The roundup record. [volume] (Roundup, Mont.) 1908-1929, 1913-06-13
WATER POWER
IS 4 BIG item
IRRIGATION PROJECT WOULD
MEAN DEVELOPMENT OF I'M.
MENeE WATER POWER.

AO @Auo0OA0AOA1-DCuu MAIL 3 6dSlu
Irrigation Project is in danger of go
ing into the discard through lack of
understanding Of its ultimate value to
the people of the Valley. The meet
Ing held in Roundup on the last day
OF June developed the fact that many
or the landowners had failed to be-
come acquainted with what it was
proposed to be done and the law gov.
erning such projects, and this with
the natural conservatism under the
circumstances jeopardized its final
completion.
Realizing that If the project was to
be made possibility few
saw that something must
be done at once to get more accurate
that this knowledge must be dissent
date of the postponed hearing, June
21st. Most active of these is D. w.
Slayton who made trip to Billings
and consulted an engineer Of nation
al reputation. This engineer was al
ready familiar with the circumstances
and prepared a statement and estimate
which Mr.. Slayton is using as basis
for q campaign of enlightenment
among the landowners Of the valley.
The project is large one and
win require q greater outlay than was
at first supposed but the figures given
here are liberal, and 1t is possible that
the work as far as they cover can be
done at less cost.
Cost Of Project.
It was found from measurements
taken over five years that the average
~1~ -
Shawmut was very nearly 1000 acre
feet. The reservoir will hold about
$4,000 acre feet II works to the value
Of $4,000 be constructed. The intake
canal, which would be about ten miles
long, would cost with its headgate
$222,00O. The estimate for the outlet
back into the river is about $4,000.
The engineering and other overhead
cost of the project as an irrigation
scheme alone $4,000.
1t is estimated that there are at
least 10000 acres that could ultimately
be supplied with water from this pro-
ject and not intermittantly, as it Is
with the flood running to waste at
certain periods of the year and doing
q great deal of damage, but the water
could be used as needed and the
danger from floods eliminated for the
lower valley.
1t is proposed that the landowners
Of the valley who would be served
by the project turn in their land as
security against the cost of cOnstruc-
tion and that stock be issued by the
holding company to the owners in
proportion to the acreage that they
turn in. Bonds would be sold ON this
acreage as security sufficient to make
up the difference between the funds
supplied by the landowners and the
cost of the project.
1t is expected by Mr.. SlaytOn and
others that at least 10000 acres can
be signed up in short time which
would place against each acre less
than $4,000 as the cost Of cOnstruc-
tion. AS this land is now valued at
several times that and as the compile
tion of the project with a never failing
water supply would at least double
the value of the land the relative cost
is very low for the benefits to be
derived.
Water Power
Another very important part Of the
project, and one that will interest all
the people of the valley and be of
direct interest to them is the pOssibili-
ty Of power production at the outlet
The outlet canal will be about one
mile long and have a fall of 81 feet
The topography of the outlet is such
that the greater amount of the fall
could be limited to a short distance
and the water confined to penstock
and in the ordinary way be converted
into electrical power by means of
turbines. A rough estimate gives the
available power to be developed by
this means as over 100000 H. p, suffi-
cient to supply not only the light and
power for the valley but also for the
Milwaukee railroad if they should wish
to electrify their road over this divi-
sion as they are in the mountain divi-
sion.
It is Mr.. Slayton's idea to retain
the power rights for the landowners
stockholders of the company and all
share alike and not allow any outside
interests to grab off this very valuable
feature of the project. The use of the
water for power purposes would not
in any way interfere with the water
for irrigation purposes as can be easi-
ly seen and the cheap power made
possible in this way could be used In
pumping water to lands that are not
in reach of the river bitches.
The great possibilities OF this
scheme grow as they are contemplate
ed. This wonderfully fertile valley Is
lying almost idle from the stand
point OF what it could be doing In the
way of raising produce. The cheap
power would attract the manufacturing
interests and In this way provide a
market for what Is produced. Not
only would the bottom lands be bene-
fitted by the project but the bench
lands also would become more valu-
able the one supplementing the other
and peamitting the greatest variety OF
produce being grown proftably.
The Roundup baseball team went to
Ryegate last Sunday where they drop
ped another game by the score Of to
5.