230 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



are flanked by narrow bottoms, but as the supply of water is not con- 

 stant throughout their course they cannot be depended upon for irri- 

 gating purposes unless the water is brought down by ditches which be- 

 gin near the mountains. 



The bottoms of Bitter Cottonwood are only of moderate width, but 

 for most of its length these are bordered by second levels of considera- 

 ble width which are quite low. The water of this creek is probably suf- 

 ficient, in the first part of the summer, to irrigate the entire lands in 

 reach, but late in the season it would be deficient. 



The soil in this valley is not so good as that of the La Bonte. 



The valleys of the Laramie and its principal tributary, Chugwater, 

 present the most desirable points for agricultural purposes in the sec- 

 tion. In fact I consider the short valley of the Laramie Biver, from the 

 mountains to the Platte, one of the choice spots of the entire district. 

 The elevation being about one thousand five hundred feet less than 

 Cheyenne, and two thousand six hundred feet lower than Laramie City ; 

 and shielded from the winds by the mountains on the west, and the high 

 bluffs and hills on the north and south, it possesses a climate several 

 degrees warmer than most of the section, and is not so liable to be vis- 

 ited by those untimely frosts and snows which often do so much injury 

 to crops in this mountain district. The extent of the bottom is not very 

 great, the entire area probably not exceeding seventy-five or eighty 

 square miles, yet the fall of the river and volume of water are sufficient 

 to irrigate much of the bordering table lands. The supply of timber is 

 ample, the mountain heights affording an abundance of pine and fir for 

 lumber, and the groves of the bottoms cottonwood for fuel, &c. 



Fremont bears testimony to the moderate climate, saying, " The win- 

 ter here is remarkably mild for the latitude ; but rainy weather is fre- 

 quent, and the place is celebrated for winds, of which the prevailing one 

 is west. An east wind in summer, and a south wind in winter, are said 

 to be always accompanied with rain." What he says in regard to the 

 place being celebrated for winds is certainly true, as a general rule, and 

 while this may apply directly to the eastern end of this valley and the 

 table lands, I think the bottom lands are generally screened by the hills 

 and bluffs. 



Stansbury, although unfavorably impressed with this region generally, 

 remarks in regard to the lower part of this valley, " That he has no 

 doubt that, with the aid of irrigation, the bottom land of Laramie Creek 

 may be made to produce abundant crops ;" and that " hay is cut about 

 eight miles up the stream in quantity sufficient to supply the garrison.' 7 



The Chugwater runs northeast for some thirty-five or forty miles 

 along the base of the Black Hills, watering a beautiful valley, which 

 averages about two miles wide. This valley is bordered on each side 

 by high bluffs, which wall it in for the greater part of its length. The 

 bottoms are very fertile and easily irrigated, and the supply of water is 

 probably sufficient for this purpose, although it appears to sink at some 

 points and then rise again,, but if drawn off by irrigating ditches this 

 would be prevented and the supply would be constant. 



Horse Creek and its affluents furnish a considerable amount of valley 

 land and level bottoms, but, with the exception of that found along the 

 main branch, which rises in the mountains, little of it can be brought 

 iuto use by the usual system of irrigating, as the supply of water is not 

 constant. Beservoirs along the little affluents would be the means of 

 bringing a large body of land under culture. The same remarks will 

 apply to Larren's Fork, which, as it is not a mountain stream, dries up 

 in the latter part of the season. 



