The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1945-03-01

and Mississippi rivers (for A.
300 ST. regulated flow through
out the year. less the amount
used for irrigation, must be as
sessed as a major contribution
to these two greaat rivers) of
great national Importance. This
regulated 1890 ST.. flow from
the Big Horn would then auto
matically step up navigation
and flood control below FIT.
Peck on both the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers to an extent
almost equaling the Ft. Peck
itself and allow Ft. Peck to de-
velop its maximum irrigation
and power features, the latter
totaling upward of 100000 HIP.
All this would be impossible
without the maximum regulat-
ed flow coming from the Big
Horn river. So we can assign a
value of $1O0, OOO, 900 at the
least to the Lower Big Horn
project in addition to its own
real value, once it is completed,
emanating from its automatic
tie-in with the Ft. Peck project.
This value would only be q
fraction of this amount if the
Boysen project were to be built
first. All this would result with
out in the least interfering
with the primary purposes of
either the FIT. Peck or the Low
er Big Horn projects.
THE Lower Big Horn dam
offers maximum benefits to
the FIT. Peck project, as well
as maximum prevention of soil
erosion along the Big Horn
river and to all its lower con-
Meeting rivers.
after accomplishing all this,
with one 550-foot dam at the
mouth of the canyon in Mont
ana, the question arises How
are we going to keep the sto-
rage reservoir from filling up
with silt from the Boysen area?
The answer is that it would
take 40 years for the sediment
from the Boysen to interfere
with the necessary flood storage
of the Lower Big Horn and in
that time proper methods could
be devised for taking care of
the silt question from above.
And if found necessary, then
build a dam at Boysen to catch
and hold this silt and thus keep
it from interfering with the
lower project.
again we are apt to find
that long before that time, we
will have found a market Tor
power which will cause dams
and reservoirs to be built to
take up every possible foot of
fall through the entire main
stem of the Big Horn and Wind
rivers. It is for this reason that
we urge the building of the
highest dam at the lower end
of the canyon. For if the high
head is there, even though the
volume of water should decline
somewhat, we are that much to
the good in serving the greatest
power field and in the main
| without interfering with pri-
mary irrigation demands.
In short, we feel that a pro-
| gram best consistent with pub
lie interest, regional and ma.
| tional, would be to first builC
! and complete to the maximum
height of $50 feet, the Lower
Big Horn dam to serve al
these manifold purposes to the
! utmost and then move con-
struction equipment to the Boy.
sen site and there construct a
dam or works primarily fol
| checking silt flow and caring
for immediate power and Other
| demands.
Your earnest consideration
of the points outlined herein
will be deeply appreciated"
In reply to this letter, which
was forwarded to him, j. D
Comstock, regional director OF
the Bureau of Reclamation OF
the Department of the Interior
with headquarters in Billings