ALTERNATE PROJECTS.

1. All of the water stored in Lake De Smet could be utilized on land along Clear Creek extending from a point 5 miles above Clearmont to the mouth of Clear Creek, and if any water were left over it could be used on land along Powder River below the mouth of Clear Creek.

2. If the topographic surveys that will be made show that it will be feasible to convey the stored water from Lake De Smet through the pass at Ulm (Pl. LXVIII) all of it could be used on irrigable land along Prairie Dog Creek in the vicinity of Sheridan; or one-third of the water could be used to irrigate 7,000 acres along Clear Creek (fig. 56), and the remaining two-thirds used on lands along Prairie Dog Creek. The irrigable land along Prairie Dog Creek lies in a more compact body than that along Clear Creek, the latter being in a long and comparatively narrow strip. Therefore, the loss of water by seepage and evaporation would be considerably greater in conveying it to the land along Clear Creek than to that on Prairie Dog Creek.

RECONNAISSANCE ON GREEN RIVER.a

In order to determine the feasibility of diverting Green River or its tributaries, New Fork and East Fork, to irrigate lands in the vicinity of Big and Little Sandy creeks, as well as the possibility for storage in the mountain lakes in this section, a rapid examination was made during the season of 1903. Several lines of flying levels were run, which determined that Boulder, Fremont, Half Moon, and Burnt Lakes could be used as reservoirs, and the water carried into Boulder Lake or Boulder Creek below the lake. It was found that it would not be possible to divert water thus conserved to the lands near Big and Little Sandy creeks, but that along Boulder Creek, East Fork, and along New Fork, continuing down to the junction of the latter stream with Green River, a large amount of irrigable land could be reached. There is considerable irrigation of lands along Green River and New Fork along the bottom, but a much larger area could be cultivated with sufficient water stored in the lakes above mentioned.

a Extract from report by C. H. Fitch.