The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-09-09
MEETING IMPORTANT
SAYS Mr.. STRATTON
(From Great Falls Tribune)

CanaQa n the OnlCeO states
over the division of the waters of. the
Milk and St. Mary rivers are of vital
consequence to water users of the Milk
river project, it is asserted in a letter
sent out last week by G. E. Stratton,
manager of the project, to land own
ers within the district. A copy Of the
letter, of the situation, has been re-
ceived by Secretary L. E. Jones of the
Great Falls Commercial club.
The international joint commission
will sit at Chinook September Is, to
obtain further information on matters
in dispute, and Manager Stratton
states in his letter that if the con-
troversy should be adjudicated wholly
in Canada's favor it probably would
be necessary to reduce, perhaps ma
terialy, the acreage to be irrigated
within the project without a CORES
ponding decrease in the cost of the
works. This, he asserts, would cause
an increase in the acre price to all
land owners
Measurement Point at Issue.
The main point of difference before
the commission for decision" reads
the letter, sis that the United States
claims that the waters of the two riv-
ers should be measured at the points
where they cross, or last cross, the
international boundary, while the Ca
nadians claim that the measurements
should be made at the mouths of the
two rivers and thus include the equal
division between the two countries
water from a large number of tribu-
taries that do not even flow lear Ca
NADIA but come into the river from the
south, as we'll as some coming in from
the north, which obtain a large part
of the water from the watershed with
in the United States"
Treaty Ratified in 1910.
The international treaty relating to
division of these waters was ratified
by both countries in 1910, and it was
originally intended that the treaty
should have to do only with the in
terests of the Milk River project, but
as the treaty approached completion,
according to Manager Stratton, either
the state department or the admin
~istration desired to embody the agree
ment as a portion of the general
treaty affecting boundary waters be-
tween the United States and Canada.
"This treaty." continues Manager
Straton's letter, "includes such large
interests as the Ste. st. Marie and
the Niagara Falls, in comparison with
which the Milk river project becomes
very minor mater. In incorporating
the affairs of the Milk river project
into this general treaty, the state de-
partment condensed the text as much
as possible, perhaps eve to the extent
of emitting some vital matters.
Provisions of Treaty.
AS quoted by the manager, the trea-
ty provides that "the St. Mary and
Milk rivers and their tributaries Gin
the state of Montana and the pro-
vinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan
are to be treated as one stream for the
purposes of irrigation and power and
the waters thereof shall be apportion-
ed equally between the two countries,
but in making such equal apportion-
ment more than one-half may be taken
from one river and less than one-half
by the other so as to afford a more
beneficial use to each.
at is further agreed that in the d.
vision of such waters during the irri-
eating season, annually, the United
States is entitled to a prior appropri-
alton of 500 cubic feet per second of
the waters of the Milk river, or so
much of such amount as constitutes
three-fourths of its natural flow, and
that Canada is entitled to a prior APP
preparation of 500 cubic feet per sec
ond of the flow of the St. Mary river,
or so much of such amount as con-
stitutes three-fourths of its natural
flow"
River Rises in Montana.
The Milk river rises in Montana and
flows north into Canada and has it's
in that country for more than
200 miles before it returns to the
United States. The st. Mary river
in Glacier park, flows directly
north, crossing the boundary near
Alberta, and does not return
again to the United States.
The fundamental plan of the Milk
river project requires that the flow of
Milk river be supplemented by
water derived from the st. Mary river
drainage basin and diverted from its
natural course so as to flow through
the Milk river. The treaty provides
that the channel of the Milk river in
Canada may be used at the convent
of the United States for the con-
veyanse, while passing through Cana
la, of waters diverted from the St.
Mary.
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