Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-11-12

ACIE@f INV Gt1%A FN4tLA D1AA
At least 5000 Montana families
have been directly aided by irriga-
/ tion projects constructed in the
state during the hast four years,
I ID. P. Fabrick Of Choteau. a mem
! Der Of the state water conservation
board and Montana's representative
on the northern great plains COM
mittee, reported to Gov. Roy E
Ayers.
Results OF efforts by national
agencies and the Montana water con-
servation board during the period, Fa-
brick said, have definitely pointed the
way to solution Of the states land use
and water storage problems.
His report showed reservoirs i'm
pounding 443.5 500 acre feet OF water to
trTigate $4,000 acres OF land COM
Sleted or now under construction. In
addition 70 1S1 irrigation reservoirs,
more than 1000 small stock water
ponds have been built.
Under the federal and state reclama-
ton program, more than $4,000 acres
OF grass land have been reseeded and
10000 acres diked, contoured or ter
raced TO prevent erosion
Fabrick said In his opinion Mon
tana, through Its water conservation
board. has accomplished more In the
field Of rehabilitation than any other
state in the northern great plains area.
Continued operation Of state and fed
eral agencies will result In longtime
program OF inest1mable value, he con-
cluded.
The preliminary report Of the north /
ern great plains committee 70 Presi-
dent Roosevelt was also received py /
Governor Ayers. The report said seven /
years OF drouth have disrupted the |
economy of the plains area eastern I
Montana, North and South Dakota and !
northern Nebraska and noted the pre- I
vailing system Of land utilization, haz-
ardous at best, has failed.
Develop Resources
Development Of water resources
through federal and state cooperation
vas recommended in the committees
report. which called attention, how
ever, to the fact that despite the .piv-
,tal factor irrigation viii be In land
Use read justment in some areas, prob
sbly less than ? percent OF the plains
region can be irrigated.
1.-THE plain truth" the report said,
too often ignored in wiShful conJect-
Tres, Is that no device for supplying
water to dry land can succeed without
water.
I'm short, rehabilitation and sta
,ilization can come only through fun
lamental readjustments in land utii-
alton"
gricultllre suited to the climate, top
graphy, soils and natural vegetation,
in general larger operating
nits. a 1udicious combination OF graz
~ and feed crop production, ana so !
ar as practicable, supplemental irrt-
alton. should replace the cash-gram
nd small-scale stock rearing type IN
many areas where the latter has failed
nd cannot succeed"
The planning group recommended S
rat congress during the next session g
smove numerous restrictions placed r
4 a 5000 900 appropriation for water /
and utilization projects a
,ted during the last summer IN or Y
pr that q number Of projects IN the {
-ea could be initiated during the B
)ring Of 1899.
Two Montana projects were listed, 4
lie Saco divide pumping project In n
lillips county, estimated to cost $751; Il
9 and provide water for irrigation d
8. 400 acres, and additional units OF 81
e Buffalo rapids project In Custer, Il
swson. Prairie and Treasure counties .
lich would provide water for some k
900 acres at cost OF about $780,
0.
Three irrigation studies were recon- a.
ended In Montana-the MArtss river o.
sis and the Fort Peck power de- OF
lopment both Of which are under "
", and the Yellowstone river basin. II
tirnated cost Of these studies dur q
Z the 1899 fiscal year was $40 600. ia
The committee estimated $4,000 IN W
ieral funds would be available dur OF
! the 1889 fiscal year ending June 80 pC
small scale water procurement and pc
lization projects In Montana; ST. la
for maintenance Of United States
illogical survey projects In the state, I'll
d slI5,000 for soil and moisture Pr
lservation work on 1900 acres IN vi
. state. to
10.