The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1912-06-20
Actual Construction of Three Great
Projects III the State viii Com a4a
mence this Year.
"A MILLION ACRES OF LAND WILL BE RECLAIMED WHICH
WILL GIVE EMPLOYMENT THOUSANDS OF SETTLERS AND
WILL DOUBLE THE POPULATION CITIES IN THAT REGION

Helena, June 16.-Actual con-
structicn work will be started this
year on the Sun river, the Milk riv-
er and the st. Mary's storage pro
jects of the reclamation service.
Supervising Engineer H. N. Saw
age received today telegram from
Director Newall advising him that
Secretary CT the interior approved
board recommendations for Milk
river and Sun river Of May 22, and
St. Mary storage OF May 49, M
Advertisements for bids to do
the work will be asked for as soon
as the plans and specifications of
the several projects have been mod
ified to conform with the recommen-
dations made by the board of engin-
GERS that last month went over them.
This board was composed of A.P.
Davis. chief engineer OF the RECLAIM
alton service. Consulting Engineer
A: J. Wiley and D. c. Henny, and
Supervising Engineer Savage.
This announcement. that carries
with it the immediate construction
OF the projects. means the ultimate
expenditure CT twenty million dol
lars, the reclamation of approxi-
mately half a million acres OF land.
and the doubling of the population
Of Great Falls and all the towns in
u the Milk River valley Il y said,
On the Sun river project the
board recommended for construc-
ton the Sun river diversion dam,
which will be $50 feet high and
zoo feet long at the crest" said Mr..
Savage today. "It further recon-
mended the construction of the Pish-
kun reservoir supply canal. with
capacity of 1000 cubic feet CT wat
er per second which is the equiva-
lent of 1000 acre feet per day. The
distance between the Sun River d.
version dam and the Pishkun res
ervoir Is fourteen miles. Three tun-
nels will be driven and the Sun
river will be crossed with three pres
sure pipe lines. each seven feet in
diameter, and a total length of
700 feet. The Pishkun reservoir will
have capacity of $4,000 acre feet.
From this reservoir the water will
be taken by two canal lines: The
Sun River Slope canal, with a capa-
city of 1000 cubic feet per second.
delivering water to approximately
100000 acres of land.
SOON TO INVITE BIDS.
Drawings and specifications here
tofore completed in general will be
brought into technical conformity
with the recommendations of the
board of engineers. and sent to
advertisement as soon as approval
can be secured therefore, which will
be in the very near future.
"The Great Northern railway Com.
pany has indicated that its line
from Vaughn, forty miles west to
Augusta will be completed immedi-
ately to furnish transportation for
the materials of construction re-
quired on the work.
1T is proposed to use electrical
power largely, either by developing
about 1000 horsepower at the Sun
River diversion dam. or by pur-
it from one of the CONNER
cial power companies, provided suit
able terms are Offered.
'Mr. Hertz, chief electrical engi-
neer of the steam shovel companies
has been spending some time on
the project in connection with the
development OF designs for a me-
chanical shovel to be electrically
operated.
MILK RIVER PROJECT.
."The work to be first undertaken
on the Milk River project Is the
construction OF the Dodson north
canal. % miles long and covering
$4,000 acres direct in the vicinity
Of Beaver creek and Ashfield, and
The Helena reservoir south canal,
which will cover about $4,000
acres In the vicinity OF Ashfield,
Saco and Hinsdale. In the Glasgow
the vandalia diversion dam
and the vandalia south canal will
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