American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1908-07-25
ENGINEERS BEGIN
SURVEY FOR CANAL
Government to Reclaim Large
Body Of Land
Lying on Both Sides Of the Portneuf,
East and South Of American Falls
Acreage II is Believed Will
Be More Than 5000.

proposed government project by means
OF which large body OF land adjoining
American Falls will be irrigated. The
land lies along the Portneuf river. on
both sides OF il, and IL is believed water
can be carried below American Falls,
almost 10 the mouth OF Rock creek, ten
or twelve miles. The matter was taken
up with the reclamation department
last winter and survey ordered 20 be
made. which is now being done. Al
that time the watering Of the lands ly-
ing 10 the west Of the Porlneuf river
only was contemplated. and the acreage
was estimated al from 500 20 75,ooo
acres. and even higher by some IL ap-
pears moss. however. that the project
has been considerably enlarged. and
lard on the east side Of the Portneaf
will also be Included How much Of
this a surrey alone will tell, but there
10 great Hat bordering that stream
from Pocatelio 10 where il mergcs with
Snake river, about eight miles north.
east ot American Falls
In furtheranee of this project the
government, has just concluded the pur-
chase Of ,he Blaekfoo, ditch from Hon.
James. II, Brady. for consideration Of
$4,000. This system comprises seven.
ty-threc miles of main canals and lat
erals and diyerts ten thousand inches Of
water from the Blackfoot river few
miles above Blaekfoot IL Is given out
that this canal will be connected with
Snake river. and receive its watcr
from the government, reservoir at Jack
son's lake. Wyoming. II this canal In
enlarged ard carried along the high line
survey. a. IL believed 20 be possible.
water for the reclamation Of an the
land in the contemplated segregation
may come from Jackson's lake.
There are two other available sour
ees Of water supply, however. tn.
Blackfoot reservoir. and storage rcser.
scirs along Marsh creek and the Port
neuf river. Water from the former
may be delivered by a tunnel through
this mountains into the head Of the
Portncuf, to save elevation. or into the
canal through the Blsckfoot river AS
nou.
"F. II. Newell. chief Of the United
States reclamation service. who was in
PocateiIo with the Garfield party. Says
the PocateIlo Tribune Of Friday of last
week. announced that the government
bad virtually decided TO make sweep
ing change In plans for the Fort Hall
irrigation project. 1t ia now the inten-
tson of the reclamation service TO use
water from the jackson Lake storage
reservoir IN the canals Of the Fort Hall
project. and conserve water in the pro-
posed Blackfoot reservoir for use in re.
claiming lands along the upper Port
neuf river. along the benches on both
sides Of that stream, and along the lcft
. bank of the river between pocatelio
and American Falls. Chief Newell SAYS
that all the details of the plan have not
yet been worked out. but that 1t was
so certain to be finally adopted that en-
gineers have been ordered to make a
detailed survey at an early date. Be-
fore the plan is finally consummated il
will be necessary for 30 per cent of the
homesteadcrs on the tract proposed to
be Hgated to sign contracts TO take
water"
Work has begun on the survey earlier
than Mr.. Nowcll's remarks Indicated
Monday evening two members of a gov
ernment engineering corps were here,
and stated that they were campcd be-
low American Falls, where they were
working on the survey for the canal.
Ho representative of the Press one of
the men. who said he was brother of
Gilbert II. Hogue, an engineer tn the
reclamation service under whose inn
mediate supervision the engineering
work on this project will be done. said
the party would leave for Pocatello the
next day, and that they would probably
begin from there and work this way.
Within week. he thought they would
be camped on the fiat east Of American
Falls. near enough that two of their
number might come in to band practice
twice week He stated that this
camp would probably be their headquar-
ters for six weeks.
The tract proposed to be watered is a
very fine one, and those best informed
believe will embrace 10000 acres
within a trading radius Of American