 In 1902, the Reclamation Act was passed, allowing irrigation projects to be built in Montana's eastern river valleys.In 1909, Congress passed the Enlarged Homestead Act that expanded the amount of free land from per family and in 1912 reduced the time to "prove up" on a claim to three years.In 1916, the Stock-Raising Homestead Act allowed homesteads of 640 acres in areas unsuitable for irrigation.