The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-06-10
LOST RIVER

pert in charge of irrigation in
vestigation for the Department
of Agriculture, writes encourag-
ing letters to State Engineer
Ross regarding the future of ir-
rigation work in Idaho. Mr..
Ross is a personal friend of Prof.
Mead's and the Washington ex-
pert is kindly disposed toward
Idaho and its great future as an
irrigation state. Professor Mead
has so expressed himself in
numerous letters. Prof. j. ID.
Stannard, one of Prof. Mead's
most accomplished assistants, is
now working under the direction
of State Engineer Ross, in the
Big Lost River valley.
The name of big Lost River
valley" does not sound as though
there would be much water to
irrigate with, but State Engineer
Ross says it is a productive
country. The river gets lost all
right, and it is lost several times
throughout its course. At one
place, for q distance of eight
miles, it disappears entirely,
only to reappear again as the
impervious strata approach the
surface. The valley of Big Lost
river is long and narrow, but the
soil is of great richness. Il is
the object of the present inquiry
to determine upon the cost of
building a storage reservoir that
will hold the water of Big Lost
river not far from it's source.
The fact that the river sinks into
the substrata of gravel will make
no difference. The engineering
problem does not deal with the
temporary disappearance of the
water, but the holding of it in
reserve. 1t will be allowed to
run in its natural channel. as the
loss from percolation or absorb
ton is only slight. AS a matter
of fact the evaporation is reduc-
ed to minimum while the stream
is below the surface.
These problems are now en-
gaging the attention of Professor
Stannard in his work. The town
of Mackay is in the center of the
Big Lost river irrigation district,
and the people of that section
are wide awake to the proposed
storage reservoir enterprise.
They have an active organiza-
ton among the irrigators, and
have raised money to help along
the project. The people are
students of the great problem,
and have encouraged State Eng
ineer Ross to aid them in storing
water.
In a recent letter of Professor
Mead to Mr.. Ross, the terms OF
the new appropriation r made
known. The appropriation OF
sos, 900 will be available July 1.
A copy of the bill which passed
congress is as follows /:
To enable the secretary OF
agriculture to investigate and re-
port upon the laws as affecting
irrigation and the rights of rip
arian proprietors and institutions
relating to irrigation and upon
the use of irrigation waters, al
home or abroad, with especial
suggestions of better methods
for the utilization of irrigation
waters in agriculture than those
in common use, and plans for the
removal of seepage and surplus
waters by drainage, and upon
the use of different kinds of
power for irrigation and other
agricultural purposes and for the
preparation, printing, and illus
tration of reports and bulletins
OF irrigation, including employ
ment of labor in the city o.
Washington or elsewhere; and
the agricultural experiment
stations are hereby authorized
and directed to cooperate will
the secretary of agriculture IL
carrying out said investigation
in such manner and to such ex
tent as may be warranted by
due regard to the varying condi
tons and needs OF the RESPECTIVE
states and territories as may b