The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1905-04-15
ON WITH THE WORK
PayeSte-ROise Water Users AS
sOciaiion Directors Meet
ing Outline Plans.

The directors Of the Payettc Boise
Water Users association met at Cald-
@cn Tuesday The inll board was pres
ent, as vas also their lega advisers A.
j Mitchell and f. VI Kirkpatrick were
IN attendance from Parma After hear
ing reports Of the directors who have
been looking after matters at Washing
ton it was decided to begin active work
Immediately. The first work to be
done will be on the Deer Flat reservoir.
and the board will begin Immediately
the necessary preliminary steps of Sc
curing the right OF way. The following
letters OF the secretary of the interior
and the chief engineer oi the rcclami-
tion department to President Lowell
viii be of interest rs showing what has
already been accomplished. and what
yet remains to he done:
DEAR srR:-I have before me your
letter Of the oath instant in which you
have set forth the facts concerning the
investigations in connection with the
Payette- Boise project, Idaho, under the
act of June II, 1922 Stat. Sss.
You have stated that the project pro-
yides for the reclamation OF S72, 600 acres
OF land, 500, 900 acres OF which are now in
a desert condition; that about II 900
acres are public lands, subject to entry
under the act mentioned, and that 49,,
600 acres have been entered subject to
the provisions Of that act since the with
drawal OF the lands; that about 10000
acres belong to the State Of Idaho, and
that the remainder, about 1875, 900 acres
is now in private ownen hip, held in
tracts averaging about 100 acres each.
Your letter shows that ample storage
facilities are available on the headwa-
ters of the Payctte river, ami that adj
ditional storage on the Boise river and
/ it, valley proper can also be obtained to
supplement the normal flow OF the
streams from which the water for the
project is to he furnished. You have re-
frrred also in your letter to the fact that
Water Users Association has recently
been organized in that locality, repre-
senting about l55, 900 acres OF land, and
that the state has provided for co-Ope-
ration with the reclamation service.
You have set forth in your letter the
plan proposed to be carried cut involv-
ihg the acquisition OF various rights OF
way, enlarging and extending Of canal'
and the construction of the Deer Flat
reservoir III conclusion you have
sand that aside from the fact that the
project has been found feasible, it vii
provide for the development OF one o
the most fertile sections OF the state anc
that it is important that the projec
should be begun at once.
You have accordingly recommends
that the project be entered into alonl
the lines you have detailed, and tina
vour Office be directed to prepare 70
construction the particular portion OF til
project outlined; also that 81 800, 900 b
set aside ior the project.
l have considered the facts and rec
concentrations covered by your letter
and hereby set aside from the fun
mentioned the sum of 81 100000 for tn
Payette- Boise project, Idaho, and dire'
that YOU take action with respect to thi
project along the lines and with respe'
to that portion of the project covered b
your recommendations.
Very respectfully
f. A. HITcHCocK, Sec.
DEAR mn view Of the approv
by the secretary of the interior OF Il
Payette- Boise project, and Of the int
est that present landowners on the pr
ject have in the construction OF the
works, it is deemed necessary that sue
landowners, through their Water User
associations, carry out the following Ii
Of action:
/. Obtain contracts for the renal
der Of the land now in private own
ship, including large holdings, and n
gotia.e for the necessary rights Of w'
?. Make such arrangements with
landowners aa 70 value Of existing woi
which may form part Of the goyernm'
system as may be acceptable to the 9
rs4orv of the interior.