Target Range Miller / Kelley / Cave / Gannon Consolidated Irrigation Ditch (1878 – 1922)
Miller / Kelley / Cave / Gannon Consolidated Irrigation Ditch
*[An article appearing in The Missoulian on June 14, 1878 stated the following:
“Mssrs. Booth, Kelly and Farrell are engaged in taking out a large irrigation ditch, commencing at the bridge across Missoula river, for their farms on Bitter root, below fort Missoula. The ditch will be five or six miles long, and is a credit to the enterprise of the few men who have undertaken it.”]
MISSOULA IRRIGATION DISTRICT
HISTORY
W. J. McCormick, in the year 1880 constructed the original ditch now used by the Missoula Irrigation District. The Missoula Irrigation District Canal still uses the same point of diversion as the old McCormick Ditch, but the ditch has been enlarged and the system extended to include many more water users under the ditch system.
In May 1883, control and ownership of the McCormick Ditch was transferred to Owen Kelley, Joseph S. Booth, and Ed. Miller. A filing was made by ail three men for 5,000 miner’s inches of water from the Hellgate River, although the ditch name included only Miller and Kelley.
Samuel Dinsmore, became by land purchase another water user under the Miller-Kelley
Ditch and he made two filings from the Hellgate River for 333V4 and 2,000 miner’s inches in June, 1882 and September 4, 1901 respectively.
Sometime prior to 1901, and during the process of enlarging and extending Miller-Kelley Ditch, another lateral ditch called the Cave-Gannon became connected with the irrigation system. Until 1922 the irrigation project was known as Miller-Kelley-Cave-Gannon Consolidated Irrigation Ditch.
On October 14, 1922, the owners of the lands served by the Miller-Kelley-Cave-Gannon Ditch, formed by court decree the Missoula Irrigation District, for the purpose of maintenance, and complete operation of the irrigation project.
One important stipulation listed in the decree creating the District was that the water rights of the landowners under the Miller-Kelley-Cave-Gannon Consolidated Ditch as determined by the court on June 14, 1905, (Case No. 2500), would not be disturbed by the establishment of the Missoula Irrigation District.
PRESENT STATISTICS
Location: The Missoula Irrigation District Canal diverts from the left bank of the Clark Fork River (sometimes called Hellgate and Missoula River) in the SEV^ of sec. 22, T. 13 N., R. 19 W.
The location of the irrigated land areas within the District are in sees. 19, 20, 29, 30 & 32. T. 13 N., R. 19 W.; sees. 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, & 35, T. 13 N., R. 20 W.; sec. 1, T. 12 N., R. 20 W.; and sec. 6, T. 12 N., R. 19 W. A considerable amount of the irrigated acreage is small tracts of land which are located in subdivisions of the city of Missoula.
Length and Capacity of Canal: Estimated initial carrying capacity of the District’s main canal is about 100 second-feet, having a width of 10 feet by 4 feet in depth. There are several miles of lateral ditches connected to the main canal, which is approximately 6 miles in length.
Operation and Maintenance: Total water charges for this irrigation project including operation and maintenance are $3.75 per miner’s inch per year.
Present Users: Records of the District’s secretary show a total of 624 active water users.