soil is a mixture of clay, sand, and a little gravel, and there are six small lakes in it, which hold water through the season. The drainage or outlet cut would be about 5,500 feet long, of which 3,500 feet would be inside and 2,000 feet outside the reservoir. The dam across the summit would be made entirely of material excavated from this cut, and sandstone rock suitable for gateway masonry is available in the immediate vicinity of the outlet. Some rock would be encountered in the cut, though probably not much. The South Careless Creek reservoir lies in a basin similar to Deadman, except that the bottom is flatter and the surrounding hills lower and not so rocky. Fully one-half the bed of this site is covered by a shallow lake, and the soil is an adobe clay, holding water excellently. The outlet cut would have a maximum depth of 9 feet and a total length of about 2,000 feet. The depth of water may be increased to 25 feet by a dam across the sag about 1,500 feet long. With a maximum depth of 25 feet, the flooded area would be about 2,035 acres, and the average depth of water should be at least 15 feet, thus giving an approximate capacity of 30,525 acre-feet. The flood line of this reservoir would be several feet lower than the outlet of Deadman Basin. The North Careless Creek reservoir would occupy a basin between the hills, now containing a lake of about 180 acres, similar to the other reservoirs. In this case the maximum cut for the outlet would be 12 feet and its total length from grade to grade about 800 feet. The depth could be increased to 21 feet by a dike 1,800 feet long having a maximum height of 12 feet. The flooded area at this depth would be about 900 acres, and an average depth of 10 feet would give an approximate capacity of 9,000 acre-feet. This site will also hold water well, and can be supplied from the floods of Careless Creek, through a ditch about 4 miles long. It might be possible to carry the main canal from the South Careless Creek reservoir into the north reservoir, but the latter is probably too high. However, Careless Creek would supply water enough to fill it easily, and stored water could be turned into the main canal to aid in reclamation of lands to the east. Definite surveys would probably result in the discovery of some additional small reservoir sites which could be utilized in connection with the lateral ditches to serve a greater area than can be done by the three main reservoirs described above. An examination was made of Lake Mason and the smaller lakes in T. 9 N., R. 24 E., but they are not recommended for water storage, because there is a stratum of loose gravel near the surface which carries off the water. Willow Creek carries a small stream of water into Lake Mason, varying in size according to the amount of irrigation above the lake along the creek, but except during the flood season no water runs out of the lake. A well near the edge of the outlet creek and about a mile below the lake is 6 feet deep and 4 feet in diameter, holding 3 feet of water. The upper stratum contains some sand and clay for 34 feet, then comes a foot of hardpan, and then loose water-bearing gravel. After being bailed out the water resumed its natural level in four or five hours. Around the edge of this basin lie some 15,000 acres of the best lands in this division, having good soil and a gentle slope toward the lakes. In addition to the fact that the lake will not hold water well, the country is too flat to allow more than 10 or 15 feet of water to be stored. Also, there is little land below this lake suitable for agriculture until the valley of Flat Willow Creek is reached. Most of the intervening land which is low enough is badly cut up by coulées and is rough and rolling. However, careful surveys may develop the fact that a lateral might be constructed from this lake to utilize the natural drainage into it and the seepage from the irrigation of surrounding lands when reclaimed by the proposed Musselshell Canal. This lateral might serve a small area between Willow and Pole creeks, near Roundup. None of the country to the north of the Big Bend can be served from the Musselshell, as there is no opportunity to store the water. The floods of the Middle Musselshell could be diverted from the river in the vicinity of Roundup and carried along on the south side in a northeasterly direction and thrown across the divide into the Big Dry Creek country, if storage capacity can be found in that vicinity, and if the land and topography are suitable for irrigation. The country west of the Musselshell and north of Flat Willow presents conditions quite similar to the south division, except that the general elevation is less and the lower portions of all the streams run through bad lands, growing more broken and extending farther back from the Musselshell as the Missouri River is approached. Along the latter stream these bad lands extend for a long distance both east and west from the mouth of the Musselshell. The unsurveyed Ts. 17 to 20 N., Rs. 26 to 30 E., inclusive, are rough and unsuited for any reclamation plan other than very small storage reservoirs, which can easily be put in by private enterprise. Ts. 17 to 19 N., Rs. 22 to 25 E., inclusive, are fair agricultural land, but contain no storage sites beyond the capabilities of modest private capital. There were two reservoir sites found which would reclaim considerable good land if utilized, viz, Wild Horse and Warhouse Butte lakes, the former being much the better. Wild Horse Lake lies in a depression on the bench between Ford and Big Box Elder creeks, and could be filled from the floods of these streams. The maximum cut to drain