The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-08-25
PAYETTE-BOISE PROJECT
AND DEER FLAT RESERVOIR
DETAILS AND INCIDENTS OF TIE CONS IRUCTION OF THE
LOWER DAM AT LAKE LOWELL

The greater part of the lands &C
jacent to the Rocky mountains an
west of them are such as have com
to be described in government an
scientific publications as arid" O
"semi-arid" lands. All these ar
lands which require irrigation t,
bring the best results; most of then
require it to become profitably pro
ductive at all. These lands and the
regions in which they are situated
have so long and so commonly beer
spoken of as desert that the besl
thought about them in the minds OF
a large part of the people of the
more easterly states is that irriga-
ton is hard and slavish process by
means of which alone it is possible
to wiring a subsistence from an in
fertile soil. But in fact the most
of the soil in these regions is of
the very richest in this great fertile
country of ours: and these same
lands, when properly cultivated, I'M
der a good system of irrigation, are
among the most productive In all
its borders, and yield the largest
returns for the same outlay of la
Dor. Not only so, but there is
probably no other portion of the
United States where farm lands
have been brought to so high a val
uation at so early a relative period
of development of the country as
these lands, thus treated, are now
beginning to command.
In the early days of the settle
ment of this part of our country, the
opening of a farm was generally an
isolated enterprise, without much re-
gard to community interests. man
located where he could cultivate a
body of land which could be covered
with water by means of bitches taxi
en- from the creek on which it was
located, and cut with his own pillow
and shovel. As settlements multi
piled, community bitches and com
pany bitches brought in much land
not available under primitive meth
DDS. But the best private and cor
porate enterprises have been made
quate to the subjugation of some of
the most productive areas. Not the
least of the difficulties of proceeding
under the older methods was the in
terminable clash of interests and the
and confusion introduced
into the agricultural system in the
arid west.
For many years, the unexampled
enjoyed by the country at
large has strengthened the conten-
ton of n class of statesmen and priv
ate citizens that the government of
the United States ought to adopt a
more comprehensive system of pub
lie works, to employ the unemployed
and to foster industries needing the
aid of the collective capital OF the
citizenry. AS the elimination of
various efforts to enlist government
aid in extensive and difficult irriga-
lion enterprises. the National Recla-
nation Act was adopted June IT,
1902, 1t provided that the immense
reserves of the general government
might be employed to irrigate areas
requiring works too expensive to be
undertaken by an ordinary corpora
ion; and that individuals home
stealing lands covered by these
works might receive the benefit of
he water thus supplied by repaying
heir proportion of the cost in in
;tallments. The funds employed in |
undertaken under this
act are derived from the sale of pub
ic lands, and are extended to settlers
coating upon government lands by |
as a kind of loan under |
specific conditions.
The government has undertaken |
everal immense reclamation projects |
n the central and southern portion
# the Pacific slope. Three of these |
re in Idaho. the greatest being the |
project.
This project will cover about &c.,
100 acres of irrigable land in the |
boise and Payette valleys, including
bout 100000 acres already under
which will receive en-
arged facilities. A great canal is
o be taken out of the Boise river
bove Boise city. and at a point