480 NATIONAL EECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS. 



month varies from 3^ to 4^ inches. The average precipitation for 

 the year is 14.84 inches. 



Physical features. — The lands under the Interstate canal have a 

 minimum elevation of 3,600 feet at Bridgeport and a maximum ele- 

 vation of 4,2G0 feet in the vicinit}^ of Fort Laramie. 



The valley is about 15 miles wide, the greater part of which lies on 

 the north side of the river. To the north and south are rolling sand 

 hills and to the west rather rough and broken plains country. Both 

 these regions furnish excellent grass, and are given over almost 

 entirely to range purposes. The lands to be irrigated are flat mesa or 

 table lands lying from 50 to 100 feet above the river. Between this 

 mesa and the river there is generally bottom land about 1 mile in 

 width. This land has been irrigated for a number of years, the crops 

 being grain and grass. 



Soil. — The character of the soil is very similar to that of the plains 

 region. It consists of a sandy loam, with a marked absence, however, 

 of the adobe soils farther south. The native vegetation consists of 

 Buffalo grass. Gramma grass, what is locally known as Wheat grass, 

 otherwise Bluestem, and Blackroot. All of these afford most excel- 

 lent range where not overgrazed. Wheat grass in particular, which 

 soon appears wherever the ground is irrigated, makes a most excellent 

 hay and brings on the market at Omaha, Kansas City, and Denver 

 a higher price than Timothy. The cactus or prickl}^ pear is much 

 in evidence, indicating the richness of the soil. This plant is entirely 

 destroA^ecl by the first plowing, and wherever it grows the land is con- 

 sidered the most desirable. There is a marked absence of sagebrush 

 under the Interstate canal. 



^Vater supply. — The water supply for irrigation is practically 

 unlimited in that there is a greater amount of water annually flowing 

 down the river than can be profitably utilized by the available irri- 

 gable lands. With the construction of the Pathfinder reservoir, 

 which is capable of storing more than one-half of the entire annual 

 run-off, the settlers under any of the Government canals are assured 

 of an ample supply of water at all times of the year. 



Progress to date. — In 1907 water will be turned onto probably 

 60,000 acres of land, 20,000 acres being in Wyoming and 40,000 acres 

 in Nebraska. Late in the fall of 1907 it is probable that an addi- 

 tional 40,000 acres will receive water, making in all, by the spring of 

 1908, 100,000 acres ready for crops. These farms will average about 

 100 acres each of irrigable land. In other words, 1,000 families 

 should be on the land and actively engaged in agriculture by the 

 spring of 1908, 



Towns. — The principal towns embraced in the interstate canal proj- 

 ect, beginning at the head of the canal, are old Fort Laramie and 

 Torring-ton, Wyo., Morrill, Mitchell (the Government headquarters), 



