The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1911-09-15
AN IRRIGATION
PROPOSITION

Last Saturday the Board of County
Commissioners voted to join with
Sully and Hughes counties and APP
propriate funds for the surveying of
what is known as the Little Bend r.
rigation project.
County Commissioner r. +. Nor.
rison was over from Philip Wednes-
day evening and gave us the follow.
ing details in regard to the project,
and we beliye our readers will realize
the benefits that will result from this
move and will uphold the Commits
sioners in their action.
The point or bend In the Missouri
river known as Little Bend is at the
the northeast corner of the county
and the three counties mentioned a.
bove will stand an equal share of the
expense Of making the survey and
finding out If it is practical PROPOSE
ton to tunnel through this bend and
divert water from the Missouri river
through it to furnis, power to pump
water into reservoirs for irrigation
purposes.
At this point the river makes large
horse shoe bend and covers over thir.
ty miles distance to get about two
miles in direct line, 1t Is proposed
to dig twenty foot ditch or tunnel
through the narrow part of this bend
and In the two miles distance q fall
of some sixteen feet would be gained
which would furnish oyer thirty-four
thousand horse power at the low
water mark and over hundred
thousand horse power at high water
The power thus obtained could be
used to operate large dynamos and
the electricity wired to all part of the
three counties. within two hundred
miles without losing any power, and
used for the purpose Of pumping wat.
er from the White, Cheyenne, Bad
and Missouri rivers and storing It in
large reservoirs along the divides be-
tween these rivers, and make 1t ros-
sible to turn the water onto practi-
cally every acre In Stanley county
when moisture is most needed for the
crops.
The power developed at the tunnel
could also be used for the operating
of electric lines and heating and light
ing purpose at any place within these
counties, but from the standpoint of
OF an irrigation project the PROPOSE
tion looks the best for that is a mat
ter In which every land owner in the
county Ia directly interested and the
successful outcome of this project
means the increasing of land values
in this county millions of dollars.
The county commissioners appro-
priated $3.50 as their share of the ex-
pense of having the survey made ON
Little Bend and il the tunneling
proves practical a survey will be
made to locate pumping stations and
reservoir sites throughout the entire
county and the total expense to Stan
ley county will amount to only 81, ,667
Il
or less than an assessment of ten
cents on each quarter of decided land
in the county.
II the proposition Is feasible after
the survey is completed capitalists
will be interested and the work of in
stalling the system will be commenc-
ed as soon as charter can be seured
from Congress this winter.
The commissioners exceeded their
legal limits a little in appropriating
this amount Of money without vote
of the taxpayers, but they were COM
PEELED to act at once in order to get
the survey completed in time to se-
cure the charter through Congress,
and the PRESS believes the people
will stand by the commissioners on
this proposition that means 80 much
to the future of Stanley county.