MTLRS37.xml Guide to the Montana State Water Conservation Board records 1898-1977 Montana State Water Conservation Board Finding aid prepared by Ellie Letterman; Updated by Lindsey Mick 2024; Updated by Anneliese Jakle 2026 Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) Montana Historical Society 2012; 2024 Finding aid encoded by Kathryn Kramer; Updated by Lindsey Mick 2024; Updated by Anneliese Jakle 20262012; 2024; 2026 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard DACS Montana Historical Society Archives RS 37_RS 496 Montana State Water Conservation Board Montana State Water Conservation Board records 1898-1977 19 linear feet, 35 oversized folders 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. 18:6-6 English

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.

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, oversize maps arranged alphabetically by state water projects as well as rural electrification projects (1920-1951, bulk dates 1934-1941) and two scrapbooks of clippings (1934-1937) on the formation and work of the Board.

This collection is arranged by series.

This collection is open for research.

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.

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

Acquisition information available upon request.

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.

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.

Dams--Montana Electric Power--Montana Floods--Montana Missouri River--Barrages Water districts--Montana Yellowstone River Irrigation--Montana Water supply--Montana Broadwater County (Mont.) Wyoming Water and Water Rights Montana Detailed Description of the Collection General Correspondence 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 Correspondence 1 / 11 Miscellaneous 1965 Court Papers 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 Records 1 / 13-17 Monthly time books 1934 October-1938 March 2 / 1-3 Monthly time books 1934 October-1938 March Vol. 1-4 Payroll distribution: claims #4-18756 1934 February-1943 April Vol. 5 Payroll distribution: Public Works Administration 1937-1940 Financial Records 2 / 4 Receipts for sets of plans and specifications 1948-1949 Vol. 5 General ledger: Daly Ditches 1943-1947 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 Hearings 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 Documents 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) 2 / 9 Organizational chart circa 1966 Reports 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 Writings 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 Files 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 Files 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 Files 15/2 Baker – Baker Lake 1940 October – 1941 September 15/1 Cohagen – Little Dry Stream 1940 October – 1941 September Water Project Maps 1920-1951 6/14 Itemized List of State Water Project Maps undated AM 1 / 1 Ash Creek Project - Bainville Flood Control 1934-1935 AM 1 / 2 Basin Creek Project - Beaverhead River Project 1934-1941 AM 1 / 3 Bell Lake Project - Big Ramme Creek Project 1934-1935 AM 1 / 4 Big Sandy Creek - Blacktail Deer Project undated AM 2 / 5 Big Sheep Creek Project - Brady Irrigation Company 1920-1935, undated AM 2 / 6 Brown's Gulch Project - Columbus Irrigation District 1935 AM 2 / 7 Conrad Water Supply - Deep Creek Project (Teton County) 1935-1936, undated AM 2 / 8 Deep Creek Project (Dawson County) - East Fork Bitterroot River Project 1935-1936, undated AM 2 / 9 East Fork Poplar River 1935 AM 2 / 10 Proposed Diversion East Rosebud Creek to Red Lodge Creek - East Rosebud Creek for Rock Creek Water Users 1934-1940, undated AM 3 / 11 East Rosebud River Dam Site - Fish Creek Canal 1935, 1941, undated AM 3 / 12 Forey Creek Project - Judith River Diversion Canal Line 1935 AM 3 / 13 Kaiser Creek Reservoir Site - Lake Mason West Project 1935, 1952, undated AM 3 / 14 Lake Mason West Project 1935 AM 3 / 15 Lake Mason West Project - Little Blackfoot - Cottonwood Project 1935-1936 AM 4 / 16 Little Missouri Project 1936 AM 4 / 17 Little Missouri Project - Madison River IR Project 1935-1936 AM 4 / 18 Lodge Creek (West Fork of the Milk River) - Northey Dam Project 1934-1940, 1951 AM 4 / 19 Pappa Creek Project - Pipestone Reservoir & Canal Co 1935 AM 5 / 20 Pumpkin Creek - Richland Project 1934-1935, undated AM 5 / 21 Rock Creek Project - Sidney - Yellowstone Project 1934-1935 AM 5 / 22 St. Ignatius Pipeline Survey for Domestic - Tusler Creek Project 1935, 1939, undated TT 1 / 23 Upper Shields River Project 1935 TT 1 / 24 Upper Shields River Project - Upper Boulder River Project 1935 TT 1 / 25 Upper Big Muddy Creek 1935, 1937 TT 1 / 26 Upper Big Muddy Creek - Valley Creek Project 1935-1939 TT 1 / 27 West Fork of Madison Diversion - Yankee Doodle Creek Project 1935 BW 4 / 28 Beaver Creek Valley - Hellgate River Valley (Clinton Unit) Valley 1935 August BW 4 / 29 Little Blackfoot River Valley (Avon Unit) - Milk River Valley (Saco Unit) 1935 July - September BW 4 / 30 Missoula County (Lolo Unit) - Sun River Valley (Greenfield & Ft. Shaw Units) 1935 May - August BW 4 / 31 Yellowstone Valley & Bearthooth Electroic Cooperative 1935 July - September & 1940-1942 WS 10 / 32 Bearthooth Elecric Coop. Inc & Musselshell River undated WS 10 / 33 State of Montana Irrigation Planning 1934 September BW 4 / 34 State of Montana Irrigation Maps - Teton Rural Electrification Association 1936 November - 1937 February & circa 1939 TT 2 / 35 State of Montana Mean Monthly Stream Flow Maps circa 1930-1939