Bulletin (United States. Office of Experiment Stations) (179)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 Excerpt: ...on desert-land claims, in his opinion the reservoirs would pay for themselves within a few years. BARBOTJK RESERVOIRS. Like the Gray reservoirs, the Barbour reservoirs consist of a series of three arranged in tandem in a single stream. They are, however, much closer together. In fact, with the reservoir full the water in one reservoir is backed up to the foot of the dam of the reservoir above. The construction and operation of these reservoirs is a very good example of what may be accomplished by patience, diligence, and perseverance in conserving flood waters under rather unfavorable conditions. The country in which they are located is rolling and rather steeply inclined, and the stream upon which they are located is too small to afford a name. The site for the reservoirs is a place where erosion excavated basins, flanked with steep banks. The reservoirs serve the twofold purpose of storing water and preventing further erosion. The reservoirs were built several years ago on a small tributary of the Bellefourche River and about 5 miles northeast of the town of Bellefourche. The three reservoirs do not vary much in size, their aggregate length being about one-fourth mile and the distance between the dam of the lower reservoir and the upper end of the upper one is not more than 1,500 feet. Their average width is approximately 200 feet. The total area of water surface with reservoirs full is approximately 7 acres and their combined capacity 25 acre-feet. The lower reservoir is regular in shape, while the other two are bifurcated by sharp ridges. Figure 9 is a sketch of these reservoirs showing their relative positions. The catchment area is approximately 1 square mile, which would seem to be insufficient to furnish water enough for the three reservoirs. There ...