McClusky Canal Irrigation
The McClusky Canal is a major feature in the Garrison Diversion Unit Principal Supply Works. The canal is approximately 74 miles long and carries water from Lake Audubon to the west side of the Lonetree Wildlife Management Area. Based on the Garrison Diversion Unit legislation in 1965, the canal was designed to carry 1,950 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water for irrigation of 250,000 acres, as well as to provide water for municipal and rural water systems.
A promise of the original legislation, authorized irrigation development has been reduced numerous times with changes in federal legislation. Currently, the McClusky Canal service area is authorized for a total of 23,700 acres of irrigation. Canal-side irrigation is authorized up to 10,000 acres and the adjacent Turtle Lake area has 13,700 acres authorized.
Garrison Diversion has taken steps towards developing an irrigation project to utilize the authorized acres. Garrison Diversion began by canvassing 560 landowners in the McClusky Canal service area, which includes land in McLean, Burleigh and Sheridan counties, in order to determine the amount of interest in irrigating their lands with canal waters. Because landowners have shown significant interest, Garrison Diversion is moving forward with these efforts.
A benefit to producers irrigating from the McClusky Canal is the promise of project pumping power, a reduced rate of pumping the water out of the canal. Project pumping power is part of the promise from the federal government in return for flooding thousands of acres of prime farmland to operate and build Garrison Dam and Lake Sakakawea.