STATE OF MONTANA 



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RIGATION IN MONTANA 



ligation in Montana had its be«rinning in the Bitter 

 Father De Smet, of the Catholic ^Mission, irrigated 

 ds from Colville, Washington. During the follow- 

 atoes, and other produce were grown under irriga- 

 'ter Major John Owen purchased the mission buikl- 

 ), irrigation of crops was continued. 



lent of Alder Gulch in ]\Iadison County in 1863, 

 ,ed with crude and small ditches by miners after 

 . In the Gallatin and Beaverhead Valleys, Avhich 

 e settled in ^Montana, irrigation developed rapidly. 

 , built individual ditches to irrigate their private 



necessary for them to combine and build ditches 

 mds. For many years the direct flow of streams 

 e seasonal demands for water. As the amount of 

 )out each settlement, and the supply of direct flows 

 uate, the principal of priority developed, with the 

 rst in right. Construction of storage reservoirs to 



use as needed, followed as the next major develop- 



ourth in the amount of cropland and pasture under 

 orado, and Idaho are the three leading States. In 

 d from more than 1,725.000 irrigated acres in this 

 ; value in excess of forty-eight and one-half million 

 bres amounted to 22 per cent of all harvested acres 

 Dps amounted to 31 per cent of the total value of 

 rtance of irrigation in ]\Iontana is appreciated more 

 luring periods of good rainfall. For the ten years, 

 the drought period, 22 per cent of the harvested 



the value of production from these irrigated acres 

 r of most severe drought, 32 per cent of the cropped 



the value of production from these irrigated acres 

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; found in all of Montana's 56 counties, most of the 

 1 central and western portions. Beaverhead county 

 )ximately 210,000 acres, most of Avhich is wild or 

 nine leading counties in order of importance are 

 Yellowstone, Madison, Carbon, Lake, Powell, and 



I crops are grown to some extent on irrigated land. 

 . of the irrigated crop list, with practically all acre- 

 beans follow as a close second with more than four- 

 ■ated. Approximately three-fourths of the dry peas 

 atoes are now grown under irrigation. Alfalfa hay 

 ated and nearly half of the alfalfa seed and wild hay 

 .mong the grains, oats has been most prominent with 

 followed by barley with around 15 per cent. Prior to 

 of the barley acreage was irrigated; a sharp expan- 

 hen has been largely on dry land. A small propor- 

 /e, and flax acreage usually comes under irrigation. 



P. J. CREEK. 



Agricultiudl Statistician. 



