The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-06-04
THE IRRIGATION N IDAHO
nORE THAN 100000 ACRES
Arid Land Thought under Magic Ipfsuence
Of Water-The Great snake River Ba-
1ln a Big Field for the Government
Enterprise.


oflce has just issued bulletin giving
in detail valuable statistics with re-
ference to irrigation development in
Idaho in 1902, and the proceeding
years. The expert of the bureau,
Who prepared the report says:
''Idaho's superintendent and GER
tain sources Of agricultural wealth
are being developed rapidly by ir-
raRation which is being greatly ex-
tended throughout the larger part Of
the state. With the exception Of the
Panhandle section, narrow prolong-
alton which constitutes the northern
end, the state lies in a region dis
tinctly arid, In which the production
Of crops is almost impossible without
irrigation. Its most important topo-
graphic feature is the Snake river
basin, broad, almost unbroken lava
plain beginning in the extreme east
srn part and extending entirely
across the state. 1t contains pro-
baby the largest area of irrigable
land in this country belonging to
one stream and its tributaries. On
the east, the elevation of the plain
exceeds 5000 feet and here the
cultivation of grain and forage crops
is the principal agricultural industry.
1t falls rapidly toward the west, sink
ing to less than 1000 feet near the
Oregon line. This section, by reason
adapted to the production of all the
fruits of the temperate zone, and con
Aains large areas Of bearing orchards,
the land so cultivated having high
value.
1.-THE progress of irrigation since
1899, though not marked, shows a
healthy growth and more than 100,
600 acres have been added to the
producing area of the state. There
has been a heavy influx of home
seekers and a remarkable change has
taken place in the region which in
the census year of 1900 was a for
bidding desert. Towns and agri.
cultural communities have sprung up
almost by magic along the new canals
and bitches, and the population OF
the old settled valleys has been
greatly augmented.
Several successful irrigation dis
tricts have been formed in which the
farmers, by sale of bonds, have secuT-
ed control of and have consolidated
large canals. The tendency in Idaho,
a. in all the other arid states, Is to-
ward the cooperation of land owners
and actual irrigators to control ir-
FiRstion systems, thus eliminating
the cost Of maintenance and water
supply, increasing the efficiency OF
the ditch systems and obviatinR the
expense of litigation over water
rights.
Idaho lice in the drainage basin
Of the Columbia, With the exception
Of about 1900 square miles in the
extreme southwestern corner, which
belongs to the great interior basin
and are drained by Bear river.
There are, therefore, but two
distinct drainage basins in the state,
yet, for purposes Of review, the
Columbia drainage basin is consider
"a under three headings namely,
Snake river and tributaries, compris
ing all that part of the state north Of
parallel At, and the drainage basins
Of three or four independent streams.
The total area irrigated, increased
from Coz. % acres ii 1899 to 7t3, So
acres in 1902; the number Of farms
reporting irrigation, from 1897 to
1907, and the total construction
cost Of the irrigation systems was
from s5,l20, 800 to s6, OH.
The increase for the three years in
number of irrigated acres was | g.
per cent 10 number Of farms, ~ !
per cent. aud 10 cost Of construction
400 per cent.
In 1902 there wsre 1892 irrigation
systems in operation and the com
oined length Of the main canals and
bitches was 5GiO miles, an average
of > 4 miles per system The average
drst cost per system was s2655 and
the average first cost per irrigated
acre az 81.
''Of the total irrigated area. 7O4,
257 acres we're irrigated from streams
9O45 acres from springs and %.
acres from wells The entire con
struction cost OF the stream systems
was sG.l24, 1876, an average Of $50
per irrigated acre The cost of thu
spring systems vas s57,9G5, al
average Of s6.il per irrigated acre
while that IT the we'll systems va
s7970, an average Of s27.5o Pc
irrigated acre
Hydrographically, the arid por
ton Of Idaho belongs mainly to tn
dro{n.ga basfp - tho GpaLa rftor