East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-05-08

Lines VIII Cover the Project.
The Boise Capital News says Of the
opening Of the Minidoka government
irrigation project, in southern Idaho:
Water will be turned into the canals
and 1aterals on the south side section
of the Mlnldoka project, which in
cludes some 10000 acres Of land. un-
der the supervision of the government
before July 1, Of this year. II is con-
fidently expected that all the work
will be completed by that time, which
Is the limit according to the contract,
and several large crews of men and
teams are now rushing the building OF
the canals and the completion of the
Zig power plant, located 13 miles from
| the town Of Rupert
The government engineers, who
| have charge of this project, are nov
&C ntemplating the irrigating of sew
eral other large tracts of elevated land
adjacent to that of the Minidoka pro-
jcct and for that purpose will generate
an unlimited amount of electricity,
which will be transmitted to electric
pumping stations located at intervals
along the tract, which will be used to
force the water from the lower canals
onto the elevated plateaus and turn It
into the canals which will be con-
structed there and from which water
will be taken to irrigate the land.
This is probably the newest feature
In Irrigation in southern Idaho and is
considered a great stride towards solv-
ing the problem of irrigating those
lands which are located so high above
the various tracts that they have in
the past been worthless except for
grazing purposes, and considered inn
possible to water.
The Minidoka project is one of the
most substantial of its kind ever at
tempted in this state and being built
along the same lines as that of the
Payette- Boise project. 1t will irrlgate
when completed, 10000 acres of some
OF the best land in the state. About
half Of this amount is already under
water and is included on that part of
the project which lies to the north
of the Snake river.
In the center OF this tract are a
number Of thriving towns namely, Ru-
pert, Minidioka, Hepburn. Jackson
and Acequia. Rupert is located in the
center of the tract and therefore all
of the other towns are tributary to It,
There are few towns of any import
ance on the south side of the project
a; the present time but ii is expected
that as soon as the water is turned on
communities will rapidly spring up.
Will Generate Great Power.
one of the biggest electric power
plants ever erected in the state is now
In the course of construction 13 miles
northeast of Rupert on the Snake
river.
1t Is estimated by the government
engineers that $4,000 horsepower car
be generated at this point of the river
and that this will be sufficient to fur
nish power for light, transportation |
and fuel to the various towns on the |
tract as well as to every ranch house, |
and also supply power for the opera
tion of the electric pumps to elevate |
the water to the land located above
the tract.
If the pans of the government ma
terialize this power will be transmit
ted just as soon as the power plant |
is in operation and plans will be i'm
mediately taken up to build electric
lines over both sides of the river. 1t
also may be possible to transmit pow
er to points outside of the tract.
Over 1900 Farms.
There are 1900 farms of the regu-
lation unit of 40 and so acres on the
north side tract and this unit will also
he the same of those farms set out on
the south side The ranches on the
north side are all occupied and farm
ed by easterners who recently came
into the country eager TO obtain land
which is watered by the government
project.
Many of the farms are modern in
very respect and the nature of the
soil, which is of volcanic ash under
aid with fine sand, makes it possible :
through irrigation, to produce mar 4
'elously large crops. BY dry farming
llone one of the ranchers of the tract
aised so bushels of wheat to the acre
md 1t is claimed that this will give
ome idea of the amount of wheat
hat can be raised on irrigated land.