Montana State Water Conservation Board records, 1898-1977

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana State Water Conservation Board
Title
Montana State Water Conservation Board records
Dates
1898-1977 (inclusive)
Quantity
19 linear feet
Collection Number
RS 496 (Formerly RS 37)
Summary
This collection is a subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records, RS 496. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records. These Montana State Water Conservation Board records (1898-1977) consist primarily of general correspondence, outgoing correspondence, court papers, employment records, financial records, hearings, legal documents, organizational charts, reports, speeches, and subject files relating to specific projects.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)

Historical NoteReturn to Top

During the early years of the New Deal in the 1930s, water conservation funds became available to the states from the federal government. To take advantage of this opportunity, a special session of the Montana Legislative Assembly convened in late 1933 and created the State Water Conservation Board to channel both state and federal money into small irrigation projects. An individual farmer who wanted to build and irrigation facility petitioned the Board and, if his proposal was accepted, the Board built the project and the farmer reimbursed the state. By 1952, the State Water Conservation Board had built 173 projects throughout the state.

In 1965, the Board assumed the functions of the State Engineer and the Carey Land Act Board. In 1967 the Montana Water Resources Board was created to assume the duties of the State Water Conservation Board, and to coordinate all water resource development programs around the state. Other duties included the administration of weather modification laws and the preparation of a comprehensive inventory of the state's water resources and a multiple use water plan for the state.

In 1971, as part of the general reorganization of state government, the Water Resources Board was abolished and its functions taken over in 1972 by the Water Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and by the Board of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Records consist primarily of reports by the State Water Conservation Board, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding existing and potential irrigation and power projects along the Yellowstone River and its Montana and Wyoming tributaries, and concerning irrigation projects statewide. In addition there is general correspondence, annual financial reports, subject files, a summary of Board activities (1934-1935), payrolls and timesheets (1934-1943), a volume recording easements granted by the Board (1963-1964), a District Court transcript (1940) for the case Allendale Irrigation Company vs the State Water Conservation Board, general ledgers for several water projects, a project register by county, and two scrapbooks of clippings (1934-1937) on the formation and work of the Board.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by series.

Location of Collection

18:6-6

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request.

Processing Note

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 496, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 496. Rather than reprocessing over 280 linear feet of DNRC materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Additional Processing Information

Maps were separated to the Library; photographs were separated to the Photograph Archives. They can be found in LOT 29.

For minutes and resolutions of the Board, see S98-2 or State Microfiche 2. For records of the Board's successor, the Montana Water Resources Board, see former Record Series 43. See former Record Series 32 for records of the Carey Land Act Board. All collections have been integrated under the primary record series, RS 496. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

General CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1
Alberta Deptartment of Northern Affairs and National Resources (includes overview of duties of State Water Conservation Board)
1965
1 / 2
Lewis and Clark County Soil Conservation District; Liberty County Soil Conservation District
1958, 1962
1 / 3-4
Montana Reclamation Association
1950-1957
1 / 5
Montana State Soil Conservation Committee (includes minutes)
1961-1964
1 / 6
The Soil Conservation Society of America
1962
1 / 7
United States Federal Power Commission
1951
1 / 8-10
United States Soil Conservation Service (re cooperative programs)
1956-1967

Outgoing CorrespondenceReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 11
Miscellaneous
1965

Court Papers Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 12
Allendale Irrigation Company vs. State Water Conservation Board and Flint Creek Water Users' Association brief of respondents (re allocation of water of Flint Creek in Granite County)
1942

Employment RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 13-17
Monthly time books
1934 October-1938 March
2 / 1-3
Monthly time books
1934 October-1938 March
Volume
Vol. 1-4
Payroll distribution: claims #4-18756
1934 February-1943 April
Vol. 5
Payroll distribution: Public Works Administration
1937-1940

Financial RecordsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 4
Receipts for sets of plans and specifications
1948-1949
Volume
Vol. 5
General ledger: Daly Ditches
1943-1947
Volume
Vol. 6
General ledger: Red Lodge-Rock Creek Project
1935-1950
Vol. 7
General ledger: Willow Creek, Ackley Lake, Ruby River, Tongue River, Nevada Creek, upper Musselshell, Broadwater-Missouri, Deadman's Basin projects
1936-1951

HearingsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 5
Statements of Governor Sam Ford, Ralph Bricker, D.P. Fabrick, and Fred Buck before joint hearing of House and Senate Water Conservation Committees
1947 January

Legal DocumentsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 6
Application by United States Dept. of State to International Joint Commission to build Libby Dam
1954
2 / 7
Memorandum of understanding with Soil Conservation Service of Montana (re division of responsibilities between the two agencies)
undated
2 / 8
State of Montana water conservation revenue bonds
1935-1949

Organization (31:11-5)Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 9
Organizational chart
circa 1966
Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 10-12
Annual financial reports
1954-1969
2 / 13
Broadwater-Missouri Diversion Project application (includes maps and photographs)
1935
2 / 14-17
Irrigation index (includes descriptions of irrigation projects statewide and in each county, arranged by county)
1934-1935
2 / 18
Potential projects report
1965
2 / 19
Report of State Water Conservation Board outlining work accomplished during the year
1951
2 / 20
Report on Montana water resources prepared for United States Senate Select Committee on National Water Resources
1959
2 / 21-23
Small Reservoir Data: United States Bureau of Reclamation Upper Missouri River Basin Investigations (arranged alphabetically by stream, includes index)
1940-1942
2 / 24-27
Status of water conservation projects in Southeastern Montana (arranged by county)
1937-1938
2 / 28
Yellowstone River: Wyo., Mont., and N. Dak., [by] United States Army Corps of Engineers (Appendix 3: Existing Irrigation Developments)
1934
2 / 29
Yellowstone River: Wyo., Mont., and N. Dak., [by] United States Army Corps of Engineers (Appendix 4: Potential Irrigation Developments)
1934
2a / 1
Yellowstone River: Wyo., Mont., and N. Dak., [by] United States Army Corps of Engineers (Appendix 5: Data on Potential Power Projects)
1934
2a / 2
Yellowstone River: Wyo., Mont., and N. Dak., [by] United States Army Corps of Engineers (Appendix 6: Floods and Flood Control Plans)
1934
2a / 3
Yellowstone River: Wyo., Mont., and N. Dak., [by] United States Army Corps of Engineers (Appendix 7: Geology of Dam Sites)
1934

Speeches and WritingsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2a / 4
Miscellaneous (includes talk by unidentified person on Montana's water resources, article by R.J. Kelly on Hysham Pumping Project, and radio speech by G.P. Balgord on water conservation)
1939-1951

Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
2a / 5
Columbia River Water Congress for the Northwest
1966-1967
2a / 6
International waters (includes International Joint Commission order, 1921, re St. Mary River and Milk River waters)
1965-1966
2a / 7
Milk River flood relief: clippings
1952
2a / 8
Milk River flood relief: correspondence, press releases, meetings)
1952-1955
2a / 9
Milk River flood relief: financial
1952
2a / 10
Milk River flood relief: cities (includes Chinook, Dodson, Glasgow, Harlem, Havre, Malta, Nashua)
1952
3 / 1
Milk River flood relief: counties (includes Blaine, Hill, Phillips, Roosevelt, Valley)
1952
3 / 2
Milk River flood relief: irrigation districts (Blaine County)
1952
3 / 3
Milk River flood relief: reports
1952
3 / 4
Milk River flood relief: State Water Conservation Board
1952
3 / 5
United States Senate Select Committee on National Water Resources
1959-1960
3 / 6
United States Small Reclamation Projects Act
1956-1963
3 / 7
Water measurement meetings
1960
3 / 8
Water needs and uses: correspondence, reports, statistics
1965-1966
3 / 9
Water needs and uses: Columbia River watershed
1965-1966
3 / 10
Water needs and uses: Missouri River Basin
1967-1968
3 / 11
Water needs and uses: Yellowstone River Basin (includes charts for average streamflow, 1889-1965)
1967
3 / 12
Design of transverse reinforcement for precast reinforced concrete pressure pipe
undated
3 / 13
Directory of soil and water conservation district supervisors
1966
3 / 14
"The Libby Dam and what it means to you," KLCB radio news [program 2 missing]
1953
3 / 15
Lists of project engineering and geologic reports prepared
1934-1937
3 / 16
Lists of projects, locations, status, investment, descriptions
1937-1941
3 / 17
Lists of Soil Conservation Service projects
1961-1965
3 / 18
Lists of Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Public Works Administration (PWA) projects
1935-1936
3 / 19
Lower Willow Creek Watershed brochure
circa 1960
3 / 20
Montana Reclamation Association draft of pamphlet
circa 1960
3 / 21
Project completion lists
1937, undated
Vol. 8
Project register [includes lists of projects by county]
1935-1942
3 / 22
United States Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act materials
1951-1964
4 / 1-2
Scrapbooks on formation and work of State Water Conservation Board
1934-1937
4 / 3
Water supply crisis
1965-1966
4 / 4
Lists of maps and photographs transferred to Library Map Collection and Photograph Archives respectively
undated
5 / 1-6
Resolutions: Book 1-6, No. 1-No. 943
1934-1965
5 / 7-13
Minute Books 1-7
1934-1941

Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
6 / 1-7
Minute Books 8-14
1941-1974
6 / 8
Resolutions 1-88
1934-1935
6 / 9-13
Minutes
1934-1936
6 / 10
Irrigation District Bond Commission – Minutes
1921-1926
6 / 11-12
Water Projects Referenced – Minutes, (projects A-Z)
1934-1949
6 / 13
Water Projects Referenced – Minutes, (projects A-H)
1950-1971
7 / 1-5
Allendale Irrigation Company v. State Water Conservation Board/Flint Creek Water Users Association
1940
7 / 6
Water Projects – Minutes
1950-1971
7 / 7
Brady Project: Domestic Water Supply System – Bid, Proposals, etc
1945-1952
7 / 8
Charlo Project: Charlo Water Users Association
1935-1963
7 / 9-13
Broadwater Missouri Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1946
7 / 14-18
Columbus Irrigation Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1977
7 / 19-26
Conrad Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1943
7 / 27
Dead Man’s Basin Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1942-1947
8 / 1-4
Dead Man’s Basin Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1940-1942
8 / 5-19
Flint Creek Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1938
8 / 20-27
Livingston Ditch Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1942
8 / 28-29
Middle Creek Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1949
8 / 30-33
Nevada Creek Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1949
8 / 34-35
North Fork Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1945
8 / 36-37
Park Bench Canal Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1937
8 / 38
Big Dry Creek Storage Project: PWA Docket
1936
9 / 1-2
Park Bench Water Fund : PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1940
9 / 3
Red Lodge Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1941
9 / 4-6
Red Lodge Rock Creek Water Users Association: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1940
9 / 7-9
Ruby River Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1936-1937
9 / 10-11
Sidney Pump Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1942
9 / 12-14
Upper Musselshell Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1946
9 / 15-16
West Fork – Bitterroot Project: PWA Docket, Bonds, Financial Statements, Change Orders, Correspondence, Bids, etc.
1938-1957
9 / 17
Hydrology and Weed Control, Daly Ditches
1960-1962
9 / 18
Engineering Expenses
1937
9 / 20
Annual Report
1963-1964
9 / 21
List of Water Users/Contract Holders
1964-1965
10 / 1
Water Users Associations: Lists of Water Sold and Water Purchased
1956-1966
10 / 2
Water Users Associations – Repayments
1963-1966
10 / 3
Administrative Files
1950-1953
10 / 4
“Governor” – Administrative and Correspondence
1947-1955
10 / 5
Big Creek Storage Project – PWA Docket
1942
10 / 6
SWCB – Minutes
1951-1968
10 / 7
Big Horn Canyon Irrigation and Water Company Project
1949 May
10 / 8
Drainage Basins – Reports
1936-1937
10 / 9
Moorhead Unit, Montana and Wyoming, Powder Division, Missouri River Basin Project
1954
10 / 11
Irrigation Index by Counties
1934 July
10 / 12
Projects Listings by Counties
1940
10 / 13-14
Resettlement Dams Reports, CCC
1938
10 / 15
Council of State Governors
1956
10 / 16
An Early Report on the Water Board and USBR Potential Projects
1968
10 / 17
SWCB
1941 January
10 / 18
SWCB Annual Report
1970 June 30
10 / 19
Lists of Projects/Projects Data
1937
10 / 20
Miscellaneous
1947-1948
10 / 21
PWA Applications
1938
10 / 22-23
Miscellaneous PWA Projects
undated
10 / 24
PWA Project Costs
