1903 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



181 



sufficient, owing to lack of high moun- 

 tain areas at its headwaters. The in- 

 tention of this project is to connect 

 the headwaters of this river with the 

 mountain areas. The turning of the 

 excess waters from St. Mary's Lake 

 easterly into the head of Milk River 

 is considered a comparatively simple 

 matter, as the divide is low and can 

 ae crossed by a gravity canal. The 

 ^reat problem, however, lies in the 

 implications which are brought about 

 Dy the presence of the international 

 Boundary. 



The question which naturally arises 

 ind the one which is giving the Recla- 

 nation Survey the most trouble is 

 whether the water should be used as 

 lear as possible to the point where it is 

 )btained for irrigation of the high lands, 

 >r whether it would not be better em- 

 ployed if taken down further east to a 

 ower altitude. It is a further ques- 

 ion that if taken farther east that it 

 should be allowed to flow down Milk 

 iiver through Canada, or if it is possi- 

 )le to carry it at a reasonable cost in 

 :anals south of the international bound- 

 iry line ? The matter is further com- 

 )licated by the question that if the 

 vater flows down Milk River will not 



the Canadians make use of it before it 

 can again enter the United States ? 



The examination of the St. Mary's 

 Lake and River was begun in 1900 by 

 the Geological Survey, with Gerard H. 

 Matthes in charge of the work. It was 

 soon found that a diversion canal could 

 be carried over the divide to the head- 

 waters of Milk River. Cyrus C. Babb 

 continued this work in the summer of 

 1901, and paid especial attention to ob- 

 taining facts regarding the cost of a canal 

 south of the international boundary line. 

 Mr. Babb found that such a canal was 

 impracticable, owing to the fact that it 

 would have to be built for fully 250 

 miles, the cost of which would be 

 $4,000,000 or more. 



At this point the whole matter was re- 

 solved into the three following courses : 

 First, to carry the water from St. Mary's 

 Lake to the north and south fork of 

 Milk River, allowing it to run through 

 Canada to the lower Milk River valley 

 in Montana ; second, applying the water 

 to lands as far west as possible, thus 

 irrigating the eastern section of the 

 Blackfeet Indian Reservation on the 

 east ; third, carry water from the head of 

 St. Mary's River across both the north 

 and south forks of Milk River to Cut- 



1ILK RIVER PROJECT SKETCH OF PROPOSED DAM AND CANAL AT THE OUTLET OF ST. 



MARY'S LAKE, MONTANA. 



J 



