detailed Information Concern
ing the Big Undertaking. the
Government IL Fast Push
ing 10 Completion

BELLE FOURCHE, s. D., Feb. 2s-(spe-
cial. Livery one has heard or read Of the
Belle Fourche Irrigation project under con-
struction by the government Of the United
States under the conditions Of the reclaim
alton act of June II, 1902 but few. even
here, outside Of those directly interested
or having something to do with it. know
much or anything of it's details. and few
people in the east know anything what
ever about 1t.
The Belle Fourche Irrigation project will
when completed. irrigate about 100. 900 acres
of land. most Of which is north Of the Belle
Fourche river. about 5000 acres in Butte
county and the balance in Meade county
No attempt viii be made at the beginning
20 irrigate land with a slope of more than
8 per cent.
The water for irrigation viii be taken out
OF the Belle Fourche river about a mile and
half below the city Of Belle Fourche by
means Of q diverting dam. This is Of solid
cement or concrete SsS feet long and Just
high enough TO raise the water out Of the
banks Of the river. This dam is thanked
on the south side by a dirt wing about ten
feet higher than the concrete dam, and
win be faced on the upper side with stone.
| In q flood the water viii run over the con-
crete dam onto an apron OF stone and con-
crete 70 prevent washing. There are gates
in this dam 90 that ordinarily the water Of
4 the river can be turned through without
raising its stage materially. When water
is turned into the inlet canal the stage Of
the river viii be raised enough TO form
lake extending to Belle Fourche. The d.
vertinE dam is now complete with excep-
ton Of some Of the facing on the dirt wing
nF h. -,
the middle Of the river. which VIII be COM
pleted early in the summer. as soon a.
work can be resumed
Auxiliary work Above Head Gates
The head gates opening into the inlet
canal are north Of and adjoining the con-
crete dam The canal starts from the
head gates and runs northeast across Crow
creek. where there is another concrete dam
| OF sluice. with gates. In order TO com
plete the diverting dam the river win be
turned into the inlet canal by means OF
Golfer dam and let through the gates IN
the Grow creek sluice and ran back into the
river q short distance below. The inlet
canal lie forty feet wide on the bottom,
sixty feet wide on top and carries ten feet
OF 1ss5 cubic feet OF water per second. and
is about six and a half miles long TO where
II empties into the dry creek basin through
a cut in the divide forty-four feet deep
The failure Of the wideI-Finley company
a year ago. who had this contract, has
delayed the completion OF this somewhat
but the work has been pushed by the gov
eminent engineers and viii be completed
early IN the summer.
Great Storage Reservoir.
The storage dam is Just below where
Dry creek empties into Owl creek and
about twelve miles northeast OF Belle
Fourche. This is Of earth, win be 6.2OO feet
long on top. lie feet high in the center Of
Owl creek. 500 feet through at the base
and twenty feet wide on top and will be
faced on the upper side with concrete
blocks eight inches thick to prevent wash
Ing This VIII make q reservoir with q
capacity OF 22OO00 acre feet, or enough
water TO cover $4,000 acres one foot eeep
AL but about sO00 acre feet OF which can
be drawn on through the steel and con
crete gates which VIII be put In the dam.
This reservoir VIII cover about 5000 acres
when full. about 100 acres at the level
OF the gates, thirteen miles lcnE c1 deep
water from the mouth Of the inlet canal
on Dry creek 10 the upper end OF the res
ervoir on Owl creek above the dam and
win have 3 shore line Of more than frty
miles. In building this dam the dirt is
put on IN layers about ten inches thick.
thoroughly wet and rolled down with
heavy traction engines. The dirt is han
died by the use OF a large steam shovel
and four narrow-gRuge engines and trains
OF ten dump cars each on 3 track. two
elevsting graders drawn by traction en-
gines and teams with dump wagons.
About 1000 yards Of art are moved IN
this way per day when AL OF the ma
Chinery is used OrmRn Crook. the con
tractors. have & second steam shovel on
the track ready 10 take out 10 the work
and other machinery ordered II viii take
three years yet 10 complete this DAM but
as soon AZ II is completed 70 q height
above the outlet gates water can be
turned through and into the bitches Work
on this dam has been Suspended for this
winter. a. the frozen dirt cannot be rolled
down.
work on the Canal
The north SIDE canal from the dam 70 H.
? dian creek about nine miles long is about
IS per cent completed. but q large part o.
the remaining work IL in a deep cut IN
which OT7man a Crook have their steam
shovel al work II win be finished tbs
coming summer. Indian creek win be
crossed by a steel and concrete sy-phon
The south side canal from the dam 10 ths
Belle FOurche river. about nine miles long
Is very nearly completed Water viii b.
: turned into this this summer.
Water from this ditch VIII be carries
across the Belle Eourche river through /
gph0n ave feet IN diGmstsr running undsl