21 



On loiivijig the lower basin the liver again enters a narrow canyon 

 and for lU miles is contined by high mountain walls. All along- the 

 canyon course it is joined at short intervals b}^ tributaries, both small 

 and large. Near the lower end of the canyon it is joined from the 

 east l)y Squaw Creek and from the west by Logger, Hell Roaritig, and 

 Spanish creeks. The last two creeks are among the important West 

 Gallatin tributaries, Spanish Creek standing next in size to West 

 Fork. In what is termed Spanish Creek Basin, lying along Spanish 

 Creek and to the west of the West Gallatin Canyon, is a considerable 

 area subject to cultivation. In this locality there are eight small 

 ditches, varying in capacity from 50 to 3<)0 miner's inches each, which 

 tap Spanish Creek and distribute the water thus diverted to an area of 

 land aggregating 2,000 acres. Some of these rights date back to 1885 

 and ls,s<j; the majority, however, have been acquired in recent years. 



About 2 miles below Spanish Creek the river leaves the canyon and 

 enters the Gallatin Valley, in which lie the lands which utilize the 

 greatest part of its flow during the irrigation season. The valley 

 tributaries of the West Gallatin are Wilson, Bear, Cottonwood, and 

 Camp creeks. The tirst three join the river from the east about 4 

 miles below the mouth of the canyon. The last is of little importance 

 as an irrigation stream. It rises in the low hills which separate the 

 Gallatin and Madison basins and flows in a southerly direction, joining 

 the river just above the junction of the West and East (rallatin rivers. 



During the irrigation season the entire flow of the three creeks 

 entering from the east is diverted for irrigation purposes. The land 

 they serve lies on the benches to the east of the river. Cottonwood is 

 the largest of the three creeks, having a drainage area of 10 square 

 miles. 



The following table shows the discharge of these creeks on different 

 dates during the irrigation season of 1902. It was impossible to 

 obtain suitable places of measurement above all ditches, so they were 

 measured at the mouths of their respective canyons and the flow of all 

 ditches diverting waters above the points of measurement was added. 

 In the table are also given the discharges of some of the canyon tribu- 

 taries of the West Gallatin. These measurements were made during 

 the period of high water. For the sake of comparison the results of 

 two measurements of the river, made June 9 and 14 at Williams 

 bridge, about 1 mile below the mouth of the canyon, are included in 

 the table. 



