400 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



big mess house feeding 600 at a meal, enough water to cover Connecticut ten 



refrigerator and ice-making plant, hos- inches deep. It would fill a stand pipe 



pital, dormitories, cottages, fire depart- ten feet in diameter reaching to the 



ment, electric lighting plant, Y. M. moon. It would fill 100 canals stretch- 



C. A., and last but not least, a moving- ing from New York to San Francisco, 



picture theater. The care and provision each canal 20 feet wide and 4 feet 



made for the comfort and health of its deep, 

 men have resulted in solving in a large 



measure the problem of retaining com- A *SNDI.Y SWAPPING OF RIVERS. 



petent and industrious workers, many While Uncle Sam's armed forces are 

 of whom under the guidance of tact- engaged in patrolling our Southern 

 ful superintendents are today deposit- borders momentarily awaiting the com- 

 ing their earnings each pay day in the mand to cross the line to pacify the 

 banks of Boise. revolutionary Mexicans, on our North- 

 Of almost equal importance and mag- western boundary his engineers are 

 nitude is the Rio Grande project in peacefully engaged in the pleasing 

 New Mexico, Texas and Old Mexico, pastime of swapping rivers. All is 

 Its purpose is in a way to recreate a amity here and two nations are viewing 

 valley in which are found the oldest the performance with every indication 

 irrigation systems in the United States, of friendly satisfaction. 

 Along the bloody 'trail made by the In northern Montana two streams 

 lustful Conquistadores of Spain, who rise, the St. Mary draining from the 

 swept northward from Mexico in search lofty peaks of Glacier Park and the 

 of the fabled cities of Cibola, the Gov- Milk River, which has its source on the 

 ernment engineers are today engaged Great Plains. Both streams flow north- 

 upon a work of conquest, but of a dif- ward into Canada, the first named 

 ferent nature. They are marking the finally reaching Hudson Bay. Milk 

 lines of future canals which will re- River, after a short course in the 

 claim 180,000 acres of desert. It is a United States, flows for nearly 200 

 region rich in historical incident, but miles in Canada and then returns to 

 richer in future promise of permanent the United States to empty into the 

 and enduring prosperity. On this proj- Missouri. Except during flood periods 

 ect the structure of absorbing interest the Milk River is an insignificant 

 is the great Elephant Butte dam and its stream. It flows through a broad and 

 huge reservoir. This dam is located fertile valley, wanting only a depend- 

 about 120 miles north of El Paso and able water supply to become one of the 

 blocks the river just below the black garden spots of the Northwest. In its 

 mountain of basalt from which it takes valley in this country the St. Mary 

 its name. It is of rubble concrete grav- River has no irrigable lands, but in 

 ity type, straight, with maximum height Canada it traverses a beautiful valley 

 of 300 feet and 1,200 feet long on top. which could be reclaimed by its waters. 

 It will contain 500,000 cubic yards and Our engineers conceived the idea of 

 will cost about $5,000,000. While not turning this stream by means of a canal 

 as high as the Arrowrock dam, its stor- cut through a low divide into Cutbank 

 age capacity is vastly greater. Behind Creek, thence it would flow southward 

 the Elephant Butte dam is a valley con- into Marias River and ultimately into 

 taining about 40,000 acres which will the Missouri, irrigating en route a part 

 become a lake more than 45 miles long, of the Milk River Valley. While the 

 Its capacity will be 2,627,000 acre feet, scheme was feasible, it was expensive, 

 making it one of the largest artificial A better plan was found, to wit, turn 

 bodies of water in the world. Its St. Mary River into Milk River by 

 capacity will be a third greater than means of a canal 20 miles long, let the 

 that of the celebrated Assuan dam in water flow through Canada and divert 

 Egypt, at present the largest irrigation it later into Milk River Valley in Mon- 

 reservoir ever built. The Elephant tana. This plan while much less costly 

 Butte reservoir when full will contain was not practicable unless the United 



