Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-12-16

RangeIands are being improved
and the livestock industry in gem
eral In Custer and Powder River
counties is being put in better
shane than ever before 10 with
stand the vicissitudes of future
drOuth years through the develop
ment of flood irrigation projects
and stock water reservoirs, accord
ing to N. A. Jacobsen, extension
agent for the two counties.
Flood irrigation projects are making
/ it possible for ranchers to accumulate
I reserve feed supplies and there is now
I practically a three-years supply OF hay
/ on hand in the two counties, Jacob
| sen said. These projects have produced
a ton of hay or better to the acre
and have cost the owners little or
nothing except their time and labor
Figuring a ton of hay per acre from
/ these projects and hay valued at So
ton on the ranch, the hay produc-
ton from the flood irrigation projects
alone is worth S15,080 annually.
In addition to the hay crop, Jacob
sen points out that on many flood
irrigation projects crop OF alfali9
seed can be produced occasionally and
the income from this sideline is just
so much velvet" for the rancher.
Sold On Irrigation
Ranchers in the two counties are
thoroughly sold on the value of flood
irrigation as a means of guaranteeing
a hay crop and since 1881. SIS of these
projects have been built. The projects
involve 3,016 acres and have an esti-
mated value of $30,160.
The extension office has consistently
pushed the flood irrigation program
since 1881 and in 1884 the few prof.
ects then in operation were ample
proof that enough extra feed could be
produced so that ranchers could afford
to hold back part OF their breeding
herds rather than sacrifice them at
drouth prices.
Again in 1886 drouth occurred and
again the flood irrigation projects JUS
titled themselves. Since that time mois-
ture conditions have been more favor
able. but not enough TO guarantee
satisfactory forage crops on dry land.
Even though dry years occur jacobsen
believes the good and average years
will probably Outnumber the bad ones
and will therefore make it possible to |
build up feed reserves over period
of several years.
Going hand in hand with the de- /
velopment of the flood irrigation prof. |
ects has been the development Of stock !
water reservoirs in the two counties |
These latter have proved an excellent |
means of improving grazing through |
more even distribution of stock on |
the range.
Less Abuse of Grassland
Even though livestock numbers on I
ranches are far below normal, Cne /
few reservoirs already built have made /
il possible for stock to utilize grass |
throughout the summer that formerly !
could not be used except in certain /
seasons. This in turn has resulted IN /
less abuse of the grassland around 4
permanent waterholes, less drifting OF
stock and consequently stock puts on
more weight while on grass. All OF
which adds up to more. dollars. IN the
pocket, Jacobsen said.
Although the extension office has
stock water reservoir con-
struction for several years, the advent
Of the AAA range program gave addi-
tional stimulus to the program. Because
the 1899 AAA range program required
that dams be surveyed by competent
persons, the extension agent cooper
ated with the Powder River county
AAA committee in training group OF
from selected areas In the
county for surveying range program
Jams. After the completion OF this
raining work, is trained men laid out
III stock reservoirs servicing approx
nately 342 sections of rangeland in
he county. In addition, this group
surveyed SO farm and spreader dams
.ervicing nearly 81 $50 acres of pasture
and and diverting flood water onto
96 acres of crop land.
In Custer county the surveying Of
Jams for the AAA range program was
AIKEN care of partly by the operators
themselves, county AAA supervisors,
he extension agent and assistants.
With the cooperation of these groups,
So dams were built In Custer county
n 1899.