The daily tribune., 1906-07-25
B0IsE-PAYETTE, KINID0KA
AND TWIN FALLS PROJECTS

RQ0WU ~ bo0 1UoAnmAbsUU nv SoK tuo
irri CATION Of arid Lands. 10 the most
important measure past BY the Unis-
I'd. States congress in the iast one
hundred yeArs. This aot 10 operative
in tho states and territories Of Oali-
forpiA. Arisona. Colorado. Idaho.
Kansas. Montana. Nebraska. New
Mexico. Utah. WAshintgon and Wy.
oming. In each Of these districts
somsshinR 10 being done and some
appropriation has been made BY
the United States congress TO re-
claim certain portions Of the arid
sections thereof. At the same ses-
sion OF congress- In which the Ma
tional Reclamation act was past.
another act was passed known - the
Carey Act. permitting private indi-
viduals. under certain prescribed re.
strictions. to take out ditohes and
canals for the purpose Of irriRating
arid lands. The first is strictly
government project. the latter pri-
vate. Under the former the govern.
ment constructs the canals. dams and
other necessary works BY means of
which water Is conveyed upon the
arid lands. under the latter individual
parties do this.
Southern Idaho has two govern.
ment projects. and two private.
The Boise. Paystte and Minidoka
sections are under the government
supervision. the American and Twin
Falls are under private control.
Each Of these projects are immense.
and will reclaim . vast tsrritory
when completed.
The Boise -Psyette reclamation is
the most extensive, the area that will
be finally reclaimed Hereunder will
be about one million acres. the
Minidoka one hundred and fifty thou
sand acres. the Twin Falls. two hun
dred and fifty thousand acres. aid the
American from fifty to seventy. Eve
thousand Aores. These vast areas that
will be brought under cultivation by
means Of these projects is beyond
the conception of the average mind.
Let us take unit Of measures that
. Resident of Fremont county may
comprehend its magnitude.
Fremont county has al area Of
about 1880 acres. Thus you ace
that the Boise .P4yette tract when the
total appropriation is made by the
government, and the project complet.
ed. will have m area five times she
size Of Fremont county. the Minidoka
= little less than the total area of our
county. the Twin Falls tract nearly
twice the area. These four tracts cover
the whole southern portion Of Idaho.
ard will bring into cultivation an EN-.
pire.
The soil is = volcanic ash. very
rich and productive. They will be
/ . liz ., c~o.r ovornth;cc tk.t ,.o ha
grawn In Colorado. together with
some products that our climate will
not permit the termination. l saw
wheat on the Twin Falls tract that
will 20 80 to 80 bushels to the acre.
oats that will go 75 to 80. second
year alfalfa that will Ont six to seven
tons. and everything else In proper.
tion.
The government has not completed
their projects. The Boise -PAyatte
dam will be completed in two or three
months. and their main southern canal
in about the same time. The Mini.
doka dam will be finished about Sep.
tember ist. and she northern canal In
about the same time. There are 100
farm units under this northern canal.
and about the Same number will be
under the southern. The northern
canal will be under the gravity sys.
tenn. the northern = pumping scheme.
The power for pumI ing will be geDer-
ated Ut the dam. There IL fall Of
forty Ave feet Of the whole body Of
water In the Snake river st this point.
and the power for pumping will there
be generated. and transmitted "a
various portions Of the southern canAl
49, -