346 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



proximately $4,500,000 are still in the 

 Treasury of the United States, but not 

 yet available. 



Moneys received under operations of 

 Reclamation Act from all sources, in 

 cash and credits, for work done, $2,379,- 

 475.04, divided as follows: Town-lot 

 sales, $103,673.91 ; miscellaneous sales, 

 water rentals, etc., $1,694,844.77; collec- 

 tions on water rights, $814,145.34- This 

 does not include any of the moneys col- 

 lected for the water rights which were 

 due and payable April i, 1910. 



THE HIGHE;ST dam in the: WORIvD 



Among the several large projects, one 

 of especial interest is located in northern 

 Wyoming. When the springtime show- 

 ers and sunshine fall upon the snowy 

 peaks of the lofty mountains on the east- 

 ern rim of Yellowstone Park, a thousand 

 streams will rush downward to fill to 

 brimming the swift-flowing Shoshone 

 River. An important physical change 

 will occur at that time. The flood that 

 once, unchecked and uncontrolled, swept 

 madly through the rock-walled gorge, 

 will beat itself to stillness against a mas- 

 sive wall of concrete with which man has 

 blocked the canyon. A beautiful lake, 

 100 feet deep and covering ten square 

 miles, will appear. 



In this wonderful gash in the moun- 

 tains, with perpendicular walls a thou- 

 sand feet high, the Government has 

 erected the highest dam in the world. It 

 is a wedge of concrete 328 feet from 

 base to top. Its height can only be ap- 

 preciated when compared with that of 

 some well-known structure. New York's 

 famous Flatiron Building would not 

 reach within 47 feet of the top of the 

 dam, and the tip-top of the dome of the 

 United States Capitol would fall short 

 2T feet of the parapet. 



In the summer, when the crops are 

 thirsty, the big gates will be opened and 

 the pent-up floods will be released into 

 the river IdcIow. Another dam, a low 

 structure of concrete, will divert the 

 waters through a tunnel three and one- 

 quarter miles long into a canal which 

 for 40 miles passes along the upper edge 



of a broad and fertile valley containing 

 150,000 acres. 



Two years ago it was a desolate waste. 

 Today it contains more than 200 farm- 

 houses and three thriving towns. Ten 

 thousand acres produced crops last year 

 on this project. With 16 farm-houses 

 along each mile of the main highways, 

 the valley already has a suburban ap- 

 pearance. 



More than 250 farm units of 40 to 80 

 acres each are now available to entry, 

 and ofifer exceptional opportunities for 

 men of moderate means to secure homes 

 in a prosperous and growing country. 



be;i,le; fourche; project, south dakota 



Close to the Black Hills, in South 

 Dakota, lies the beautiful valley of Belle 

 Fourche, containing 100,000 acres of 

 grass-covered prairie. Many miles of 

 canals have been laid across its level 

 surface, and what was only a short time 

 ago the finest free cattle range in this 

 country is rapidly becoming a compactly 

 settled agricultural community. 



An impressive engineering feature of 

 this project is the Owl Creek dam, one 

 of the longest and highest earthen em- 

 bankments in the world. This structure, 

 now nearing completion, is 6,200 feet 

 long, has a maximum height of 115 feet, 

 and contains 1,600,000 cubic yards of 

 material. 



The reservoir created by it will be the 

 largest lake in the State. By means of 

 a deep and wide canal six and one-half 

 miles long, the entire flow of Belle 

 Fourche River is turned into the reser- 

 voir, to be taken out again in the irri- 

 gating canals, which will supply 100,000 

 acres in 191 1. 



On the second unit, containing 10,000 

 acres, opened to entry March i, there 

 are about 60 Government farms awaiting 

 settlers. 



MONTANA PROJECTS 



The activities of the Reclamation Serv- 

 ice in Montana have resulted in the com- 

 pletion of two large projects and the 

 partial construction of several others. 

 The present plans provide for projects in 

 this State as follows : 



