The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1920-11-18
Some Sideliehts
on Other
Projects
Impressions Of Fallonite ON Inn
portant Aspects of Other Sections
In Comparison with Our Own
(By Frank G. Hough J

HcctS Will many COnultiOub pre-
senting striking contrasts with those
of the Newlands project.
First of all, there Is the matter of
climate. When my friends In Mon
tana have felt like remarking.
Isn't this a beautiful day." my in
variable response has been, "Yes,
this is regular Nevada weather. We
have days like this eight months out
of every year. /" Most of the people
here have come from sections less
favored by the weather man, and
need no assurance from me that
from the standpoint of climate
thre's no better place in the entire
western country In which to live
than the Lahontan Valley.
The projects it has been my duty
to inspect during the past three
years include those in Montana
teight in number), two in Wyoming,
and one each in North and South
Dakota. Most of these projects are
located in what has been commonly
termed a semi-arid section. This is
true of all of them save the Wyom-
ing projects and the Huntley in
southeastern Montana. On some of
them there has always been large
element among the people who
claimed that irrigation was unnec-
essary, and who were opposed to an
irrigation project for that reason.
This condition, so different from
that prevailing in Nevada, has had
a marked influence on the develop
ment of those projects. for many
years greatly retarding them. More
recently, several successive years of
drouth have forcibly brought home
to the people the value of irrigation
and its necessity in that section.
This has given the cause of irriga-
ton a great impetus and demands
are now general for an early COM
pletion of all government projects,
as we'll as for a state program look
ing to wider development through
irrigation districts,
Many of the northern projects
have unique and interesting fea-
lures. One of the most successful is
the Shoshone, in northern Wyoming
This is a purely government project.
Before the advent of the govern
ment there was practically no set
tlement in the entire section now
embraced by the project. 1t is a
homestead project. 1t is one of the
most prosperous projects. While ]
was there last spring. a forty-acre
tract within two miles of Powell,
the principal town, sold for $4,000,
with no consideration given to the
amount of construction charges yet
to be paid. probably about $40 per
acre.
This project is supplied by wa.
ters from the Yellowstone Park
through the Shoshone river, con-
trolled by the famous Shoshone
dam. some eight miles above the
picturesque old town of Cody. AS
many here know, this dam was
built under the direction of Mr.. d.
w. Cole, who was also the guiding
Lahontan dam.
Early In the development of the
Shoshone project, seepage troubles
| developed. But this was not per-
mitted to retard the development OF
the project to any great extent. For
a number Of years, drainage work
has been in progress on that pro-
| ject, and this work is progressing
now as fast as the available funds
will permit The drains have been
conspicuously successful on this
| project, and many thousands OF
acres of fine lands have been re-
stored to productivity thereby. The
water users have voted supplement
tai construction charges to the tune
of something more than SIS per
acre.
| A splendid feature of that pro-
ject is the natural uniform slope OF
the land. But very little leveling Is
needed, and the natural fall greatly
simplifies the construction of lateral
systems and the measurement oi
water.
/ Passing on to the Huntley coun
try, a few miles below Billings
Montana, on the Yellowstone river
we have a compact we'll developed
little project of about 10000 acres
For this project. weter is diverted
from the river without the necessit,
of diversion dam. Down the mair
canal some twelve or fourteen miles
a part of the water Is lifted by hy
draulic pumps into a ditch supply
ing several thousand acres of lant
lying above the canal.
| This is project of small farms
small towns, and unusual railroad
facilities. 1t is traversed from enc
to end by two main line railroads
the Burlington and the Northern
Pacific. The two principal towns
Worden and Ballantine, are les
than two miles apart, the former OIL
the Northern Pacific and the latte
on the Burlington.
j The Huntley project is regarded
) as very successful one. Nearly al
of the land is titled by resident own
ers. 1t is probably some handical
. to the development of that projec
. that the water users are not organ
lied in any way. All business
done directly between individual