The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-05
TIE BISMARCK TRIBUNE
State ENGINEER M'MAtiON MAKES
SURVEY of IRRIGATION PROJECT
IN WARD AND M'HENRY COUNTIES
In Ordinary Years the Mouse River Carries Enough Water
10 Provide Additional Moisture Needed For lrri-
eating the Light Soil, Report Shows

Ample storage facilities will be
necessary if the proposed Mouse Riv-
er irrigation project in Ward and Nc
Henry counties is to be successful,
report by George Mcmahon, state en-
gineer who surveyed the project,
shows.
Figures on the annual flow of wa
ter in the Mouse river, compiled dur
ing the last % years, show that the
amount of water passing through the
channel in n year varies to an unusu-
al extent in comparison with other
streams.
In 1928, the report shows, total
of 259,842 acre feet passed through
the river channel at Minot. That
means enough water to cover 25s's42
acres to a depth of one foot.
In 1915, however, only G,270 acre
feet passed down the stream.
Despite the fact that the stream is
subject to such wide variation in the
amount Of water passing through its
channel, Mcmahon said, enough wa
ter would have been provided in q
of the last % years to irrigate the
80, 900 acres on which it is proposed
to place water if the project is car
ried to completion. Since the aver
age rainfall in the Mouse river val
lev is II inches a year 1t would be
nece ssary only to exc out the natural
moisture in order to assure q success
full crop, Mcmahon said.
Usually Plenty Of Water
State experts who have worked on
the project estimate that with an av-
erage rainfall Of IA inches it will be
necessary to add IS inches Of water
by irrigation to obtain the best re-
suits in the light soil Of McHenry
county, a total of $4,000 acre feet
year for 10000 acres. In only three
of the last % years has the volume
OF water carried By the stream fallen
below that figure.
at therefore seems safe" said the
report. "to assume that 10000 acres
may be irrigated without providing
year to year storage"
Continuing the report says: las
the average flow of the stream over
23-year period exceeds 100000 acre
feet, it seems safe to assume that an
additional 10000 acres could be de-
veloped with secondary water
right. 1t is thought that if this area
were in hay lands the losses through
failure Of the water supply would
not be excessive"
Soils Highly Productive
Turning to soils the report says:
"The soils on this project are, for the
most part, fine sandy loan and are
highly productive under favorable
rainfall conditions. The nature of
the soil will somewhat lessen the
difficulties of providing drainage for
this project. Natural drainage chan
nels may ultimately have to be deep
ened or Strengthened to some extent.
Three proposed sites for the reten-
ton dam are outlined in the report.
The first would be just north Of the
highway leading west from Veren-
drye, although possible objection to
! the site is the effect Of the action
| of ice on the piers and columns Of
! the railway trestle just above the dam
! site and the cost of rip-rap on both
| banks Of the railway fill.
Another site, just above the rail-
| way trestle, would necessitate the
| construction of an outlet tunnel
through the railway fill.
! The third would be to build the
dam as an integral part of the rail
way fill, utilizing the present rail-
road fill for the lower toe of the dam.
Specifications for the dam would call
|
ing approximately $4,000 cubic yards
with spillway $50 feet long. If the
proposed flood prevention dam above
Minot were constructed prior to the
construction of the irrigation reten.
ton dam, it would be possible to re-
duce the spillway to length Of a
feet. Specifications have been made
only for dam in the first location
mentioned, the report said. If con.
structed at that point its top would
be available for use as a road.
Development Plan
The plan of development as out.
lined in the report, provides for the
gradual construction Of irrigation
bitches to provide water for units OF
approximately 5000 acres each. The
first unit, the report estimates, could
be developed with an expenditure OF
$25O,OOO This figure includes the
cost of the diversion dam and the di.
version canal between the Mouse riv.
err and Buffalo Lodge lake. A chair
of sloughs lying between point -four
miles North Of Verendrye and Buff
falo Lodge lake would be utilized in
constructing the diversion ditch
which would be ten feet wide, eight
feet deep and would carry 234 cubic
: feet per second. BY constructing q
long low dixie along one side Of the
lake it would be possible to raise it:
water level IL feet above the presen,
stage. The lake thus could be usec
for storage purposes. The storage
capacity Of the lake is estimated al
$4,000 acre feet.
. In addition to the site to be irri.
, gated by the Verendrye dam, an ad
} ditional and supplementary projec
would call for the construction of /:
| dam on Cut Bank creek northeast Of
Upham. This would utilize return
1 waters from the Verendrye project
and could be developed to provide wa
) ter for irrigating 10000 additiona
J acres.
The Annual Volume
81 About rs per cent of the land il
2 the district which it is proposed t.
irrigate has been abandoned, the re
port says. because of dry seasons
coupled with a gradual decline in tn
ground water level which is genera
1 throughout the Mouse river loop dis
v trict.