Toston and Townsend. Water would be diverted from Missouri River about 3 miles above Toston.

A classification of the irrigable land shows a total of 9,180 acres class 1, and 2,490 acres class 2, or a total of 11,670 acres. There are, however, considerable areas of good agricultural land lying above the line. There are 5,140 acres of cultivated land below the projected canal line irrigated from Dry, Greyson, Deep, Gurnet, and Duck creeks and Confederate Gulch. If satisfactory arrangements could be made with the owners of these water rights, as now seems probable, their lands could be watered from the canal and the water from the creeks used on land above the canal. Therefore, this area of 5,140 acres, now watered from these creeks, has been included with the irrigable lands, making a total of 16,800 acres.

There are probably about 3,000 acres north of Confederate Gulch that could be irrigated by extending this canal to Avalanch Gulch, but this involves about 20 miles additional line besides an increased canal section in the 30 miles from the headworks to Confederate Gulch, therefore, no land beyond this point has been considered. Most of the land under this canal is in private or State ownership and no withdrawals from entry have been made.

The crops at present raised in the Townsend Valley are principally alfalfa, oats, wheat, and some rye.

If one second-foot of water is required for 100 acres, 168 second-feet would be needed at the head of the laterals; adding 10 per cent to this to cover losses from seepage and evaporation, a diversion of 185 second-feet is necessary.

The discharge measurements of Missouri River show that the minimum flow is always below 4,000 second-feet in August and September, and frequently in July, and it will, therefore, be necessary to store all water for use during these periods.

The expenditures are summarized in the following table:

Expenditures, according to purpose and nature on proposed Madison River project to June 30, 1906.

The lands under this proposed project are mostly within the ceded strip of the Crow Indian Reservation. The feasible irrigation projects developed by the surveys made are naturally separated into several subprojects, each more or less complete in itself. These subprojects have been outlined and a general map published in the Fourth Annual Report, pages 225 to 228.

The act of April 27, 1904, provides that all the lands included in the ceded portion of the Crow Reservation except those withdrawn

for the Huntley project should be opened for settlement on July 16, 1906. As private capital will probably undertake the development of this area, a summary of the Government surveys will be given.

FORT CUSTER DIVISION.

The Fort Custer canal was surveyed and a preliminary location projected. The irrigable lands under this canal amount to about 28,000 acres, of which about 8,000 acres are included in the old Fort Custer Military Reservation. The estimates assumed that the Indian Department would pay a portion of the cost or authorize the leasing of the lands in the diminished reservation. The plans on which the estimates were based included a diversion weir across Bighorn River above the mouth of Two Leggin Creek. This was included because the irrigation work planned in Wyoming will eventually reduce the low-water flow of the river to a point where a temporary headworks at the given elevation would not suffice.

It was planned to divert 405 cubic feet of water per second in a canal 25 feet wide on the bottom, with side slopes of 1 to 1 and a depth to top of bank of 7.6 feet. This would provide a normal flow 5.1 feet deep, with a velocity of 24 feet per second. The canal as surveyed was 43 miles long. Its size would be reduced toward the end.

WACO-SANDERS DIVISION.

Surveys were made and an investigation conducted looking toward the irrigation of the largest possible acreage south of Yellowstone River below Waco. Under the Waco ditch about 4,500 acres of fine land can be developed by a comparatively inexpensive canal system. The development of power was also considered. It is doubtful if it is feasible to pump water for irrigation, but the power developed could probably be used for commercial purposes.

About 13,000 acres in the Sanders tract can be developed by a lowline canal taking water from Yellowstone River near Meyers station on the Northern Pacific Railway. Surveys were made for a highline canal to irrigate the Sanders tract and about 1,500 acres at the mouth of the Bighorn, but this is not a feasible undertaking owing to the expensive construction along Guy's bluffs above Meyers station.

BIGHORN DIVISION.

A survey has been made of a canal line from a proposed dam at the mouth of Bighorn canyon to Toluca on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway, with a branch to the bench lands near Peritsa station. The line that was considered most feasible would cross Two Leggin Creek by means of a siphon and thence would run along the bench above the Fort Custer canal until a junction with the Peritsa lateral was effected. About 44,000 acres would be irrigated from this canal.

A large portion of the lands under what was called the Bighorn high-line canal are inside the limits of the Crow Reservation, and for this reason, as well as the high cost per acre, it is probable that nothing will be done to develop this project.

EXPENDITURES.

The expenditures on the proposed Crow Reservation project are summarized in the following table:

Expenditures, according to purpose and nature, on proposed Crow Reservation project to

June 30, 1906.

