Plentywood herald., 1937-07-29
GETTING DOWN TO
''BRASS TACKS"
WATER CONSERVATION
WATER CONVERSATION"

r0uth are doing nothing else, they
ire developing a consciousness OF
water conservation that otherwise
nay never have been known. Con-
Dtruction Of large and small dams,
p0ntour farming, employment Of the
ister-are direct results OF the
1routh, and except for which little
Intention to them would have been
owen. And just as "sure as shoot
IN. you're going to hear much
more of these new methods In farm
Ing as time goes on. You're going to
hear of farmers next year whose
yields are better for having en-
ployed methods of conserving mois-
ture on their land.
Montana has taken keen interest
In water conservation during the
past four or five years-a movement
instituted quite largely by the late
Frank CoOney. 1t was he who, when
he was governor. succeeded in get
ting legislature sufficiently wat
er-minded to set up water conser-
vati0n board and make an approp-
riotion for its administration. One
section of Montana has made great
er progress than any other In the
water conservation movement, first
because of its needs. but more large
ly because of organized and concen-
trated effort that directed the at
tention OF both state and national
authorities to a solution of those
needs.
Eleven counties in the southeast
ern section organized what was
known as the Eastern Montana
Water Conservation association. :"
They got representative on their
pard of hustling directors from
e4Ah of the counties affected
Thpugh this board. they took ad-
vantavf of what Montana had to
QffARsA ekough its new water conser-
walton ew. State engineers were
brought e. 10 survey proposed and
feasible dam sites. Cooperation of
WPA was obtaiEed. TAoy Lever
quit What was the result? Well. In
year, 1872 permanent dams had
been constructed in the II counties.
More than half of these were irri-
cation dams; the others, stock wa
tering dams.
But this was not all, by any
means. All the time they were
working for the small dams through
the state board equally as strong
pressure was being made through
Montanas efficient Congressional
delegation for appropriation of huge
sums of money through the recla-
nation service for construction OF
big projects that might store water
from larger streams such as Powder
river and the Yellowstone to irri-
gate thousands of acres of fertile
soil which had, through years OF
q
waste. There was the Tongue river
project, the largest of all, cost of
which will be s1,200.0O0, and will
furnish water to farm lands along a
2OO-mile stretch south of Miles City,
the Buffalo Rapids project on the
Yellowstone between Miles City and
Glendive, and then smaller units
such as the one on Beaver creek in
Fallon county near Baker which
would irrigate $1,000 acres and sev-
eral other smaller units.
People OF these II counties which
had in such a short time seen some
OF their fondest dreams blossom into
reality gathered at Miles City last
Saturday to celebrate the progress
which had been made. On the badg-
es pinned on every registered guest
who attended the festivities was the
slogan that was bringing renewed
hope to hundreds of farmers who
had all but given up in despair -
"Water Conservation is Montana's
Salvation" Officials were there high
up in state and national govern
ments to commend the people Of this
section for their untiring efforts
congratulate them on dreams come
true" and urge continuance Of
their exhaustless perseverance.
That is the story Of concentrated
effort. First, there came conscious
ness of the needs of a people, fol
lowed with a realization that, onl.
nv unisad effort could a program
of extensive and beneficial develop
ment be accomplished. The organ
ization was perfected, and 1t set L
work. We submit that we need
little more of that consciousness
that organized effort in Sherida
rounty-in NORTHEASTERN Mon
tana. The needs of conservation @
water in this section surely have be
come sufficiently apparent to wal
.con;,ad effort and Onl