The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-06-08
IRRIGATION
special article BY C. MAUSER the Service

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Man cannot change climate. Moth
ing he can do will increase the aver
!. age rainfall fraction of an inch
nor change the average Temperature
, a single degree. Nevertheless, maj
can change the aspect of nature. H,
is doing it in the Milk River Valley
One of his tools is civil engineering
the other will be scientific farming
Engineering is bringing water fol
irrigation, and farming is now tax
ing up the task of transformation
Hand in hand the two will change
the old Milk River valley from a
semi-arid region of fluctuating value
and uncertain production to a coun-
try OF continual and growing pros.
per1ty, derived from the results o1
successful farming every year.
twenty-five years ago the only in.
dustry worth considering in the Milk
River valley was the raising OF
range cattle. Little attempt at
farming was made, because the rain
fall did not seem adequate when
compared with successful agricul-
tural regions. Some attempts to ir-
rlgate were made along the Milk
river, but none of these could be
called as reliable and the yearly nee
esslty might require. Spring floods
often washed away the works and
at the times of greatest need the
stream might dwindle to an INSULT
c1ent flow or go dry. Later some
larger attempts were made by COM
blnations OF land owners or entry
men, who by joining their resources
built more extensive works and at
tanned considerable success. How
ever, these plants were likewise
subject to periodic damage by floods,
or lnadequatecy from insufficient
water in the river. Although the
people of the valley realized the un-
satisfactory nature of these works.
they did not believe that the possi-
blllty existed OF a system for irri-
eating a large area Of land. Even
the water supply had been sufficient.
II was considered that such an un-
dertaklng would never attract cap
ltal enough to carry it through
Such a supposition was right. Pri-
vate capital and enterprise would
never have given a second glance at
the possibility of developing the
valley through irrigation on a large
scale. But the United States govern
nlent is not SO neglectful of un-fav-
ored portions OF it's domain In
1890 the q. S. Geological Survey dis
covered the feasibility of bringing
the water from st. Mary Lakes, in
what is now known as Glacier Park.
down the eastern slope Of the Rock
les INTO the north fork of Milk river,
through a canal tWenty-eight miles
IN length. Thence the water would
follow the river channel, turning
nofthWard into Canada, then back
into the United States, and south
easterly through northern Montana,
TO be diverted onto the valley land
Dy means OF dams and canals.
DEFINITE plans for carrying out
this scheme were not formulated
until after the passage of the Rec
lamatlon Act in 1902. The large
features of the Milk River Irrigation
PROJECT were mapped out, some
canal locations were made, and
thereupon the Secretary of the In
terror set aside one million dollars
1or active construction However,
the work OF construction was slow
Tor several years on account of diff
hcultles arising with Canada regard
ing water supply, the necessity oil
MILK river, and contracting with
private land owners in the velley to
take the water and bind their hold
lngs to the return of construction
charges to the Reclamation Fund.
While these matters were being
settled, work was carried on to the
extent of building a dam in the
river near Dodson, Montana, and the
completion of the first unit of the
project, with canals for irrigating
1,6OO acres of land. Plans and pre-
l1m1naries were also accomplished. !
The area to be irrigated was set at
22O,OOO acres, in strip of land |
stretching from Chinook to Nashua,
about $50 miles. Eight hundred
and fifty second-feet of water was to
be brought down from the lakes
in Glacier Park to supplement the
flow of the Milk river. Sites for d.
version dams and canal systems
leading therefrom, were located at
Chinook, Dodson and Vandalia and
plans were made for storage res
ervoir, now called Nelson Reservoir,
70 miles east of Malta, with a ca
pacity of $4,000 acre-feet of water.
In 1912 the obsta cles were finally
removed and the larger construction
began. At the present time the sys
tenn has been carried to point
where one-fourth of the 100000
acres in the project is under COM
pleted canals. A second dam of re-
concrete has been built
near Vandalia. The st. Mary canal
is completed, and also Dodson North
Dodson South and Vandalia South
canals, and the first development of
Nelson reservoir, while construc-
Ton Is also proceeding on Nelson
Reservoir South canal and Bowdoin
canal, which upon completion will
add 10000 acres to the irrigable
area.
Reclamation makes possible g.
sreat future for the valley OF the
Milk river. Realization will depend
lpon the use the people make of the
opportunity. Formerly the region
was thought forever doomed to med
ocre production because Of lack OF
water. Settlements were scattering