Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-02-10

inception in the Snake valley is threat
power plant, the promoters of which
claim the right to use the only supply
ready more than four times the low
water flow of Snake river Is claimed
two large Carey act projects now well
under way In the Snake river valley
recently investigated by the reclama-
ton service will, when carried to COM
pletion, reclaim more than 635, 900 acres
Of land, practically double the area now
irrigated in that state. These lands
lie in large bodies, which insures the
building up Of important centers of
wealth and population. All this
splendid development depends upon
overcoming the condition of aridlty.
for without water these lands must
forever remain IN lhelF present ueStTt
state.
The theater Of this future activity
lies comparatively remote from any
large town or settlement. being $50 to
200 miles distant from Boise. and about
the same distance from the most i'm
portant centers of population In Utah.
Today these bodies of land form part
Of the vast unbroken wilderness of sage
brush which stretches across the state
from east to west, a desert scene never
to be forgotten by even n western trav-
eler Provided with water for irriga-
ton, orchards and meadows, villages |
and towns, and In few years even |
cities would greet the eye. The incre- |
ment to agricultural wealth in the state
following the irrigation of these lands
would aggregate more than sixty mil
lions of dollars and several hundred |
thousand people would be added to the
population of the state. Irrigation
must come first, and In order to irri-
gate these lands the right to use the
waters of Snake river must, of course,
be unquestioned.
"The prospect of early irrigation and
settlement of these large areas have
excited interest in the possibilities of
power development In that region, and
a few promoters have been quick to
take advantage of imperfect laws and
have obtained power rights on the
stream. These power plants are to be
located at Shoshone Falls, point
where the river makes a vertical drop
Of more than 200 feet. The choice of
a site for this enterprise is most I'M
as 1t is below practically all
the irrigable lands in Snake river VAL
ley. 1t would require the use of all
the storage facilities on the South
Fork of this stream and more. or about
1 900, 900 acre feet to furnish the water
claimed for this purpose alone. If the
splendid storage facilities are to be
used for this purpose, there would be
a supply of water in the river for ir
rigation for only about three months
Df each season, or during the flood dis
charge of the stream. On the other
hand, II these lands are to be reclaimed
there will not be any water In the river
at this point for, power purposes for
several months during each season, as
all the water will be diverted above
this point. More than 20 per cent of
the irrigable lands of the valley will
have to be furnished with water for
their late irrigation. necessitating the
of practically every storage
that purpose.
THE nature and magnitude of the
conflict between these interests should
be readily understood. The impending
conflict might be easily obviated If
site for power development were select
ed above instead of below large bodies
Of irrigable land. American Falls Of
fers an ideal location for the develop
ment OF water power 1t is located
above nearly 900 acres of irrigable
land. the late water supply for which.
to the extent of nearly 5000 second
This supply will have to