1904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 557 



vestigation was undertaken primarily south of the south boundary line of 

 for the purpose of determining the North Dakota, and four miles north of 

 feasibility of irrigating lands along the Ashcroft, South Dakota. The canal 

 Little Missouri River near the south- line would follow for fifteen miles 

 ern border of North Dakota, and also through fairly good country for con- 

 to ascertain if it were possible to con- struction, with three or four excep- 

 duct the water from the stream to the tions where cut banks along the river 

 headwaters of the Grand and Cannon would be encountered. 

 Ball rivers, where large bodies of land In the vicinity of the boundary be- 

 are located susceptible of irrigating, tween North and South Dakota the 

 providing a sufficient water supply line would have to head several creeks 

 could be obtained. that could not be crossed under an or- 



The Little Missouri River heads in dinary heavy fill. This condition in- 

 Wyoming, and, flowing in a north- creases rapidly descending the river, 

 easterly direction, crosses the south- ' the creeks growing longer and the can- 

 eastern corner of the state of Mon- yons deeper and wider, with side hills 

 tana ; then entering the state of South and cut banks of great height. In the 

 Dakota, and thence into North Da- case of Spring, Skull, Coyote, Seven, 

 kota, its course is northerly for 100 Five, Horse, and other creeks adja- 

 miles, where it turns abruptly to the cent, it would be next to impossible 

 east and empties into the Missouri to cross by flumes or siphons or by 

 River in Fort Berthold Indian reserva- fills, owing to the great expense. To 

 tion. head them means ten miles or more of 



That part of the river through South heavy work, with numerous culverts 



Dakota for a distance of 30 miles flows and heavy fills. Where these creeks 



in a flat, rolling valley, the hills on cross the direct line of the canal they 



either side being distant from one to vary in depth from 50 to 200 feet, and 



five miles. The banks along the river from 1,000 to 4,000 feet in width. For 



are low, being from ten to thirty feet each creek there is a corresponding 



above the river bed. A large area of cut bank from 50 to 100 feet in height 



land recently has been withdrawn in and vertical cliffs from 400 to 1,000 



this section pending further investiga- feet or more in length. These would 



tion by the engineers. have to be gone through and cannot 



As the river flows to the north the be avoided. 



valley narrows and the stream has cut From below Spring Creek the river 

 banks of considerable height. The is in the Bad Lands and a simple in- 

 side streams coming in also increase spection is sufficient to condemn any 

 in size proceeding down stream, so canal construction. There is no place 

 that when the Bad Lands are entered along the Little Missouri River that 

 the cut banks are several hundred feet comes under this investigation where 

 in height and the streams are twenty there is a possibility of a< dam being 

 miles or more in length, necessitating constructed to store the waters. There 

 wide detours for canal lines to head is no dam site, no reservoir of capacity, 

 them. The small discharge that occurs the river falling approximately eight 

 during the period when water is re- feet in one mile with a narrow valley, 

 quired for the crops, June, July, and making small area for storage. Any 

 August, necessitates the storage of the further investigation of the possibility 

 waters of this stream. Owing to the of diverting the Little Missouri River 

 low, flat country it passes through in in this vicinity would be an unneces- 

 Montana and South Dakota, there is sary expense, and a drive along the 

 no available reservoir. Storage would canal line that would have to be fol- 

 have to be provided at some point be- lowed would be convincing of the 

 low the divides in Cannon Ball and enormous amount of work that would 

 Grand River drainages. The diversion have to be done, particularly along this 

 selected was at a point twenty miles stream in North Dakota. 



