Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1914-04-03
ANGOSTURA PROJECT.
Paper on Fall River County Project By chas.
A. Nystr0nl, ef Buffalo Gap.


A. Nystrom, ef Buffalo Gap.
At the State Conservation Congress
held at Sioux Falls, q paper was read
by Chas. A. Nystrom, from which the
following excerpts are made:
Our last legislature appropriated
$4,000 for use of the state engineer,
in the photographic survey along the
Cheyenne.
Last June the state engineer Ho-
mer M. Derr, put force of men in the
field to determine the feasibility of the
proposed irrigation project. On going
up the river to get the proper head,
reservoir site, designed by nature,
was found at the Jackson Narrows, be-
tween Hot Springs and Edgemont. The
survey was continued, and when the
available funds were exhausted, the
people of Custer and Fall River Coun-
ties, in true western style, advanced
another $1,000 to complete the work.
The area covered by the reservoir
will be- about 5000 acres, with a wind
ing shore line of 80 miles, fringed with
high, picturesque hills and crags Gov
cred with somber jack pines. This
lake will be another beauty spot added
to the already famous Black Hills won
ders.
Should the dam elevation be In
creased another "a feet to a height of
$50 feet, the surface area would be
10000 acres, with storage capacity
of over half million acre-feet, enough
to irrigate 100000 acres when filled.
In connection with this, it should be
stated that the maximum run-off for
one year at EdgemOnt above the reser-
voir, was 321.000 acre-feet according to
the government gauge. The average
covering a period of years, however,
was about half this amount, figuring
on rainfall Of Is inches per year with
a run-Off of One-thirtieth of this
amount. Careful observers, however,
assert that owing to the compact soil
and mountainous country on the water
| shed a 1-20 run-off is more nearly cor
| rect. On this basis the annual amount
OF water available would be 100000
acre-feet; enough to supply 100000
acres of land with 18 inches of water
per year. This is considered more
than enough to grow crops In this lu-
cality, for 1t is a well known fact
among irrigation farmers that after
| the first three years, when laterals and
fields are water-soaked only about one
half as much water is required to get
satisfactory results. In proof of this
few, If any, of our irrigation farmers
use to exceed IL inches of water to
produce the finest alfalfa crops in the
West.
| Since survey was completed it has
been found that another $4,000 acres
of just as good land adjacent to the
above on the Cheyenne River slope,
can be easily reached, thus reducing
the cost to less than $50 per acre.
When we remember that the 80 irriga-
ton projects built by the government
run in cost from $50 to $110 per acre.
with an average of about $50, it will be
one of the cheapest large irrigation
projects in the whole country.
while the irrigation possibilities
are most important to us, we are also
investigating other resources. We
have men specializing on the feasibil-
tty of installing turbines to generate
enough electricity to illuminate every
town and hamlet in the whole project.
The power could also be used in oper.
ating improved machinery at the splen-
did quarries near Hot Springs; thus
enabling them to produce superior
building stone at low cost. The power
would also be utilized in farm opera
tions; in factories; and in operating
electric cars. Farmers above the
bitches having access to strong veins
of well water or surface water in the
thousands of dams that could be con-
structed could pump water to irrigate
thousands Of acres Of fertile land. It
is done in scores of other places and
can profitably be done here.
Another important phase of this
big question is the opportunity of con-
verting the dykes and fills into scenic
highways and arteries of commerce.
This could be done at little additional
expense. and would go far toward solv-
ing the good roads problem in this
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