ply of water, which is utilized wherever possible upon the lowlands in the narrow valleys. The streams coming into the river from the lower mountain ranges on the left hand, viz, the western or northern side, discharge a relatively small amount of water, the quantity being far less than that needed to supply the agricultural land, and as a consequence there have been quarrels and expensive litigation concerning the division of water. In a number of instances attempts have been made to increase the summer discharge of small streams by the construction of storage reservoirs by farmers, working singly or in partnership.

Little if any water is taken from the main river until a point about 30 miles above Billings is reached. At and below this point are a number of canals and ditches on the north side covering land in the vicinity of Park city, and from thence down to Billings. The principal of these in order are the canal of the Minnesota and Montana Land and Improvement Company, the Italian Company's ditch, Mill ditch, Clarkes Fork ditch, and the Yellowstone and Canyon creek ditch.

Clarkes fork enters the Yellowstone from the south side about 10 miles east of Park city. It discharges a large quantity of water, the amount of which has not been ascertained. Irrigation is carried on at various places along the head waters in Bighorn county, Wyoming, but owing to the fact that the stream throughout its course in Montana is within the area lately a part of the Crow Indian reservation the waters in that State have not been utilized.

BIGHORN RIVER.

The Bighorn river rises on the northeasterly side of the Wind river mountains and flows northerly between the Bighorn and Absaroka ranges, receiving many large tributaries from both of these great mountain masses. The water supply is in excess of any demands likely to be made upon it for many years, owing to the fact that the larger bodies of agricultural land along its course can only be reached by long and expensive canals. The greater part of this basin is comparatively inaccessible, owing to the distance from lines of transportation. The principal industries are mining and stock raising, a small amount of irrigation being practiced on lands mainly near mining camps or on the low grounds of cattle ranches. The White river or Shoshone Indian reservation in Wyoming and the Crow Indian reservation in Montana cover some of the best land in this hasin, but outside of these are many localities to which water can profitably be brought.

The greater part of the irrigation is in the vicinity of Lander, south of the Wind river reservation, water for the cultivated lands being taken from the Popo Agie and its tributaries. From this point northerly along the base of the mountains on both sides of the river water has been diverted in a small way from the head waters of the Wind river, Owl creek, Grey Bull, Badwater, and other streams. There are

no large canals, but many ditches dug by individuals or by a number of irrigators acting in partnership.

Measurements of the amount of water in many of the small streams in the vicinity of Lander were made by the state engineer during the summer of 1892,1 the principal results of which are given in round numbers in the following table:

A few measurements were also made about this time giving the discharge of Bighorn river at the ferry at Alamo in Bighorn county. The results showed that on July 10 the mean velocity at this point was 4.72 feet per second, and the total discharge 9,707 second-feet. On July 14 the Stinking Water river at the bride at Corbett had a mean velocity of 6.22 feet per second and was discharging 4,974 second-feet, this water entering the Bighorn about 45 miles below Alamo.

Within the Crow Indian reservation in Montana a small amount of irrigation has been carried on by Indians by use of water from the Little Bighorn. This stream receives water from the northern end of the Bighorn range, and is of sufficient size to irrigate a large acreage. Surveys have been made under the direction of the Indian Bureau, and estimates prepared of the expense of canals in order to determine the feasibility of systems of irrigation supplied with water from the Bighorn and from the Little Bighorn. It has been ascertained that water can be diverted upon the highlands between the two streams or upon those to the west of the main river at a cost per acre sufficiently low to justify construction.

TONGUE RIVER.

The Tongue river heads on the northeasterly slopes of the Bighorn range in Sheridan county, Wyoming. Below the junction of its principal tributaries the river flows in a direction a little east of north through Custer county, Montana, entering the Yellowstone. Irrigation is carried on in Wyoming to a large and constantly increasing extent by means of the many streams draining the high mountains, these being widely distributed and easily diverted upon land among the foothills. On account of this fact Sheridan county is rapidly becoming one of the principal agricultural localities of the state. In the aggregate, however, there is more good farming land than can 1 First biennial report of the state engineer to the governor of Wyoming, 1891 and 1892. Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1892. Appendix, p. XXI.

be irrigated, and along some of the small streams there is occasionally a scanty supply. Gaugings of a few of the more important streams have been made by Prof. Elwood Mead, state engineer of Wyoming. The data furnished by him show that on June 29, 1891, Little Goose creek at Davis ranch discharged 109 second-feet; on July 5, 1889, Big. Goose creek at Beckton bridge discharged 169 second-feet and on July 1, 1893, at Sheridan bridge, 1,009 second-feet; on July 29, 1891, Tongue river at Dayton bridge discharged 192 second-feet, and on July 28 the south fork of Tongue river at Burkitt's flume discharged 18 second-feet.

Outside of the foothills it becomes a matter of considerable trouble and expense to divert the water, on account of the banks of the stream in most cases being high and the material of such a nature that it washes away or softens under the action of water. The river is very crooked, crossing the bottom lands from bluff to bluff, rendering it expensive and even impossible to build long ditches. With increase of population, however, it will doubtless be practicable to attempt large schemes to cover the higher lands and utilize most of the water in the main stream.

In its course through Montana there is comparatively little irrigation along the river. A few ditches have been dug, but there are not many localities where water can be diverted at small expense. Attempts have been made to use pumps in order to lift the water up to the top of the steep banks. The bottom lands are usually narrow and so frequently cut by the river in its course from side to side that ditches can not be built. At Miles is the largest ditch along the lower course of the Tongue river. This heads on the east side of the river about 15 miles above the Yellowstone and follows down along the stream to Miles, where it turns off into the valley of the Yellowstone. The water in Tongue river is raised by a dam to a height of about 7 feet above low water, diverting it into the canal.