this basin would be 35 feet, and the outlet canal would be 2,100 feet long on the inside of this ridge and 1,400 feet long to grade on the outside. An earth fill of 15 feet maximum height and 1,000 feet in length would have to be built across a sag where the inlet canal from Box Elder Creek would enter. Also a fill of the same height and 1,100 feet long would be needed across the outlet sag. These would give a maximum depth of water in the reservoir of nearly 50 feet, and could be raised higher if found desirable, according to the water supply found available and the exact area of land reclaimable upon detailed surveys being made. The flooded area at this depth would be approximately 5,380 acres, and with an average depth of water of 20 feet the storage capacity would be 107,600 acrefeet. Good quality of sandstone is available within 14 miles of the outlet. The soil at both of these sites is particularly well adapted for water storage and there seems to be almost no seepage. There was no opportunity to establish gaging stations at suitable points on either Box Elder or Ford creeks because of lack of inhabitants to act as attendants. The flood cross section of Box Elder a little below the point where Ford Creek empties in is about 400 square feet, and the current must be swift, as the fall to both creeks is considerable. There is little doubt of there being sufficient water available in floods to fill the reservoir. There is no permanent flow in either creek, except near their sources, and they go dry early in the season at the points where the inlet canals to the reservoir would leave them. These canals would be about 7 miles long each. If the water of Ford Creek was not needed for Wild Horse Lake it could be turned into Warhouse Butte Lake by a canal about 7 miles long. Another source of supply for the latter reservoir would be McDonald Creek, which could be diverted at about its forks, near Grass Range, where there is a small permanent flow, and carried across the divide about 15 miles to this lake. This reservoir would also need two earth fills in order to store a large body of water. One would be near the inlet, and would be 2,400 feet long and have 14 feet maximum height. The second would be across the outlet sag, and would be 1,600 feet long and 18 feet maximum height. These fills could not be raised much without adding very considerably to their length, more particularly in the case of the first one. The maximum cut for the outlet would be 3 feet, and length of outlet canal, grade to grade, 2,500 feet. With a maximum depth of 18 feet of water the flooded area would be approximately 1,420 acres, and with 9 feet average depth of water the capacity would be 12,780 acre-feet. The irrigable lands would begin immediately below the outlets of both reservoirs and would extend on both sides down Box Elder. The better land and the most favorable topography is to the west of this stream, there being good land along Buffalo Creek just south of Warhouse Butte reservoir, and some good bottoms along McDonald and Flat Willow creeks and a good bench between these creeks. These two reservoirs would work in well together in forming a single system. The country north of the Big Bend of the Musselshell and on the east side of the river which is tributary to this stream is entirely unsuited to irrigation and impracticable to reclaim, as it is very rough, rolling, and broken into bad lands, much of which is impassable even to a person on horseback. NEBRASKA. In Nebraska the conditions are somewhat similar to those in Kansas. There is a relatively small amount of land in Government ownership which can be reclaimed. The lands that can be reached by water from ordinary sources have been taken up by prospective settlers. The area of public land is, however, considerably larger than in Kansas, as the State extends farther west, into more arid regions. There are, in round numbers, 10,000,000 acres of arid public lands, and the disposal of these will make available a considerable amount of money which can be utilized in irrigation works. The area irrigated in Nebraska in 1899 was 148,538, a notable increase since 1889, when the acreage irrigated was only 11,744 acres. The lands watered are mainly along North Platte River in the extreme western part of the State, although irrigation is practiced widely from wells, water being lifted by windmills or various forms of machinery driven by steam or gasoline. The general examination of artesian conditions has been extended across Nebraska, and it is believed that a few deep wells can be sunk to advantage, demonstrating whether water will rise to the surface in sufficient quantity and of such quality as to be used for irrigation. Some of the flowing wells of the State carry so large an amount of mineral water in solution that this can not be successfully applied to crops; hence it is a question not merely of obtaining flowing water but of getting wells whose water is sufficiently good for industrial purposes. The most complete development of irrigation in a large way is probably that by which waters of North Platte River may be taken out upon the level lands adjacent to the river. To reach the best lands it may be necessary that the canals head in Wyoming. In any event, the complete utilization of North Platte River will require the construction of reservoirs near the headwaters. Thus, it is essential to study the North Platte as a whole, in order to determine how to most completely save the waters and put them to the most beneficial use, both in Wyoming and in Nebraska. For this purpose examination of the river has been begun, as described later under "Wyoming." |