IRRIGATION IN THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST. 



BY CHAS. W. PETERSON. 



THE question of irrigation in the Canadian North- 

 west is one which is at present engaging the atten- 

 tion of all thinking men interested in the agricul- 

 tural or pastoral industries in the semi-arid portion 

 of these Territories. Numerous applications for irri- 

 gation charters have already been presented to the 

 Dominion Parliament, and two companies have actu- 

 ally commenced work, viz., the " Calgary Irrigation 

 Company " an'i the " Calgary Hydraulic Company." 



Until a comparatively recent period the scheme of 

 rendering the semi-arid district of the Northwest 

 Territories productive by means of artificial water- 

 ing was practically unknown, and great praise is 

 due Mr. William Pearce, superintendent of Domin- 

 ion mines, for his untiring efforts during the last few 

 years in bringing the subject to the attention of the 

 ranching population and others interested, as well as 

 the Department of the Interior, which is entrusted 

 with the administration of the public lands in the 

 Territories and consequently the most extensive land 

 owner. Valuable aid in this cause has also been in- 

 directly given by the members of the Mormon set- 

 tlement in Southern Alberta. These people, being the 

 pioneer irrigators of the Northwest, have clearly 

 demonstrated the capabilities of our soil under the 

 influence of irrigation, and the results of artificial 

 watering have proved so complete a revelation to 

 those unacquainted with this method of agriculture, 

 which unfortunately constitutes the large majority in 

 this as in most other communities, that any prejudice 

 they may previously have entertained against the 

 same has been easily removed, and many of them 

 are now the most enthusiastic believers in utilizing 

 the great body of water emanating from the east 

 slope of the Rocky mountains for the artificial water- 

 ing of our extensive plains. 



Roughly speaking, the area which could be profit- 

 ably irrigated wherever the natural conditions allow 

 of the same, may be computed at 67,000 square 

 miles, being the district between the Rocky mount- 

 ains and the eastern limit of the Missouri Couteau, 

 the international boundary on the south, and town- 

 ship 30 on the north. Although this district could 

 hardly be designated " arid " in the true sense of the 

 word, as considerable farming is at present being 

 done within its boundaries, it cannot be denied that 

 agricultural operations can only be carried on with 

 results extremely problematical, and would in most 

 years, if not invariably, be infinitely more advan- 

 tageous if a sufficient water supply was insured, thus 



affording protection against the only formidable 

 drawback that is likely to interfere with the success- 

 ful results of the settler's labor. The hay meadows 

 where the large ranchers obtained their winter feed 

 are also to a large extent either drying up or being 

 appropriated by settlers under the homestead reg- 

 ulations, and the result is that the ranchers are be- 

 ginning to realize that artificial means will have to 

 be resorted to in order to keep up their necessary 

 hay supply. Add to this the fact that the natural 

 dip of the surface and other most favorable condi- 

 tions, such as an abundant water supply, rendering 

 it possible to irrigate the irrigable lands within the 

 district mentioned, at an extremely low cost com- 

 pared to other countries, it is hardly to be wondered 

 at that so much enthusiasm should be displayed by 

 everybody interested, and who is not interested, that 

 has his home here, in the development of the 

 country. 



There are at present numerous private schemes at 

 work and several under construction and contempla- 

 tion and with such object lessons as these will afford 

 continually before them, the education of the com- 

 munity to the utilization of the large volume of water 

 contained in our rivers and streams and at present 

 running to waste, promises to be the work of a com- 

 paratively short time, as one could hardly fail to 

 realize the immense advantages which could be de- 

 rived from the judicious application of these waters 

 upon the meadows and cultivated fields. 



The Calgary Irrigation Company draws its water 

 supply from a point on the Elbow river some twelve 

 miles west of Calgary; the main ditch follows the 

 course of that river some shoit distance to the south 

 of it in an easterly direction and enters the city of 

 Calgary. Mr. Wm. Pearce is the president of the 

 company. It is anticipated that some 50,000, and by 

 making very few extensions 100,000 acres could be 

 brought under water from this ditch. The head 

 works and part of the ditch have already been con- 

 structed, and it is the intention to complete the con- 

 struction of the same this season if possible. 



The head works of the Calgary Hydraulic Com- 

 pany are situated near Keith Station on the Bow 

 river; the ditch follows the main line of the Canadian 

 Pacific railway, crosses the Bow river and approaches 

 Calgary on the north side. Mr. George Alexander is 

 the president of this company. 



Both these companies being under the most ener- 

 getic and experienced management will doubtless 