Between the Bighorn and Powder rivers is the Rosebud, which flows northerly into the Yellowstone. This river does not head in the high mountains, and therefore during a large part of the year is nearly dry. There are probably twenty ditches along the stream, irrigating small areas of hay, grain, and vegetables. In July, August, and September the water often ceases to run, and for sometime during late spring the creek furnishes barely enough for the land under cultivation, so that it will be necessary to store some of the water which flows to waste in the early part of the year in order to utilize a considerable proportion of the agricultural land in this valley.

POWDER RIVER.

The Powder river receives the greater part of its water from the eastern side of the Bighorn range, its upper tributaries being south of those of Tongue river. These are utilized for irrigation at points along

First biennial report of the state engineer to the governor of Wyoming, 1891 and 1892. Chey enne, Wyo., 1892. Appendix, pp. XIX and XXI.

the foothills where they can be readily diverted, a comparatively small amount of water escaping to the main river during the irrigating season. The ditches highest up on the stream receive usually an abundant supply, while those lower down are often short of water, causing many controversies which require the intervention of state officers. In 1889 there was an unusual drought, and many of the upper streams, especially those receiving water from the lower foothills, were entirely dry, resulting in large losses of crops. At a distance of from 20 to 50 miles from the mountains the waters of the various streams are fully appropriated, and in many cases the amount called for is far in excess of the ordinary discharge. The measurements made by Prof. Elwood Mead' show that on June 3, 1891, Clear creek, at weir in the canyon, discharged 552 second-feet, and on August 3, at the same place, 72 second-feet; also, on August 12, Rock creek below the forks, near Buffalo, Johnson county, discharged 17 second-feet. Many other streams were measured, the result in each case being less than 5 secondfeet.

As the Powder river and its tributaries leave the vicinity of the mountains the amount of water available decreases, the expense of taking it out upon the land becomes greater, and long before reaching the Montana line no irrigation is attempted. In its course through Custer county in the latter state the river during a great part of the year ceases to flow, and owing to the character of the country irrigation is practically impossible. This part of the basin of the Yellowstone is within the "bad lands," and has little or no value for agriculture or stock-raising.

LOWER YELLOWSTONE RIVER.

From Billings down to the mouth of the river there are at intervals small areas of irrigated land, these being mainly at places where tributaries enter from the north or south. The amount of water in the river, as shown by the measurements previously mentioned, is very great, but none of this has been diverted by canals on account of the very gentle fall of the stream. In a few localities pumps have been erected and sufficient water raised to cover small gardens or to irrigate trees. The side streams, however, have a greater slope and can be controlled by dams raising the water above the level of the lower land. The largest. system of irrigation is that previously mentioned as being in the vicinity of Miles.

On account of the great expense of building canals to cover the low land along the Yellowstone many of the farmers have been compelled to resort to what are known as "high-water" ditches. These are dug at places where during the high water of spring they will receive some

First biennial report of the state engineer to the governor of Wyoming, 1891 and 1892. Cheyenne, Wyo., 1892. Appendix, p. xix.

of the overflow, carrying it out upon grounds farther down the stream. In this way a large acreage, mainly of hay land, can be given one thorough soaking. Beyond the bottom lands are vast areas of fertile land lying at a height above the river so great that it is improbable that water can ever be brought to them. To irrigate these plains would necessitate the construction of a canal of 100 miles at least in length, and if practicable the expense will doubtless be too great for any ordinary corporation to undertake. To determine the feasibility of such a canal will require careful surveys and a thorough examination of the matter from all standpoints.

PLATTE RIVER BASIN.

LOCATION AND AREA.

The drainage basin of the Platte above the junction of the north and south branches lies mainly in southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado, a small portion being within the state of Nebraska. As shown by the index map, Fig. 51, this basin on the northwest adjoins that of the Yellowstone. On the west are the headwaters of the Colorado river, on the south those of the Arkansas, and on the northeast and southeast are the streams which, coming from springs on the Great Plains, flow easterly into the Missouri river. The basin as a whole, as shown by Pl. cx, slopes from the mountains in the southwestern part, both north and easterly, the greatest fall being in the latter direction.

The total area of this basin is 57,320 square miles, of which 24,240 square miles are in Wyoming, 22,230 square miles in Colorado, and 10,850 square miles in Nebraska. Of the area in Colorado 2,025 square miles are included within the drainage basin of the North Platte and 20,205 square miles in that of the South Platte, this latter basin being thus almost entirely within Colorado. The line of watershed of the basins of the North and South Platte is not sharply defined, except among the high mountains. Throughout the Great Plains it is very indefinite, and also in the high almost desert area in Sweetwater county, Wyoming. A somewhat arbitrary line has, therefore, been taken as bounding these sides.

The North Platte rises in the northern part of the main range of the Rocky mountains in Colorado and flows in a general northerly course nearly half across Wyoming. The direction taken by this part of the river shows plainly the general slope of the surface of Wyoming toward the north. A relatively slight depression of the central part of the state would throw the waters of this stream directly into the headwaters of Powder river, which flows northerly on the prolongation of the course taken by the upper part of the North Platte. This latter river, however, shortly after receiving the Sweetwater from the west, begins to swing around toward the east, flowing along the upper edge