The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-04
CONSERVATION
OF WATER IN
STATE URGED
Measures May be Presented
To the Legislature on
The Subject
BANQUET is HELD
Speakers Emphasize Possibil.
tiles of Conserving Water
in State

Conservation of water resources
o. North Dakota may become an i'm
portant matter of consideration Of
the state legislature before the pres
ent session is finished.
A measure providing for a joint
survey of the state to determine pos
sibilities of conservation of water,
irrigation, diversion of water from
the Missouri and flood protection
probably will be introduced, as a re-
suit of a "watcr banquet" held last
night at the Mckenzie Hotel in
which members of the legislature
were guests of organizations fur
thering conservation. Arrangements
for the banquet were made by Gen.
F.. A. Williams of Bismarck, pres
ident of the state irrigation associ-
alton, and Edgar NaRue of Devils
Lake.
Two particular schemes, diversion
OF water from the Missouri River
through bitches to Devils Lake, a
distance Of 65 miles, and control Of
the Mouse River flood waters above
Minot, are being discussed. A sur
vey of the entire Missouri River
basin, including parts of Montana,
North and South Dakota, for pur-
pose of determining irrigation and
water power possibilities, was urged
by J. d. O'Donnell of Billings, Mon
tana, pioneer irrigation farmer. Fur
therance of development of several
npnnOco1 croa1 irripafsnn cab
the Missouri Slope also was advo-
Gated.
Other Speakers
Speaking under banner labeled
Lets Make North Dakota Wet" Mr..
O'Donnell, L. j. Palda of Minot. and
John Burke and j. N. Roherty dis
cussed various phases of conserva-
t1cn of water resources. Governor
A. G. Sorlie, guest at the banquet
at which Gen. Williams Was toast-
master, welcomed the legislators.
Mr.. O'Donnell told Of an irrigation
project near Billings, saying that on
10000 acres In township food
products worth $3,OOO,OOO were raised
the past year, chiefly sugar beets.
All of the reclamation projects of
the government in II states west of
the Missouri River have cost the
government $l50,000,000, he said.
During the war one crop amounted
to $130,000,000, or the total amount
of the cost of reclamation projects
at that time.
lie advised survey of the Mis-
souri, River basin. He also suggest
Cd that every North Dakota farm.
with windmill, could have one or
Two acres of irrigated land, for gar
den purposes.
Judge Palda described the Mouse
River Valley, and told of possibil-
tiles of irrigating land between
Kenmare and Minot, and valley
near Towner and one near Velva.
Flood waters which threaten Minot
also could be controlled, he said. A
dam Is feet high would store suf-
ficient water, he said.
Advantages of State
Judge Burke declared that North
Dakotans should mo- be afraid to
talk of irrigation. Further east, he
said, where there is more rainfall.
people irrigatc their gardens and
lawn and would irrigate farms if
they had the resources. He CITED
many advantages of North Dakota,
which, he said, make it such a re-
markable state.
J. N. Roherty of the Highway Com
mission described the proposed Dew
ills Lake diversion scheme, under
which the Missouri river would be
tapped at point north of Garri-
son. and water taken to Devils Lake,
distance of IS miles. Devils
Lake is several feet lower than the
Missouri. Devils Lake has been re-
ceding for years, and it is proposed
by this method to restore it to it's
former level.
Miss Sally Larson sang several
solos during the banquet.