1904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 535 



this stream and its tributaries. These and Missouri Flats, the only level 



sand hills cover the larger part of ten lands outside the canon, contain a 



counties, and are of little value ex- combined area of about 15,000 acres, 



cept as range land, ten or fifteen acres but they are so high above the bed of 



being required to pasture one cow. the river that gravity irrigation from 



Here and ^there are found vaHeys, or that source is out of the question, 



"hay-flats," usually running east and Aside from a limited number 'of 



west, on which are cut quantities of irrigation ditches on the upper Nio- 



wild hay. The soil is not susceptible brara and a few small mills, this river 



of cultivation, because as soon as it is put to no practical use whatever, 

 is broken it begins to blow. The 

 "sand blows" often cover several acres 



from which the sand is frequently This river is a tributary of the Nio- 

 blown out to a depth of twenty feet, brara and is in nearly all respects its 

 Throughout the entire length of the counterpart. The canon near its 

 river these sand hills are the character- mouth is about 350 feet deep, having 

 istic feature of its drainage areas, been cut by the stream through mag- 

 sometimes bordering on the very nesia or chalk formations, characteris- 

 banks of the stream, and sometimes tic of the country. In Sec. 4, T.3I, 

 receding several miles, between which R-3O, are found a series of falls from 

 and the river there is found a strip of 5 to 14 feet high, above which the 

 rolling land of firm soil, and suscep- water surface is about 50 feet below 

 tible of a high degree of cultivation, the surrounding country. There are 

 However, the rainfall is insufficient no irrigable lands contiguous to the 

 to insure good crops, and the lands lower Snake; nothing but sand hills, 

 are too rolling to admit of practical so that its development in this connec- 

 irrigation, even if it were possible to tion is out of the question. Power 

 get water on the land. On the upper could be developed at little expense if 

 Niobrara these areas of tillable land it could be utilized, 

 are of very great extent on the north THE; LAKE COUNTRY. 

 side of the river, beginning several 

 miles back This territory embraces a strip of 



ATA, AT - i -D- i countrv some 10 or 15 miles on both 



1 he IXiiobrara River almost through- ., - r ,, , , ,, , 



, ,, -sides of the seventh standard parallel 



out its entire length runs in a deep . ~, ^ , 



r r mt_- m Cherry County, and may be consid- 



canon from 20 to 400 feet deep. This 7 , r u a , 



u A u*. A\ u u ered simply as a series of hav nats 



canon has undoubtedly been cut by , \, J , , ,, i 



,1 -, ir ,, / ,, whose bottoms are below the general 



the river itself through the magnesia , , r ., ^.-m, 



i i, i , s , , fe water table of the country. ihese 



or chalk rock strata, which are very (l , , ,. .* ,. 



, , . r ,, . r , , lakes are said to have periodic rises, 



characteristic of this par of the coun- established on Red 



try making a firm, fertile sod, where Degr . Qrder determine the 



it has not been encroached upon by r ,, 



, , . extent of these fluctuations, 



the sand hills. , . 



Beyond the territory covered by this 



IRRIGABLE LANDS. survey, that is, east of the 25th range 



The only lands within the limits line, through Rock and Brown coun- 



of this survey susceptible of practical ties, are found large areas of level, 



irrigation are found in narrow strips irrigable land. This land is so high 



along the banks in the bottom of its above the river bed that water could 



canons, and are seldom found in tracts only be put on it with difficulty, but 



exceeding 100 acres. The problem of there is an abundant water supply and 



irrigation here is a very simple one, irrigable areas to the extent of prob- 



but there is a lack of irrigation ex- ably 500 square miles, and it is pos- 



cept on the upper Niobrara, where sible that a reconnaissance survey 



a number of ditches are in successful would develop some probable project 



operation. Boiling Springs, Conly, for irrigating this land. 



