The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1903-05-05
WAHA IRRIGATION DEAL.
Papers Signed Yesterday Completing the
Transfsr-2S000 Acres Of Land Brought
Under Lake Waha Reservoir.

The papers were signed up yesterday
transferring to Senator Dubois and asso-
ciates the Schissler and Ward ranches at
Lake Waha and all the water rights held
Messrs. Jones and Givens of San Fran
cisco. This closes the deal which has
been pending for the past month and
gives to Senator Dubois and friends the
complete control of the water rights
about Lake Waha and makes certain the
development of their plan to use the lake
as reser 7oir and irrigate about 20 900 to
$4,000 acres of land lying between Lewis
ton and the mountain.
Senator Heitfeld through his personal
knowledge of the topography of the
country was able to interest Senator
Dubois and Congressm II Pence in the
scheme OF bring water to the semi-arid
lands lying south of Lewiston and plan
was formed many months ago for the
day recess of Congress Senator Heitfeld
b: ought Engineer Ostram here with him
and he entered upon detailed survey Of
the plans. In February Engineer H. M
Hedges of Chicago was sent out by the
eastern capitalists interested in the work,
and the detailed plans of the system have
been worked out and completed
Lake Waha is to be the great storage
reservoir of the system and canals and
| fumes from the streams on the water
shed above will be used to conduct the
water into the lake. Lake Waha is
| natural reservoi-. A survey of the lake
basin shows that the depth of the lake
can be increased los feet and its area
extended from So to 247 acres without
the expenditure OF a single dollar for
| reservoir. Waha is mountain lake and
the control of the hills makes natural
reservoir.
The main part OF the engineering plan.
is then to dirvert flow of water into the
lake to fill it to the brim with the food
| waters of the water shed and to use the
storage as the dry season begins to supply
the lands below. Beginning at Soldiers
| Medow creek canal four miles long ten
feet wide and four feet deep will convey
I25 cubic feet per second into the east
fork of Sweet water; this i'll turn is
DETECTED by f1ume ID feet wide aud a
mile and half long into the west fork
of Sweet water and the flow of these three
creeks emptied into the lake by canal
one and four-tenths miles long. On the
other side of the divide, beginning at
Captain John creek, and taking in the
flow Of Webb creek and Waha creek by a
canal three miles long the flow of three
other streams are concent ated into Lake
Waha The combined streams will carry
into the'ake 400 cubic ieet of water per
second which when stored i'll the present
capacity of the lake will be equivalent to
au irrigation capat ity OF 10000 acres, and
| by dam IS feet across the saddle would
iucrease the capacity to an equivalent ol
255oc.
The distribution from the lake is to be
by tunnel half mile long which will
be driven in from Mud lake near where
the present outflow is located.
The deal completed Yesterday transfers
to the new syndicate the water rights
now in use at the Schissler ranch and
others owned by Mrs GODDARD and Messrs
Jones and Owens, it also tran>fers the
Schissaer ranch comprising 1910 acres
and the Godard ranch of 5le, acres at
prices will in advance OF $4o,ooo 4, which
the places are valued.
The syndicate will be known as The
Lewiston Waha Land Water and Power
company. The incorporators are Senator
F T. Dubois, ex Senator Henry Heitfeld
Lafe Pense late Congressman from Color
ada, 7. +. Trainer of Chicago. The com
pany is backed by Chicago capitalists.
The estimated cost of the storage canal:
is $22s 900 and the complete investment
of land and irrigating bitches will reacf
81 100000.
The company has already securet
IopuonS upon Idhus " pe SoNSieu py th'
reservoir and will be on the market fo
enough to take up the capacity of thu
pant. The engineers will now perfec
their plans for construction and it i
understood actual work will begin b,
July. The plans of the company also in
ciude power plant 10 be located thi
side Of the lake and an electric motto
line will be put in operation between
here and the lake. The company is nov
in position to consider the Lewiston
street railway franchise which has beef
held in allegiance pending the consum
nation of this deal.