1936-1938
10 / 25
Franklin District
1923-1925
10 / 26
Board of Land Commissioners
1935
11 / 1
Abstracts of WPA Projects
1938
11 / 2
Preliminary Applications to PWA Projects
1934
11 / 3
WPA Worksheets
1937
11 / 4
Dam and Reservoir Data
undated
11 / 5
Miscellaneous
1935-1936
11 / 6-7
Status of Eastern Montana WPA Projects
1941
11 / 8
Waterton-Belly Hearings
1955-1955
11 / 9
Waterton-Belly Rivers
1950
11 / 10
Waterton-Belly Oral Testimonies
1955
11 / 11
Waterton-Belly Resolution 895
1953
11 / 12
Waterton-Belly Report Before International Joint Commission
1955
11 / 13
Waterton-Belly Reports/Correspondence
1952-1954
11 / 14
Waterton-Belly Memorial #12
1953
11 / 15
Waterton-Belly Engineering Committee Board Minutes
1948-1953
11 / 16
Waterton-Belly Statements
1957
11 / 17
Waterton-Belly Miscellaneous
1948-1953
11 / 18
Federal Power Commission Correspondence
1944-1945
11 / 19
Montana Power Company – Lake/River Water Supply
circa 1925-1945
12 / 1
Broadwater-Missouri River Project – Maps and Plats
1902-1939
12 / 2
Montana Power Company Case Files – Claims to Water
1942-1971
12 / 3
Montana Power Company Case Files – Exhibits
1941
12 / 4
Montana Power Company Case Files
1898
12 / 5
Reservoir/River – Natural Flow Curves
undated
12 / 6
Montana Power Company Case Files
1939-1941
12/7
Federal Power Commission – Re: Montana Power Company Opinion No. 120
undated
12/8
Federal Power Commission – Correspondence
1940-1943
12/9
Federal Power Commission – Correspondence, Water/Rivers Studies
1941-1943
12/10
Montana Power Company – Navigability of Missouri River
1941
12/11-12
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Nevada Creek
1939-1946
12/13-14
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Red Lodge – Rock Creek
1938-1946
12/15-16
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Flint Creek
1941-1946
12/17
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Westpark
1940-1946
13/1-2
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Ackley Lake
1938-1946
13/3-4
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Willow Creek
1938-1946
13/5
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Ruby River
1938-1946
13/6-7
Water Sold and Stored Reports – Tongue River
1944 December 31
13/8
Vananda - Richardson Reservoir
1940 October – 1941 September
13/9
Richey - Wold Reservoir
1939 October – 1940 September
13/10
Cohagen – Phillips Creek
1941
13/11
Cohagen – Little Dry Creek
1941-1942
13/12
Van Norman - Billings Reservoir
1940 October – 1941 September
13/13
Van Norman – Big Dry Stream
1940 October – 1941 September
13/14
Hathaway – Neilson Reservoir
1941-1942
13/15
Rosebud – Rosebud River
1940 October – 1941 September
13/16
Jordan – Big Dry Creek
1940 October – 1941 September
13/17
Baker - Baker Lake
1940 October – 1941 September
13/18
Baker – Red Butte Reservoir
1940 October – 1941 September
14/1
Sykes - Box Elder Stream
1940 October – 1941 September
14/2-3
Baker – Red Butte Creek
1940 October – 1941 September

Subject FilesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
15/2
Baker – Baker Lake
1940 October – 1941 September
15/1
Cohagen – Little Dry Stream
1940 October – 1941 September

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Dams--Montana
  • Electric Power--Montana
  • Floods--Montana
  • Irrigation--Montana
  • Missouri River--Barrages
  • Water districts--Montana
  • Water supply--Montana
  • Yellowstone River

Geographical Names

  • Broadwater County (Mont.)
  • Wyoming