The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-10-15

other wild life All this should be done under
scientific guidance, provision for which should De
incorporated in the basic development plan.
43. Sixty per cent of national supply of phos-
phate rock lies in and adjacent to the Missouri
valley. An of approximately seventeen or elgh-
teen western states can be supplied by farm ferti
izer processed from this phosphate rock. There is
a large and growing need for the farm fertilizer.
Abundant and cheap power is now the bar to
resource development that may rival the copper IN
dustry in Montana in magnitude within few years.
The second potential lies in the vast beds of Ignite
and emi-bituminus coal that underie eastern Mon
tana, the western part of the two Dakotas, and
Wyoming. Processes are now being perfected to
convert these coal beds into synthetic petroleum and
possibly other oil products The third great oppor
tunty lies in the bed of low grade manganese found
along the Missouri river in the vicinity of Pierre
South Dakota
Perhaps twenty other mine and quarry products
with commercial value but in smaller quantities
than phosphate, coal, and manganese, are awaiting
development program. There is timber and pulp
wood, food processing potential wooden mills, tan
neries, and other bases for industrialization
sufficient to than round out and stabilize the
present unstable agrarian economy. Provision for
aid in starting this necessary ndusriazation should
also be definitely incorporated in basic development
plans.
a. Last but not least operation of a system of
reservoirs scattered over one-sixth of the United
States to anything bordering efficiency in
irrigation power production, and flood control is
going to be delicate, but monumental, task at the
best After going into the inricaces of the control
system in the Tennessee valley the author fails to
see how there possibly be similar accomplish
ment here except under a unified authority
The Navigation Channel
Key log of the jam in Pick-Sloan plan is the
presently authorized 9foot channel from Sioux City,
Iowa, to Missouri river mouth, 769 miles below.
Even with maximum consumptive of water in
the upper valley, natural remaining flow, supple
mened by releases from flood control reservoirs in
Usage and Gasconade river basins, will furnish suf-
fcient navigation depth in the main channel below
mouth of the Gasconade river C miles above Her
mann, Missouri)t Channel difficulties because of
insufficient flow to maintain depth, lie between
Sioux City Iowa, and mouth of the Gasconade river
a distance of 661.5 miles With substitution of a
type of channel or canal, that will use little water
for that reach of river the PickSloan plan can
readily be modified and expanded to accomplish full
valley development. We believe a practical solu-
ton of the problem is:
As. A dug canal about 100 feet wide in the bot
tom with feet of water depth, wholly or almost
wholly within the comparatively level flood plane
between river bluffs. This canal will cut off the
river BENDS be 473.5 miles long, and save 1873 miles
of river measured distance. Total fall is approx
mately 500 feet. The canal can be laid with no
grade and with installation of drop locks where re-
CURED. About 80 such locks with an average lift
of 1875 feet will be needed.
46. Air reconnaissance has shown that practic-
ally all of such canal can be located between the
north bank of the river and nearest main line high
way, or railway, running up and down the valley
1t will cross only POSSIBLY 10) railroads and IS
main highways in 1875 miles. No towns need be
crossed. At five or six cities, where wharfage
and other traffic facilities now exist
the canal can be dumped into the river Just above
the city and taken off again Just below This saves
existing traffic facilities and obviates necessity of
railway and highway crossings for lines which con-
verge at these cities.
At. A level canal needs only enough water for
evaporation and seepage losses. Some water will
of he r,ricy,o ~,
If locking boats from river to canal or visa versa
Total estimated water requirement is $4,000 acre