Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph collection

Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph collection, 1934-1939

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Montana. Water Conservation Board
Title: Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph collection
Dates: 1934-1939 (inclusive)
19341939
Quantity: 3 boxes
1,939 photographic prints
18 negatives
Collection Number: Lot 29
Summary: The photographs in this collection primarily document the dam, irrigation, reservoir, and storage projects of the Montana State Water Conservation Board. Also featured are views of the surrounding towns and ranches.
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: Collection is open for research.
Languages: No textual or other language materials are included in the collection. Captions are in English.

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 an 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

The collection contains material prepared by the Montana State Water Conservation Board in the mid-1930’s and depicts areas where the State of Montana later built (or was intending to build) water storage, dam, and irrigation projects. In most instances the pictures and maps offer an insight into what these areas looked like before they were dammed and flooded.

In some cases there are duplicate copies of the photograph albums. However, some of these have missing photos that were cut or lost from the collection.

Also included within the project files are photos of prominent town buildings and area ranches.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Most of the photographs in this collection were taken by Tip Napton. Other photographers include Bill Manning and Fred E. Buck.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Photograph Archives collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Photograph Archives before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in its collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph collection. Lot 029. Box and folder number. Montana Historical Society Photographs Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically by project.

Acquisition Information

Most of the photographs in this collection were transferred to the Archives of the Montana Historical Society in 1975, by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, as part of RS 96.

In 1982 four more projects (Broadwater-Missouri Diversion Project, Flint Creek Valley Irrigation Project, Nevada Creek Storage Project, Swamp Creek Storage Project) were received and given RS 278 in error. RS 278 was later combined into RS 96 when this mistake was discovered.

Then through a separate donor, David Ricks of Vancouver, Washington, the Photograph Archives received duplicate copies of two of these studies, one each of projects in Jefferson and Madison counties.

In 1983, the Photograph Archives accessioned the current collection as a transfer from the Archives collection RS 96 (RS 96 was merged into RS 37 in 1993). The collection was initially given the number PAc 83-14 but was later changed to Lot 29.

Separated Materials

See RS 37, the Montana State Water Conservation Board records, for additional maps, application information, reports, correspondence, financial information, and other materials that have been retained by the Archives.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

ProjectsReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1	Ackley Lake – 41 photographs Includes views of the Judith River Basin, State Water Conservation Board camp, and contractor’s camp	undated
1 / 2	Beaver Head Rock Project, Beaverhead County – 17 photographs. Includes views of the dam site and area ranches	undated
1 / 3	Bell Lake Storage Project, Madison County – 6 photographs by Bill Manning	1935 October
1 / 4	Bell Lake Storage Project, Madison County – 6 photographs taken by Bill Manning (duplicate)	1935 October
1 / 5	Big Creek – 12 photographs	no date
1 / 6	Big Dry Dam – 43 photographs – Collapse of March 13, 1939 construction, town of Jordan	1939 March
1 / 7	Big Horn-Tullock Irrigation Project, Sheridan County – 63 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes views of the town of Big Horn and Big Horn School	1935 September
1 / 8	Upper Big Muddy Creek Irrigation Project, Sheridan County – 63 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Views include images of the spring flood and buildings in Daleview, Redstone, Archer, Plentywood, Antelope, Reserve and Medicine Lake	1935 September
1 / 9	Big Sheep Creek Reservoir Project, Beaverhead County – 35 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Views of Dell, Montana	1935 October
1 / 10	West Fork Bitterroot Project, Ravalli County – 76 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Views include towns of Hamilton, Darby, Stevensville, Grantsdale, Charlos Heights, and Corvallis.	1935 August
1 / 11	Upper Boulder Storage Project, Jefferson County – 65 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes views of Boulder and the State Institutions there, Boulder Hot Springs, Weber School, Cardwell, and many ranches in the site area	1935 June
1 / 12	Upper Boulder Storage Project, Jefferson County – 65 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes views of Boulder and the State Institutions there, Boulder Hot Springs, Weber School, Cardwell, and many ranches in the site area (duplicate)	1935 June
1 / 13	Broadwater-Missouri – 60 photographs of dam construction	undated
1 / 14	Broadwater-Missouri Diversion Project, Lewis and Clark and Broadwater Counties – 147 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes views of crop yields, livestock, apple orchards, many area ranches, Bridges and the towns of Toston & Townsend	1935 March
1 / 15	Columbus Irrigation District, Stillwater County – 26 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes views of the Yellowstone River, and town of Columbus	1935 July
1 / 16	Cooney Dam – 21 photographs of construction	undated
2 / 1	Flint Creek Valley Irrigation Project and Mungus Ditch, Granite County – 104 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes dam sites as well as towns of Hall, Philipsburg, Stone Station and Maxwell, and area ranches.	1935 June
2 / 2	Flint Creek Valley Irrigation Project and Mungus Ditch, Granite County – 104 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes dam sites as well as towns of Hall, Philipsburg, Stone Station and Maxwell, and area ranches. (duplicate)	1935 June
2 / 3	Livingston Ditch Project, Park County – 18 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map	1935 August
2 / 4	Medicine Lodge Reservoir Project, Beaverhead County – 39 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches and town of Armstead	1935
2 / 5	Lower Museelshell, Dead Man’s Basin, Golden Valley and Musselshell Counties – 11 photographs and 4 negatives. Includes Shawmut camp	1934 November
2 / 6	Musselshell – 45 photographs of construction (Near Dead Man’s Basin). Includes photos of survey crew members Bernard Wilkinson, George Danielson, and Larry Tooley and contract work by Lobinitz Brothers, and a view of Work Progress Administration (WPA) Work Camp	undated
2 / 7	Upper Musselshell – 83 photographs of construction	undated
2 / 8	Musselshell Diversion, Wheatland County – 16 photographs and 1 negative, with some views taken by Fred E. Buck. Includes views of Lebo Lake and Martinsdale Reservoir	1934
2 / 9	Nevada Creek Storage Project, Powell County – 32 photographs and 11 negatives by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches and Helmville.	1935 July
2 / 10	Nevada Creek Storage Project, Powell County – 32 photographs and 11 negatives by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches and Helmville (duplicate)	1935 July
2 / 11	Park Branch Canal Project, Park County – 36 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches and the towns of Emigrant and Pray.	1935 July
2 / 12	East Fork Poplar River Irrigation Project, Daniels County – 34 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes dam site and views of Scobey.	1935 September
2 / 13	Ruby River Storage Project, Madison County – 62 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches	1935 May
2 / 14	Ruby River Storage Project, Madison County – 59 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map. Includes area ranches (duplicate)	1935 May
2 / 15	Ruby River Storage Project, Madison County – 68 photographs by Tip Napton. Includes area ranches (incomplete duplicate)	1935 May
2 /16	Ruby River, Madison County – 39 photographs of dam construction, some by Fred Buck	1934 November
3 / 1	Sidney Pumping – 38 photographs. Includes views of stringing power lines	undated
3 / 2	North Fork Smith River Storage Project, Meagher County – 69 photographs by Tip Napton and Fred Buck, with photo key map. Includes area ranches and White Sulphur Springs	1935 May-June
3 / 3	Swamp Creek Storage Project, Sanders County – 71 photographs by Tip Napton. Includes area ranches, Clarks Fork River, and the town of Trout Creek	1935 August
3 / 4	Tongue River – 52 photographs of construction	undated
3 / 5	Willow Creek Storage Project, Gallatin & Madison Counties – 81 photographs, 2 negatives, with photo key map. Views include towns of Three Forks, Willow Creek, Pony, Harrison, area ranches, and the Harwood dam site	undated
3 / 6	Willow Creek Storage Project, Gallatin & Madison Counties – 75 photographs, with photo key map. Views include towns of Three Forks, Willow Creek, Pony, Harrison, and area ranches, (duplicate)	undated
3 / 7	South Willow Creek Water Restoration and Storage Project, Musselshell County – 25 photographs by Tip Napton, with photo key map	1935 July

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