Montana Historical SocietyPhotograph Archives
Lot 029
Montana. Water Conservation
Board
Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph
collection
1934-1939
3 boxes
1,939 photographic prints
18 negatives
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.
No textual or other language materials are
included in the collection. Captions are in 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 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.
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.
Most of the photographs in this collection were taken by Tip Napton. Other photographers
include Bill Manning and Fred E. Buck.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by project.
Collection is open for research.
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.
Montana State Water Conservation Board photograph collection. Lot 029. Box and folder
number. Montana Historical Society Photographs Archives, Helena, Montana.
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.
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.
This collection is indexed under the following headings. Researchers desiring materials
about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
Dams Montana
Irrigation--Montana--1930-1940.
Ranches Montana
Rivers Montana
Photographic prints
Film negatives
Albums
Montana
Water and Water
Rights
Public
Works
Ranching
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
Projects
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