The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-11-02

which surround the successful operation of the Ma
tional Irrigation Act To overcome them requires
high order of executive ability the best engineering
SKILL an enormous outlay of money and the CO.
operative power of the Government.
Private enterprise could not succeed except pos
sibly in few instances where the land is all public
and the water supply abundant In nearly every
Government project there are holdings of land by
individuals If these holdings are large they must
be divided into small holdings and pass into
individual hands, in order that the central idea of
home building shall be carried out.
Sufficient work has been done under the law to
demonstrate that it meets the expectations and OBJ
jects of its trainers. 1t is the beneficial egs-
lation enacted for the upbuilding of the arid
portion of country 1t supplements all other
land laws 1t does not compete with any OF them.
1t recaims land which could not be reclaimed other
wise
Our state furnishes a splendid illustration of
what has just been said. The most beneficial irr-
CATION project which will be undertaken anywhere in
the United States will be the which contem-
plates storage reservoirs at and the headwaters
of the Snake River
Jackson's Lake will be made great reservoir, into
which will be empted the water of Emma Matilda
and the Twin Ocean Lakes. Work is being
done, and temporary dam will be completed this
This storage water will make certain the water
supply for all lands now under irrigation from the
Snake River, and supply additional water for new
land
The Legislature of Idaho passed state irrigation
law which was approved March II, 1908. Under its
provisions individual or association of individuals
the right of water owned by the state
under certain terms and conditions, compliance with
which must be approved by the State Engineer. The
evident design of this law to encourage the
storage and diversion of waters for the reclamation
of arid lands, promote the beneficial use of waters
of the state and prevent the acquiring of water
rights by individuals or corporations more than
sufficient for beneficial use.
This act does not deal with land, leaving the meth
cd of disposing of the water to those acquiring its
use Ample time is given under the law for the
of irrigation works and the diversion
of water upon the land after the completion of such
irrigation works
Under this act the water is utilized for placer
mining for power and domestic and irrigation pur-
poses. great many individuals have taken advan-
tage of it for these purposes and in instances
water has been acquired under its provisions suffi-
Gent to irrigate large tracts of land
Objections can be lodged against all of these
various provisions in the working out of some of
heir details. No one would contend that they were
perfect in their operation, that INSCRIPTIONS men
lave not taken advantage of each of them defraud
he Government They have met the intention of
heir authors however, and have built up our great
ountry and made homes for millions. The frauds
ave been few, very few, comparatively The homes
re there lasting monument to lawmakers,
nd are the bulwarks of our Government and
uarantee of the perpetuity of our republic