Timeline food for thought
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
A timeline history:
• 1855 - Hellgate Treaty, Tribe cedes all aboriginal territory to U.S. government.
• 1872 – Highway/railroad easements granted through reservation.
• 1887 – Dawes Act – Government makes plans to open reservation to homesteading.
• 1904 – Flathead allotment act, survey reservation, start allotting land to Indians.
• 1906 – Town sites granted on reservation.
• 1908 – Survey completed for Flathead Project, creeks designated for irrigation water rights. Water goes with land.
• 1909 – Construction begins in Mission, Jocko, Newel tunnel, power site; Reclamation service doing work.
• 1909-1912 – Water rights filed in courthouses in State and US Government, book A&B, also county resource surveys. Point of delivery, irrigated acreage verified in 1963.
• 1910 – Reservation opened to homesteading; all laws of Montana and United States apply. Lots sold around Flathead Lake, income used to help fund Flathead Project. Irrigation project sits on government lots, 15 reservoirs, diversion on creeks. Storage capacity when finished is 148,725 acre feet, 10,000 structures, 1,300 miles of canals; 121,000 acre fee land and 11,000 acre tribal land.
Construction of project ongoing from 1909-1938; some beyond due to funding.
• 1912-1971 Tribe receives $6 million-plus for project land, proves project was built for all.
• 1910-1920 Allotment acts, tribal members receive land. Homesteaders settle in valleys.
• 1931-1934 Repayment contracts for Flathead Irrigation signed. Tribal irrigated land construction costs forgiven, irrigation districts formed, Flathead, Mission and Jocko Duty of Water set, 1.5 acre feet for clay to 2-4 acre feet for sand/gravel.
• 1937-1938 Flathead pumping plant constructed.
• 1939 Kerr Dam finished
• 1949 Final repayment contract signed by 60 percent of Flathead Irrigation irrigators, all fee irrigated land mortgaged for construction of irrigation project. Net power revenues or sales of water run through Kerr Dam designed to pay for project; when paid for, funds used to repair/improve project. Next O&M costs supplemented, net power water right owned by Flathead Project.
• 1960 – Present irrigators/government build pipelines and improved irrigation delivery systems to save water. Irrigators told they would never run out of water if they invested in this technology.
Something to think about.
Tim Orr
St. Ignatius
