Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-20

A.
other interests inasmuch as ).
a question Of Importance nv
~ v, % those now living but 70
all posterity. ,,o,o
The solution OF this problem J" iua "'
i, less difficult than in any other % w
arid states, for the reason thar II "~'
,,ore extensive watersheds and no co'",
.maa,,ons can ever arise with any OF
hor bo,der states, because her rivers
arc within her own borders lrr'Sau'"
no canals from living streams mas 'ons
since passed the experimental stage ~
Idaho as may be seen in the counties u
hear Lake. oneida, BsnnocN' b'hs""'"
ora Fremont where irrigation was m
s,,t,,ed by the pioneers from Utsh
many years ago. AS for soil, there Is
none ON the American continent equal
in fertility or durability to the yolcan-
&c lava deposits in The valleys OF '1a'
no
The question is a large one ana very
interesting and can not properly oe
presented within the limits OF a SNORT
article only few Of its salient iea'
lures are therefore given. state I'm
vIneer ID, w. Ross, whose aDlilty -
Very generally recognized, and VINO iias
made this question special stuus'
,hereby qualifying him as an autnor.
itv IN writing on the subject, says tna'
that portion of Idaho In which aBflcui-
,ure cannot be carried on without It'll
cation embraces an area OF o9,vVV
square miles or about Il per cent oil me
total area OF the state. The region nes-
ignated as the "arid portion Oh lda.
no embraces the entire southern part
Of The state. extending as far north as
tho Salmon river In Idaho county, ana
throughout the entire course OF the
snake river. The lands now beiag IT.
rlgated are very much the same IN
character throughout this entire region,
the surface IL generally quite level
the soil Is OF volcanic origin, very warm
ana porous. absorbing water very read
fly and quick TO respond 10 CULTIVATION,
With the exception OF an area VI
about 1000 square miles, situated III lhe
southeast corner OF the state, anu
which drains into the Great SAT- Lake
basin. all the arid land of ldaho hes
within the boundaries or the drainage
basin Of the Snake river-and TINS river
and It's tributaries must furnish wafer
for all the irrlgable lands In THIS re-
gion. two-thIrds OF which viii be SUD
piled direct from the Snake river. rms
great valley is covered with a ccntinu.
Gus stratum of basaltlo lava which ex~
tends from one side to the other, OF the
valley and throughout Its entire length
II varies In thickness from 10 feet 10
800 feet.
AS an evidence OF how irrigation IS
going ahead by leaps and bounds II
may be mentioned that IN the biennial
report OF the state engineer for the per-
Tod ending December. 1896. the area OF
irrigated lands in Bingham and Ere.
mont counties was estimated at 5000
acres Reports on file In the same Of
Ace showed that 2ii, 900 acres were 1r-
rigated In 1900, a gain OF il6,001 acres
or 225 per cent In four years, With but
few exceptions the canals In operation
In these counties were built and belong
10 the irrigators themselves. A circum-
stance, which has not found its way in
10 any report may be here mentioned;
II was stated recently by the father OF
irrigation In Fremont county 10 the
writer that experiments had demon
strated that less water was required
from year to year. as the sub-soil re-
tains the moisture In marked degree.
Want OF space Will not permit any
lengthy review OF what has been &C.
complished by Irrigation IN the differ
ent parts Of the state. II Is sufficient 10
state positively that wherever water
has been placed upon the land and In
diligently handled II has never failed
10 make II highly productive and prof.
itable--there has never been any fail.
ure Of the crops. A number Of enter
prises OF great magnitude are under
way, which Will In a very few years
place Idaho In the very front rank OF |
agricultural states. The principal one |
OF these enterprises Is that known as |
the Twin Fails Land and Water COM |
pany. situated four miles above the |
Great sboshone Falls and % miles from |
Shoshone station on the line OF the Ore. |
gon Short Line. State Engineer Ross
made careful investigation OF this
project and made personal surveys Of |
the land. In speaking Of II he says |
that the largest body OF irrigahle land
lying below a single point OF diversion |
IN the Snake river valley is in the VI
entity OF Twin Falls. He says the body |
OF land Is more than 10 miles long and |
has an average width Of about 10 miles,
containing In all about 27l 900 acres.
In pursuance OF Mr.. Ross surveys
and report the Twin Falls Land and |
Water company was organized whlck
made a proposal 10 construct the nee
essary irrigation works and requested |
the state 70 apply for the segregation |
Of 2is,OOo Of land from the public do