NEBRASKA-WYOMING.

NORTH PLATTE PROJECT.

GENERAL STATEMENT.

The main features of the North Platte project are summarized below:

Summary of principal data relating to North Platte project.

Counties: Natrona, Carbon, Converse, Laramie, Wyo.; Sioux, Scottsbluff, Banner, Cheyenne, Nebr.

Latitude: 41° 30′.

Longitude: 102°.

Townships: 20 to 26 north, range 48 to 66 west.

Average rainfall: 9 to 18 inches.

Range of temperature: Maximum, 100°; minimum, −20°; mean, 45°.

Average elevation: 3,800 to 4,200 feet.

Principal products: Alfalfa, cereals, corn, sugar beets, potatoes.

Nearest railroad: Burlington and Missouri River Railroad traverses project. The Union Pacific will probably build along west side of North Platte and Laramie rivers. Nearest stations: Northport, Bridgeport, Bayard, Minatare, Scottsbluff, Mitchell, Morrill, Pratt, Torrington.

Principal markets: Denver, Omaha, central Wyoming.

Proportion of public land: 65 per cent.

Character of soil: Sandy loam.

Value of irrigated land: $40 to $75 per acre.

Completion of project: First 50 miles of Interstate canal in operation June, 1906. Building of second 50 miles well under way and should be completed during season of 1907.

Watershed area: About 12,000 square miles above reservoir.

Estimated run-off: About 3,000,000 acre-feet per annum.

Reservoir area: About 21,000 acres.

Capacity of reservoir: 1,000,000 acre-feet.

Duty of water: 100 acres per 1 second-feet; 2 acre-feet per annum over land.
Length of dam: On crest about 500 feet.

Dam type: Arched masonry.

Reservoir dam height: 215 feet.

Headgates and diversion dam: Reinforced concrete.

Diversion dam length: About 325 feet.

Length of canals: About 450 miles.

Length of laterals: About 500 miles.

The North Platte project at present contemplates the building of two principal works the Pathfinder dam and reservoir and the Interstate canal. The Pathfinder reservoir will be formed by building a masonry dam of the arch type across North Platte River in central Wyoming. The reservoir will be of sufficient capacity to store water during the flood season for distribution to the various canals along the river during times of the river's diminished flow. The Interstate canal has been selected as being the most promising of the various canal subprojects for immediate returns under the irrigation system. The land to be irrigated lies on the north side of North Platte River between Whalen, Wyo., and Bridgeport, Nebr.

In order to facilitate the transportation of materials and supplies to the Pathfinder dam, it was necessary for the Government to build a pile bridge across North Platte River near Casper, Wyo. This bridge was completed in October, 1905, and has been in use since

that time. The proper administration and supervision of the work has also required the erection of cottages, warehouses, and other buildings at Wyncote, Wyo., at Mitchell, Nebr., and at the dam site in Wyoming.

In the following table are listed the contracts entered into for building work on the North Platte project. This list includes all contracts for excavation, embankment, masonry, and erection of structures, but does not include materials such as cement, steel, timber, etc.

No. of

contract.

Contracts for building work on North Platte project to June 30, 1906.

Contractor.

a For a discussion of advance estimates and final costs, see page 51.

b Original estimated value revised upon supplemental contract providing for earlier completion.

PATHFINDER DAM AND RESERVOIR.a

The Pathfinder dam is located in a granite canyon on North Platte River, about 3 miles below the junction with Sweetwater River and about 45 miles southwest of Casper, Wyo. At this point the canyon varies in width from 80 to 180 feet, and affords an ideal site for a dam. The dimensions of the dam are shown in the following table:

Elevation spillway above sea level..

Total height of dam from lowest point of foundation to top of parapet..do..........

Dimensions of Pathfinder dam.

Elevation top of dam above sea level.

Thickness of dam at top.....

Thickness of dam at bottom, approximately.

Length of dam, approximately.

Radius of arch...

Batter of upstream face..

215

Batter of downstream face..

Approximate amount of masonry in structure..

..cubic yards.. 55,000

The main body of the dam is to be of cyclopean rubble, the greater part of the stone used being obtained from the spillway excavation. A spillway about 600 feet in length, designed for a discharge capacity of approximately 43,000 second-feet, will be constructed at the north end of the dam. This spillway, with the exception of a portion about 150 feet in length, will be excavated in solid rock.

a See Fourth Ann. Rept. Reclamation Service, Pls. XXXV and XXXVII.