Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-18
10000 ACRES TO
Be RECLAIMED IN
SOUTH DAKOTA
BELLE F0URCHE PROJECT
NOW NEARS COMPLETION
Government Enterprise Win
Largest Embankment in the.
World VIII Cost Five Million.
Dollars,
tB1 l.. william Thnsie)
Morning journal Bureau.
GIS Munseg Huildlng,


Washington ID O. sept l6
Tile big Belle fnurehe irrigation
dam in South Dakota. which is the
largest earth e~mbankment in tn,
world, Is n~enrinR completion Con
strlttiou If the project WAS huthorl1-
I'D bg congress ON MaH 10, 1905. ~
"a cost Of SIS, 000, 600.
from an engineering standpoint tho
Belle Fourhe project Is one of The
most interesting which the GOVERN
mnet has set undertaseu IT'S prinei=
pal structure Us un ctrihen dam. THIS
wonderful dixie which closes the low
tat dcpresaions in The rim ol d natuf-
III basin. Is 6.2O0 feet long. 20 feet
Wild ON top. and ma feet high in the
highest place. The inside face of this
structure. which has a slope of 2 lo j.
will be- protected from wave % ice
action hy 1870 feet of screened gray
"a on which win be plnced concrete
blocks eath 4 by q feet aud 3 inches
thick. The euhlcai contents Of this
dixie VIII be 2,10o.000 cubic feet, of
about hair of the famous pyramid Of
theopH.
The reservoir created hy this dam
win coqes about 5000 acres. ANA VIII
lie the lafRest lake Ia the state 1t
will receive water thranph AN inlet
enunl six aud one-half miles long. 40
feet wide on the bottom. and capable
81 carrying the entire flow Of Belle
Faufche river When the distribution
system ~ the project is completed
500 miles af canals ana iAterals VIII
carry The waters aver l0H,UOD acres
OF land. About 80, 600 acres already
are receiving water.
In connection with The project Is a
diversion dam of concrete weir type,
having 4 height Of 22 feet The length
~ its masonry crest u 400 feet, The
diversion dam is located about two
miles below the main project
The ReIle Fourche irrigation project
covers q territory OF 10000 acres
OF which 100, 600 acres Will be irrt
rated Ia the Belle Fourehc valley. This
ffnct Hes on both sides 40 tho river,
begins two miles east of the town of
Belle Fourcbe. and extends eastward
Tor forty miles. Within the area are
included SO. 600 acres If public land
10000 acres of private land, aud g..
600 acres owned hN the state NJ South
Dakota owing a. the rolling char
arter uf the region, however, much
nf the land Included between the mann
canals lies above the ditch, so that
10 rs possible To- irriRate only 100000
acres. the lands have, whore possible
therefore. been 10 divided that each
firm unit win contain a portion 0f
drt PASTURE hand as Well ns irrigated
land Twelve Thousand acres in the
project are now heing supplied with
water, aud the irrigated area is he-
ing increased aa fast Hs the canals
are completed, and $4,000 acres oi
~iirigablc land viii ne covered with
water for 1911 spring crops.
The completion of this grent irri-
CATION project begins "a new epoch IN
the history of the Belle fourcho valley
fromW hieh now on viii rank as one
81 the richest agricultural regions Of
the country. Much of the land ems
brnced in the project has been filed
80. owing Go the law limiting the wac
ter rights OF au Individual Co an
amount not Go exceed $50 acres, many
farmers owning more hand than this
are offeriue tracts for safe. These
lands max bc purchased at from $40
40 S25 an acre thc price VARYING with
Tho location and the improvements
When under cultivation these lands
win euHitQ hc worth from $40 to Stud
an acre and un investment at these
prices VIII undoubtedly pay "a good
Interest
Tho rarms which Uncle sam offers
for sale in connection with this proc
iect ere open Co entry under the gene
trul provisions of The homestead iaw
ma the reclamation Hut. After wise
itiur tho hand the settler Is required
to make bis homestead entry at the
local land office at Rapid City, or
before the United States commissioner
ut Belle Fourchr. The homestead
entry must be accompanied hy au up-
p|ligatiou for wltor right There is
no lottery. ln addition iu the uomi-
unl entry fee thc settler must pty m
advance pue-ttnth oft the building
ch8rpr nr three dollars per acre ol
irritable land a lnnrnt is ALSO mIdY