The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent., 1922-08-25
POWER PROJECT
ON YELLOWSTONE
TWO MILLION DOLLAR UNDER
TAKING TO SUPPLY SOUTH.
EAST WITH ELECTRICITY
VIII Deliver Power to Miles, Forsyth,
Terry, Rosebud and Glendive, and
Pump Water to Irrigate 100, ,O0o
Acres Of Land Now Arid.

Definite plans for the development
of a 13,000-kilowatt hydro-electric
power project at Buffalo rapids. nine
miles east of Miles City, which will
serve several growing cities in east.
ern Montana and also will make pos
sible the reclamation of 10000
acres of farm land in the rich Yell
lowstone valley, will be consummated
in the next so to 80 days, according
to A. C. Leighton of Miles City. Mr..
Leighton and his brother, Joseph B.
Leighton, are the principal promoters
Of the project, the latter now being
in New York city, where he is ar
ranging with financiers to underwrite
the cost of the development, which
is estimated at $2,0OO,000.
Scotch Is Engineer
Virtually all of the preliminary
plans and surveys of the project have
been finished, Frank Scotch of Great
Falls, superintendent of the Montana
Power company, being one of the
consulting engineers. says Leighton.
The federal power commission gave
it's approval to the proposed develop
ment last May and the Montana pub
lie service commission has approved
the schedule Of rates to be charged
for delivery of current from the plant
when completed.
It is proposed to deliver electric
current to the cities of Forsyth, Rose
bud, Miles City, Terry and Glendive,
all of these places now being served
by plants which generate their elec-
tricity by steam. The project will
not be in competition with the Mem
tana Power company, says Leighton,
the latter company's lines going no
farther east than Billings.
When tentative agreements are
made with the power companies in
the territory to be served as to the
amount OF current desired by each,
so that the earning capacity of the
proposed plant can be definitely fix
ed, Leighton believes it will be SUI
ficiently attractive investment to find
the necessary capital in the east. He
is now ready to conclude these agree
ments, since state public service COM
mission has fixed the rates.
Has 1900 Feet Spillway
The project provides for a low
head system. the dam to be 1850
feet from bank to bank of the river,
with a spillway Of 100 feet. The
height Of the dam, over all, will be
4S feet. The plant will have a capa-
city Of II 400 horsepower or approxi-
mately 1900 kilowatts. The cur
rent will be delivered to the local
power companies at their switch
boards at a wholesale rate from the
transmission lines belonging to the
power project which will extend from
Forsyth to Glendive, Leighton says.
In addition to current sold to power
companies, current also will be sold
to the Milwaukee railway for use in
its shops at Miles City and to the
Northern Pacific for use in its shops
at Glendive.
The other big use to which the
electric power from the project will
be put will be in operating centri-
fugal pumps which will lift the water
from the Yellowstone river for irrf-
cation at many points in the valley
between Forsyth and Glendive, MT.
Leighton points out.
The tracts are isolated and range
from 10 to 1000 acres in area, to.
taling 100000 acres. Though II
comprises some of the best land in
. the valley, nothing but sagebrush Il
growing on it now, he says.
Average Lift 60 Feet
The average lift to be made fol
the tracts will be so feet. says Mr.
Leighton, the highest initial cost a,
acre for any of the tracts will be 81!
.. and the annual charge for water de
livery will be less than 81 per acre
The Northern Pacific railway an,
the Milwaukee railway, both system
traversing the project, are intereste,
In its development. Mr.. Leighton
expects that the Northern Pacific will
actively participate in colonizing tn
area when the power plant is com
pleted. It is proposed to have farm
, no larger than 80 acres.