The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-02-11

The whole Big Horn water shed
in Montana and wyoming was at
one time a part of the Crow Indian
reservation. This reservation has
been diminished from eight million
ac~oS to about two and a quarter
million acres most of which land is
on the Big Horn water shed in
Montana. Irrigation was begun in
the Ri? Horn valley in the late
| eichticS or early nineties. There
| has been irrigated in the Big Horn
| valley in Montana about sixty
thousand acres. There is capable
Of being economically irrigated
! an additional one hundred thouS-
| and acres. The water of the Big
Horn has been used to maintain
the flow of the Lower Yellowstone
river for irrigation purposes for
many years.
The shortage of water in the
Lower Big Horn and Lower Yellow
. stone valley has been experienced
for several years. In fact the
stream flow has become so low
that at each diversion it has in
recent years become necessary to
construct diversion dams in order
to get water into the bitches.
Little or no additional land has
been brought under irrigation dur
ING the past fifteen years IN these
valleys.
Let us now examine the facts as
thew appear to be concerning the
Big Horn water shed in wyoming.
The stream yearly flow of the
Big Horn river is given by J. R..
Ellis. drainage commissioner
Wyoming farm plan board, as g.
642, 600 acre feet. The drainage
area of the water shed in Wyom1ng|
is 5000 square miles. There isl
according to MIR. Ellis as quoted
", the Billings Gazette of October
26. 1887, 403 900 acres of land now
under irrigation in that area. He|
states that there is a further 7OO,-I
OC0 acres of land in that area to|
be brought under irrigation. That
there is used now 605, 900 acre feet
of water on 403 600 acres of land
and potential use for 1,103,0 900 acre|
feet more water on the 7OO, OOo
additional acres to be irrigated:
This would figure about n and
orn-half acre feet of water per-
ccre of land according to Mr.. Ellis.
Our Investigation showed us that
there is being used more than
twice that amount in some districtsI
at least. If wyoming developes
her additional 100000 acres Of
land and uses three acre feet OF
water per acre it will take $500, COZ
acre feet of water to do it ana
would leave as a run off from
Wyoming 100000 acre feet per year.
This would of course be extreme
flood water and of no beneficial
use to us unless it could be stored.
That Wyoming has been during the
immediate past and expects TO
carry out its further program is
born out by the land recently
brought under irrigation. The Rlve
erton country has over 100000
acres of land in that area under
irrigation and is developing. al
like additional amount. The Sho-
Shone area is receiving further re-
clamation funds to complete al
further forty-one thousand acre
tract which. when completed, Will
make use of all the present stor-
age capacity of the Shoshone: ..
We of the Big Horn valley OF
Montana and of the Lower Yellow
stone valley have felt a little Sc
CurlCy IN past years III OSl1lS @Cie
to purchase some water from the
Shoshone but this possibility WILL
be gone in another year. !
To further show what is hap
pening we present the record 81
the geological department. concern
ing the Big Horn River flow att
Kane, wyoming. These records
are kept by that department and
show that during the last half OF
August and during September were
as follows, in second feet:
Last half of August and Septem..
Der average flow, 1931-781 second
feet per day; last half Of August
and September average flow, 1892
-737 second feet per day; last half
of August and September average
flow, 1934-433 second feet per day;
last half of August and September,