The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1903-11-27
A SCHEME FOR DRAINING
THE KOOTENAI VALLEY.

COPELAND, Idaho, Nov. ITO
the Editor Of The Rathdrum TRI-
BUTE: As result OF the great flood
Of Immigration which, according to
all indications, will pour into the
northwest during the next few years,
land values will take a grand rise. In
fact, before many years available agri-
cultural land will be extremely hard
to find.
The numerous schemes OF irrigat-
Ing the vast tracts Uf land now prac-
ticaIly valueless will, to a certain ex-
tent, alleviate the circumstances.
Yet these schemes are costly. q
II IT. Is time to reclaim arid land by
putting water on it, is 1t not time to
reclaim the vast tracts in the north
west which are now almost worthless
on account of an oyerabundance of
water by taking the water of? In
most instances it would be far cheap
er to drain the overfiowed land than
1t is to irrigate the arid land, and the
drained land would he OF more value,
for the reason that 1t could be hand
led in larger bodies, aa
/ will cite the Kootenai valley.
From Bonners Ferry to the interna-
tional boundary line is u strip OF land
averaging three miles in width and rs
miles long, Every year from the mid.
die Of May to the middle of July this
valley is covered with water. The
land Is thus render ed valueless for the
production Of any crop save the ma
tive grass, which. while it makes
passably fair feed ;or stock, Is, In d
commercial way, of Tut nominal val,
ue. 4
The soil Of this valley Is composed
Of sediment washed down from the
mountain sides; In fact, as geological
signs prove. Kootenai lake, in pre-
historic ages, extended as far sout1
as Bonners Ferry, and this valley was
its bed
In my own meadow / have six teel
of as fine beaver dam soil as Is to b6
found upon the face of the globe, yet
on account OF the overflow, 1t IL un-
productive of any kind Of crop excep,
of about three tons OF wild hay pei
acre. The same land, II drained.
would be cheap at $3.50 per acre. ).
1t is my opinion, after having lived
SIX years In this locality and made
close observations of the run Of the
water, that 1t would be an easy mat
ter to convert from 10000 to 10000
acres OF this valley land from its pre-
sent practically worthless condition
into as productive grain, fruit and
vegetable land as can be found In the
temperate zone Of this hemisphere.
This could be accomplished simply
by cutting on either side Of the river
a ditch Of about 20 feet in width and
10 feet deep. There is an abundance
OF water always In the river 50 that
the use of dredge would be practi-
cable. The work Of doing this, as l
estimate 1t, would be done in not to
exceed two, or possibly three years.
AS the course Of the river is SC
winding that the water can not be
discharged quickly enough, tits fore
ed upon the inlaying bottom lands.
From Bonners Ferry to the inter-
national line the length Of the river
is approximately so miles, while the
drainage canals propose, would not
exceed In length 25 miles, and would
therefore take the water out in one
half the time to its final destinations
in truth, the water would, In wei
constructed bitches, run out at least
three times as quickly. There is plen'
ty OF grade down the valley and there
would be no danger whatever OF over
dOws.
Both bitches should begin at q
point near Boomers Ferry aud contin-
ue to the international boundary line
where, / should think, the reclama
tion company, which has thus far ex-
pended about $500, 900 In a futile ef
fort to dyke its laod, would gladly
carry the work on to the lake. Ant
this scheme, too, would have tend
ency to check all friction betweer
the reclamation company and thu
| ranchers up the river. The settlers iT
the valley are financially unable u
undertake the proposition, but woul'
/ .,1,, dlv conporato xstth upv nOo 10