The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-04-09
St. Mary Stage Feature.

The St. MarRtorage feature of
The Milk river ,1iect contemplate,
primarily the stosye Of he waters OF
swift Current Or TX by a dam across
the creek near I'll boundary line be-
tween the Black tt Indian Reserva-
tion and Glacier ational Park. Gre
atlng reservoir, he principal area
OF which is in tll park. This creek
IS the principal tbutary of the St.
Mary river, risiE in the rugged
mountains If tn park and flowing
easterly to it's d Influence with the
st. Mary river Il Iut one mile down
stream from til lower end of St.
Mary lake. TIL water will be di-
verified into the over St. Mary lake
reservoir and frd b there turned into
the St. Mary ri r, and then diverted
into the St. MAJ canal on the west
side OF St. Mry river. The St.
Mary canal, viii all ultimate capac-
ity of 500 seed 3D. feet, follows the
west side Of St. larry river fora dis
lance of approximately eight miles,
where it lis in Ended to carry the
water across St. Mary river by means
of double. bar lled inverted steel
siphon. This h pc will be ~ feet
in diameter and about 5000 feet long.
The canal extdlds easterly for the
remainder of ii length and empties
into the Norh Fork of the Milk
river through a series of concrete
drops. The water thus turned into
Milk river yill, ultimately, after
flowing throy gh Canadian territory
without dim, milton by Canadian d.
version, under a treaty entered into
by The United States with the DO
mihion of Canada, reach the irrigable
artas of the Milk river valley and be
used to supplement the natural flow
olMilk river for purposes of irrigating
lsnd under the various canals already
constructed OF contemp. ated for con-
Aruction.
( The first development of the works
will, it is believed, make water avail
able for the Milk river project from
this source during the year 1916. 1t
is estimated that the waters of Milk
river, enhanced by this supply, will
be sufficient to irrigate all lands
which will have been prepared for
until the final develop
ment of the entire St. Mary storage
is completed, which, it is estimated,
will be accomplished in 1917
Contract for practically all canal
earthwork has been awarded, and the
contractors made substantial be-
ginning on the work during the fall
Of 1918. The remainder of the
earthwork. together with all masonry
has been advertised, pro-
posals to be opened April 95. This
work will include the dixie to divert
the waters Of Swift Current creek at
The Henkle farm southeasterly, di-
rectly into lower St. Mary lake.
Final investigations are being
made to determine the geological
formation for the Sherburne Lakes
reservoir dam. Exhaustive investi-
cations, including the digging of a
great many test pits of various depths
have already been made. The 1eser-
voir and dam site are relatively good
ones and can economically develop a
of 100000 acre-feet, more
or less.
In addition to the planned struc-
lures, it is now proposed to build a
dam about eight feet high at the out
let of Lower McDermott lake, which
will raise the water of Upper Nc
Dermott lake 51a feet. The r:ser-
voir thus created will serve to regu-
late the flow, and retain, if necessary,
practically all of the discharge of
Swift Current Creek for a limited
period.
The St. Mary storage represents the
regulation and impounding of the
waters from a watershed fed the en-
tire year by melting SHOWS and gla-
ciers. The works, when completed
in their entirety, will insure and pro-
vide for the irrigable lands of the
Milk river valley an abundant and
dependable water supply, which will
always be under complete control by
the necessary equalizing and control
ing works, so as to provide for the
proper retention of waters at the
most feasible locations from the first
point of storage to the last point of
diversion at Vandalia dam.