Arizona republican., 1904-05-09
IDAHO IRRIGATION
Reclamation of Boise and
 Pdyette Valleys
Tentative Approval by the Interior Department of Plans Involving the Expenditure of $l,200,000.

Washington, May S.-The secretary of the interior has tentatively approv- ed plans for a stupendous irrigation project to be constructed in the val leys of Payette and Boise rivers, in southwestern Idaho. This information will be especially interesting to those who are familiar with the publications of the United States Geological survey. One of the most recent geological fol- jos issued by the survey is that relat- ing to the Nampa quadrangle, which is situated near the lower end of the snake river valley, mostly in Canyon county Idaho. MT. Waldemar Lind gren, author of the folio, states that in this region, owing to the lack of rain fall vegetation is scant, and the entire quadrangle may be called a sage-brush desert He calls attention to the fact that, with the exception of the flood plains of the Boise and Payette rivers, tributaries of Snake river, where there IS a natural subirrigation that keeps vegetation growing, and some places along Willow Creek, where under ! irrigation, the agricultural lands of the quadrangle must be irrigated. In view of this great need, it is gratifying to learn that work has been begun to bring under one comprehensive na tional irrigation project 372,OO0 acres of land, or more than the total irrigat- ed area of Arizona, Washington, or New Mexico. In compliance with a request from the majority of the land owners of the Boise and Payette val | leys, the secretary of the Interior has ordered a continuance of the surveys and investigations preliminary to ac- tual construction work. A sufficient sum for the completion of the work will be set aside as soon as the settler;
 perfect the necessary organization tC
 secure to the reclamation fund tho return of the money required for the
 undertaking.
 The project comprises two features a masonry dam in Payette river anC
 works for the diversion of water
 from Boise river. Associated with thu dam in Payette river is a canal oJ
 each side of the stream, that on tht
 south side connecting with large
 pumping plant The dam will be 9t feet high, 450 feet long on top, anC 125 feet long on the bottom. The ca pacity of the reservoir will be 190,00t acre feet. The north side canal vii
 have a length of 20 miles. the souti
 side forty miles. The estimated cost O
 these works is $1,2OO,O0O. By means
 of them, 1000 cubic feet of water ma!
 be diverted every second for the irri | of nf
 The works for the diversion of wat
 CTS from the Boise river consists of ;
 dam ten feet high, 400 feet long on tor
 and 400 feet on the bottom, construct
 ed of concrete, steel and timber. Tn
 capacity of the reservoir will be 150,
 900 feet. Two diversion canals, on on each side of the river, will have
 combined length of 135 miles and bottom width varying from 45 to c
 feet. The estimated cost of this sec tion of the project is $2,O00, 900, mak , ing the cost of the entire project $3, , 100000.
 No other region in the United State l presents a more attractive field fo the engineers of the reclamation ser vice. The lands in these valleys lie q . an elevation ranging from 2,100 to ?, f 500 feet and the climate is pleasar 9 the year round. The winters are mode 9 rate and the thermometer rarely fall 7 to zero, and the valleys are protecte l from winds. The summers are Ion s and warm, and with the help of irri T gation, promote the most rapid vege l table growth. The soil is rich an
 productive, adapted to all the fruit ! and cereals of the temperate zon l All deciduous fruits and berries pro duce abundantly. Large quantities ( I apples and prunes are shipped to east ern markets where they bring tt highest prices.
 Since the government withdrawa were made under this project, intend ' ing settlers have filed on more tha
 13,000 acres. An especially interestin
 feature in connection with this gre;
 work is the fact that it's constructio
 means not only vast increase in tf :, cultivated area of this part of ti state, but also to find settlement
 those vexed questions that are no
 continually rising in these valley
 from the effort to make limite
 amount of water do service on wh; n is practically an unlimited amount - land. It means the passing of the pr, - moter and ditch manipulator and u = coming of the irrigator and busine a man. It means ultimately improve T, agricultural conditions, better tram = portation facilities, and industries n every kind. Above all it means hom ir and living for a quarter of a milliC Is people. C. c. RANDOLPH.