To an old construction hand, a "gin pole" is probably "old hat" but this method of steel tower construction may be of interest to those not in the construction "know." The gin pole method is being used in the construction of the Fort Randall-Sioux City transmission line, pictured above. Essentially, the tower is fabricated by standard methods and the gin pole, the long narrow section at the top of the tower proper, is cradled inside the tower, guyed into place and raised by the tractor in the left foreground, as the tower is made taller. A cable threaded through a pulley at the top of the gin pole is then used to raise the cross arms into place on the tower, with the motive power supplied by the truck, on the right in the immediate foreground. In the photograph above, the cross member has just been raised and is now being secured. USBR Photo. SUMMARY A grand total of nearly $88 million has been programed for resources development work in the ten state Missouri River Basin region during fiscal year 1955. Over $54 million of that total will be expended in connection with the authorized Missouri River Basin program, while over $33 million is set aside for Interior Department programs in the Missouri Basin not associated directly with the authorized Missouri Basin Project. Total funds available to the Department this fiscal year are less by almost $18 million than last year. Shifts of funds between regular and Missouri Basin programs have resulted in a little over $18.5 million reduction in this year's Missouri Basin money. Every agency suffered a reduction in Missouri Basin funds and every one was reduced in the total funds available except the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Park Service whose fiscal year 1955 totals were increased slightly over last year's. The money appropriated for the Fish and Wildlife Service regular program for fiscal year 1955 has been augmented by $70, 700 of reverted Pittman-Robertson funds to finance national waterfowl management work, particularly in the Garrison Diversion Project area. A complete statement of the Interior Department program for the fiscal year will be found in the program section of this report, Your attention is also invited to three special articles in this report: "Deep River Development Farm", "Oil and Gas Development on Indian Lands", and "Progress on the Platte". One of the important new developments during the quarter just passed was the authorization of new construction on Reclamation unit's in the Missouri River Basin. The passing of the Supplemental Appropriations Act made possible the start of construction on Glendo, Hanover and Bluff Units in Wyoming; Heart Butte Unit in North Dakota, Helena Valley Unit in Montana, and Sargent Unit in Nebraska. The completion of these units will mean a full irrigation supply to some 50,000 acres of land and a supplemental supply to an additional 4,600 acres. They will also provide for the generation of 72,000 kilowatts of hydroelectric power.. Specifications have now been issued on most of the units.. Although weather has been ideal for construction work during the quarter and considerable progress has been made, there were few large contracts completed. The contractor finished another section of SD 11 76 A28 the Boulder Creek supply canal on the Colorado-Big Thompson and several more features of the Courtland lateral system on the Bostwick Division were completed. Excellent progress is being made on Kirwin Dam in Kansas, with 69 percent of the work completed in 57 percent of the contract time. The contractor for Tiber Dam, on the Lower Marias Unit in Montana, is right on schedule but both Webster Dam in Kansas and Pactola Dam in South Dakota are behind schedule. Investigation forces of the Bureau of Reclamation and the other Interior Department agencies cooperating in the Missouri Basin work took full advantage of the good weather during the first quarter of fiscal year 1955 to push investigations programs as much as possible. The Bureau of Land Management emphasized field investigations for land classification and cadastral surveys. During the period, a total of 71,680 acres were resurveyed in Montana, and North and South Dakota. The examination of surface resources and the condition of the public domain were carried on in the Milk River area and Lower Yellowstone area of Montana, and the Little Missouri River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. The Geological Survey continued outside work in ground water, surface water, chemical quality of water, and sedimentation investigations during the quarter, with field investigations being the first order of business in the geologic and mineral resource investigations field also. Regular readings were made at stream gages and a total of 35 new topographic maps were published. No new work was started during the period by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Investigations centered primarily upon Garrison Diversion Unit, Jefferson River Basin, Gavins Point Reservoir, Ainsworth Unit, Webster Unit, Scott Creek watershed, Kirwin Unit, Little Nemeha River Basin, Sun-Teton Division, and the Floyd River Basin. Work was under way by the Bureau of Indian Affairs at nine Indian reservations in the Missouri Basin which will be effected directly or indirectly by the resources development work in the Basin. The work of installing allotment and heirship interest record cards is about 75 percent complete on the Crow Reservation at the quarter's end. Considerable progress was made by the National Park Service on the basin-wide recreational survey and on the institution of management agreements covering the operation of recreational areas at reservoir sites. PROGRESS ON CONSTRUCTION BUREAU OF RECLAMATION COLORADO Colorado-Big Thompson Project. -- The Colorado-Big Thompson, begun in 1938, is now virtually complete and water was supplied this year to a large percent of the acreage to receive supplemental water. During the first quarter of fiscal year 1955, several minor contracts were completed and work was started on others. Among those completed were the conversion of the Akron and Yuma substations, the graveling of surface roads for the St. Vrain supply canal and bituminous surfacing for the Flatiron area. Installation of the autotransformer was completed at the Beaver Creek substation and the raising of Satanka dike was also completed. Shadow Mountain government camp has also been completed. Notice to proceed has been issued for the construction of the South Platte supply canal and for the construction of a service station for Flatiron power and pumping plant. As the quarter ended, work was ahead of schedule on the Boulder Creek supply canal, with 50 percent of the job completed in 42 percent of the contract time. KANSAS Smoky Hill Division, Cedar Bluff Unit. --Because of the general drought in Kansas and the inadequacies of municipal water in the town of Russell, sufficient flows are being released from Cedar Bluff Reservoir to maintain a river flow sufficient to assure a usable quality of water for the town. Solomon Division, Kirwin Unit. --At the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 1955, work on the construction of Kirwin Dam was considerably ahead of schedule, with 69 percent of the job completed in 57 percent of the contract time. About 80 percent of the work on the relocation of county and township roads has been completed, equipment for the caretaker's residence and maintenance building is on the site, and clearing has been completed at the Kirwin Reservoir site. Solomon Division, Webster Unit. --Excellent construction weather has prevailed throughout the quarter at the site of Webster Dam, with |