Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-04-04
BIG HORN BASIN
WATER JOB WILL
UP PRODUCTION
HEART MOUNTAIN RECLAMATION
PROJECT TO GIVE AREA
14OOo ACRE BOOST


war program viii receive a 14'OOO-acre
hooSt this wear as the huge Heart
mountain division Of the Snosnone
irr,oation uroiect nears completion.
In reviewing progress on the project
5,,~jnv to4l w p. Kemp, construction
engineer for the United States bureau
~ reclamation. announced that irri-
cation works have been completed 70
s1,nnIv water in 1912 to $4,000 acres OF
arabic land, which win be opened 70
settlement as conditions permit.
The land to be irrigated this year
is the first portion OF the 4lVUO-acLe
yroiect to receive water, ana MARKS
the beginning Of production Ior tne
northwestern Wyoming project. WiliI "a
was begun early in 1885. some VOTE "
prevent seepage losses Is now DeLns
conducted, and other protective WoLA
and printing and pudding OF iateIa lS
must be completed before regular oe-
livery of water can be nitlaIeo- 1i III
date for the first opening OF the proJ-
ect lands to entry has not YET Deel
set
No new lateral construction work Is
contemplated during the 1943 tlscal
wear because of the uncertainty OF Cd
tanning steel, machinery, automotlVe
and other equipment, and other ma
terials and supplies needed for mme-
diate activities, Kemp said.
The Heart mountain division, locat-
ed near Cody and Powell, Wyo., Is one
of five divisions of the Shoshone prof.
ect OF the other four divisions, irr1ga-
tion works have been completed LOT
the Garland, Frannie and WILDWOOD
divisions. but no work has been done
on the oregon Basin division, Kemp
said Eventually the five divisions Will
furnish water for the irrigation OF
10000 acres of arabic land.
Importance Already Felt
Work on the division already has
had an important effect on the area,
through increasing the population ana
prosperity of towns in the division
The population of Cody, on the SOUTH
western edge of the division, increased
from 800 in 1880 to $500 in 1910, ana
the population of Powell, located on
the Garland division and just OH tne
Heart mountain division, increased
from 1.156 to 1,948 In the same period.
The gain at Cody was IN large part
dine 10 construction activities on tne
Heart mountain division since 1882
and the gain at Powell was largely
due to construction activities on the
wildwood division from 1927 TO 1888
and partially due to construction ON
the Heart mountain division.
kemp said that, as settlement pro-
orexses ON the Heart mountain division,
II Is estimated that at least an aodl-
tionai 1000 persons viii be required
an Csodv and Powell to handle ade-
0uatelv the business resulting from
fine beneficial use, through irrigaClon,
of the new lands. 1t Is also estimated
that homes for 500 families, or 2'OOO
persons, win be provided by the com
pietion of the Heart mountain DIVISION.
Principal Crops Listed
principal farm crops adaptable to
the Heart mountain division are cry
edible beans. small grains, alfalfa hay.
sugar beets potatoes, seed beans ano
seed meas Kemp said, and commercial
feeding of sheep and cattle Will De OF
rrirne Importance as a large portion
Of the 10000 acres Of grazing lands
adjacent TO the Shoshone project are
adjoining the Heart mountain division.
To date. is contracts for construc-
tion work have been awarded Tor the
H9aTb IIlOuAlbdll1 1ANAoAOAAs 60
have been completed. Climaxing this
worl, was the construction Of 40 miles
of irrigation lateralS, serving S,5OO
acres Of irrieable land, completed early
in 1871 and construction Of an add
tionaI % miles of laterals to serve an
additional $500 acres, completed IN
November, 1871.
Other work completed during the
cfTT40ffnTl flf the
Shoshone canyon conduit controlling
works and tunnels, located IN and al
iacent to the south end Of the Sho-
shone dam. These works viii control
and divert water from the ShoShone
reservoir into the Shoshone canyon
tunnel. which is the main carrier Tor
irrigation work from the reservoir 70
fine reinforced concrete division works
at the outlet end Of the tunnel There
the water will be diverted into the
newly-constructed Heart mountain
canal and the proposed oregon Basin
canal for the irrigation OF lands on
the two divisions.
To accomplish the work at the IN
take of the controlling works, located
on the upstream or reservoir sloe OF
the Shoshone dam, 1t was necessary
curing bllS early LlO4AbAAo "a @o@N -
lower the water surface Of the reser-
voir below the crest of the reservoir
spiIlway, Kemp said. BY Dec. Is, how
ever, the reservoir water surface again
had risen to within nine feet OF the
spillway crest, assuring an ample sup
ply Of water for the project this year,
Kemp said. The operations last year
also caused no shortage OF water.
improvements Made
Considerable improvement work on
the canal and lateral systems was &C
complished during 1941 by CCC mem
bers from the camp at Corbett, Wyo.
This work consisted mainly Of grading
and surfacing Of operation and main
tenance roads along the upper 10 miles
of the Heart mountain canal and along
IS miles of the first block Of laterals
other improvement work included dry
rock paving Of storm water drainage
inlets into the canal. and dry and
cement-grouted rock paving below
concrete structures In the constructed
laterals. This work was discontinued