The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-03-30
Reservoir Talk.

lLc NTileT HAS INeu AZ DiaShloot ioi
nearly q years and has watched the de-
velopment of the canal and irrigation
system from their infancy up to the
present time, and until last summer
when l was appointed on the Water
Commission to assist in the distribution
of the waters of Snake River, | shared
the same idea in regard to the Canals in
this part of the Valley that nearly every
one else did, viz:-That we had the old
est canals in the Valley and that the
later rights were nearly all farther up
the river.
When | came to serve on that Com
mission I was asked the question nearly
every where l went; What right have
you Blackfoot people to come up here
and take the water from us L rights
and give it to your NEW rights down
there?
Every where we went we found the
same idea prevailed, that they had the
oldest rights on the river and that it was
the other localities that were late rights
and should 20 short of water.
BY making c%arefuI inquiry as to when
the various canals were located l found
that almost the entire Valley had de-
veloped and grown up together and that
the rights of the various localities were
practically identical from one end of the
river to the other.
1t is true that some canals we're locat-
| ed 20 years ago or more, and others in
the same localities had only been located
ten years ago, but the people who locat-
ed here ten years ago had just as much
right to expect that there vas plenty OF
water in Snake River for them as those
of us who located 20 years ago, and they
have spent just as much money in pro
portion to the lands which they have
watered and put under cultivation, as
| those of us who were here before them.
1t was very evident that there was not
as much water for irrigation purposes
last season during the months Of July,
August and September flowing in the
river as was actually needed to properly
care for the crops, and l believe that an
| estimate of 500 per acre IN all the land
| that was under cultivation would be n
| very low estimate for the damages that
the farmers sustained from ont end OF
the Valley to the other.
It is true that the matter of distribu-
ton Of the water was not as well sys-
tented as it a be, and that there was
considerable water wasted last season
that could have done a great deal of
good had it been properly handled earl
Ter in the season but it is a big proposition
to handle and Rever a be regulated so
as to give every canal just the water that
they are entitled to, on account Of the
supply continually changing. More
than this it will always be a source of
great expense to divide the waters
among those who may have the decreed
rights ahead of the other fellows, and
let a water commission be as careful as
they might in the division, there would
be times when even those who had the
oldest rights on the River would be with
out the full amount of water they are
entitled to, for a day or two at a time,
and this would be bound to cause much
damage when we all get all our lands
under cultivation and are in need of all
the water we are entitled to ALL the
time in order to properly take care Of
our crops, as they do in Utah and Colo
RADIO at the present time, and to be short
Of only a portion Of our water for a day
or two would probably us large
losses or valuable crops just at the criti-
cal time when they we're badly in need
of water to keep them from suffering.
When we consider that there was not
more than so per cent Of the lands cover
ed by the canals Of the Valley under
cultivation during the season of 1905, as
the State engineers report shows that
there was, less than As per cent Of it I'M
der cultivation in 1904, we must admit
that when it is brought under c%ultiva-
ion it will be necessary for us to have
much more water than we had in 1905
0 properly care for our crops, even if we
20 to all the expense necessary to Keep
efficient force Of Water commissioners
. properly distribute the waters. and
t we did that it would cost us a very
teavy tax each year to keep them eur
.loyed.
People who have any doubts on this
point should talk with some Of the water
users on Big Lost River where the water
has b,en under these Commissioners for
the past few years.