▁bar bed ▁wire ▁and ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁f ences ▁divided ▁the ▁land ▁for ▁far mers ▁and ▁ran ch ers , ▁and ▁the ▁once - th re aten ing ▁Indian ▁tribes ▁were ▁conf ined ▁to ▁res erv ations . ▁Wy oming ' s ▁coal , ▁oil ▁and ▁natural ▁gas ▁were ▁beginning ▁to ▁be ▁explo ited ▁toward ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁The ▁Sh osh one ▁River ▁was ▁dam med ▁for ▁hydro elect ric ▁power ▁and ▁ir rig ation . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁C ody ▁and ▁his ▁associ ates ▁acquired ▁from ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Wy oming ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁take ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁Sh osh one ▁River ▁to ▁ir rig ate ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁Big ▁Horn ▁Bas in . ▁They ▁began ▁developing ▁a ▁canal ▁to ▁carry ▁water ▁di vert ed ▁from ▁the ▁river , ▁but ▁their ▁plans ▁did ▁not ▁include ▁a ▁water ▁storage ▁res er voir . ▁C ody ▁and ▁his ▁associ ates ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁raise ▁sufficient ▁capital ▁to ▁complete ▁their ▁plan . ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁they ▁joined ▁with ▁the ▁Wy oming ▁Board ▁of ▁Land ▁Commission ers ▁in ▁ur ging ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁step ▁in ▁and ▁help ▁with ▁ir rig ation ▁in ▁the ▁valley . ▁ ▁The ▁Sh osh one ▁Project ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁federal ▁water ▁development ▁projects ▁undert aken ▁by ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Rec lam ation ▁Service , ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Rec lam ation . ▁After ▁Rec lam ation