Montana State Engineer Records
Scope and Contents
This collection is a subgroup (Predecessor Office)
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.
Records include general correspondence (1921, 1923), outgoing correspondence (1939-1942, 1951-1964), and subject files (1865-1920) on water rights, filed by county and including lists of water right filings and decrees with related correspondence. In addition there are organizational charts and job descriptions; biennial reports (1906, 1910, 1918, 1920, 1964); a report (1910) of State Hydrographer C.S. Heidel; a report on the water supply of the Chapman Irrigation District (Oct. 1923); and several articles (1962, 1964, undated) about the work of the State Engineer and also concerning irrigation in Montana. [Formerly part of the Carey Land Act Board Records, RS 32]
Dates
- Creation: 1865-1964
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection open for research
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society 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.
Biographical / Historical
The Montana State Engineer's Office was created in 1903 to assist, under the Carey Land Act, in the formation of irrigation districts and to survey the state's water resources. The Engineer served ex officio as secretary to the Carey Land Act Board, and later to the State Water Conservation Board. He also served on numerous water-related state boards, and was Montana's representative to inter-state water agencies, such as the Columbia River Basin Commission, the Yellowstone River Compact, and the Missouri Basin Inter-Agency Committee. Among his duties were the review of water projects proposed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and Corps of Engineers, measurement of streams in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey, the conducting of the Water Resources Survey, and administration of the state's Ground-Water Code. Among the State Engineers were John W. Wade (1903-1911), A.W. Mahon (1911-1920), C.S. Heidel (1920-1927), John S. James (1928-1937), Fred E. Buck (1941-1963), and E.V. Darlington (1963-1965). The State Engineer's Office was abolished in 1965 and the duties transferred to the State Water Conservation Board.
Extent
1.75 linear feet
Abstract
This collection is a subgroup (Predecessor Office) 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. Records of the Montana State Engineer include general correspondence (1921-1923), outgoing correspondence (1939-1942, 1951-1964), and subject files (1865-1920) on water rights. Additionally, there are organizational charts and job descriptions, biennial reports (1906-1964), a report on the water supply of the Chapman Irrigation District (Oct. 1923), and miscellaneous articles (1964, undated).
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by series.
Physical Location
18:6-5
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information is available upon request.
- Title
- Guide to the Montana State Engineer Records, 1865-1964
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by MHS Staff
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov