Evening star., 1909-08-30
WATERING THE DESERT
Plan to lrriqate Land on the
Snake River.
MUCH TERRITORY SETTLED
Great Work Outlined in the Mini
doka Project.
BIG DAM ACROSS THE STREAM
Over 100000 Acres Already Sup
piled With Water.-Establish-
ment and Growth Of Burley.
BIG DAM ACROSS THE STREAM
EY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM f. CURTIS
Spec!a! Correspondence Of Toe star ala Ia
Chicago cord-Hersid.
BCRLEY, Idaho. August Il, 1909.
What is known as the Ninidoka proJect
is an attempt by the government OF TIE
United States through the reciamatioil
service to reclaim about 10000 acres
Of desert land lying half and hail OF
the north and south sides Of the SNAKE
river, west OF Poeatello, and north ol
Salt Lake City. in the southeastern cor
ner OF Idaho. This great work Is being
accomplished by means of a reservoir
created by a dam TOO feet long, eighty
five feet high, twenty-five feet wide at
the top and c4O feet wide at the bot
tom, across the canyon Of the Snake
river on the main track of the Oregon
Snort Line railway. The dam is built
on what Is called the rock-hlled plan;
that is, II has water-tight core OF coz
crete and steel In the center, inclosed
on both sides with great masses OF rock.
which make it as solid as the eterna!
mountains. At the point where the
dam is placed there is a projection Of
lava rock from the north bank into the
river. causing an elbow in the channel.
The opposite bank is also solid lava,
which makes an ideal location for a dam.
Across the elbow q spillway channel is
being excavated, through which the water
viii be allowed to pass to huge turbine
that are intended to generate power for
pumping water upon the table lands,
where the level is too high for the ordi-
nary bitches to reach.
The lands lying on the north side ot
the river can be irrigated by gravity
bitches. Those on the south side will
he irrigated by lifting the water with
huge pumps operated by the turbines.
The pumps will fill a great reservoir
twenty-five feet above it. At this reser-
voir z second set of pumps will be
placed for lifting the water to still
higher level, and, finally. third set
they may be needed, TO lift it still farth-
er. to a total height of eighty-seven feet
above the mean leve! of the river.
1t Is proposed to generate l2,UO horse
power. which will ultimately belong to
the settlers who buy the land, just the
same as the water rights. and, as the
pumps will be needed only portion of
the year for irrigation purposes, it will
be available for light, heating and power
for at least seven months. Should the
plans work out as the engineers expect,
II will produce enough revenue to pay
the cost OF maintaining the entire irri-
cation system, and provide sinking
fund to reimburse the land owners for
be several millions OF dollars.
The Miuidoka project, as you will infer,
is not only q very expensive, but an Grigi-
nal enterprise. There Is some doubt in
the minds OF certain critical engineers as
10 Its success. There has been a good
deal Of unfavorable comment upon the en-
sineertng plans, and j. G. Camp the
chief engineer. recently resigned and will
return to Boise City, idaho. where he has
had sixteen years of practical experience
- f1<Syk l~rx - ,Y,a
charge OF some private enterprises.
Over 100000 Acres Irrigated.
Mr.. c. II. Schenk, the assistant engineer
for several years, who Is now in charge,
tells me that e, 700 acres on the north side
and 10000 acres on the south side OF the
river are now under water, all lying be-
tween the towns Of Minidoka and Miner.
with the flourishing town OF Burley In the
center.
"All the land on the north side and a
considerable part of that on the south
side has already been taken up" said Mr.
Schenk. The people began to come in
1908, when the project was first under
taken. Wa,er was turned on the land on
the north side OF the river in 1897 and on
the south side In May. 1909. Everybody
takes up eighty acres, which Is the farm,
unit. except within radius of one and
a half miles Of town, where the limit is
reduced to forty acres. The title is Sc
cured by homesteading In the usual way,
five years actual residence and the cul-
tivation OF forty acres. and such improve
nlents as a residence. barns aud fences
before final proof. The cash fees are SIC
and the water rights will cost s22.5 per
acre on the north side and about $40 an
acre on the south side. paid in ten equal
instailrnents. The diferece in &C st is due
TO the difference of cost in obstruction
the pumping system on the south side b y
ing much more expensive than the ordi-
nary gravity system which Is in use on
the north side.
The north side is already quite thickly
settled, every eighty acres having house
upon II and other buildings. There are
altogether about 1900 families. and / sup
pose you can estimate at least three tc
family on the north sde. which will
make 5000 population On the south side
80 houses have already been built. The
1cmesteaders are building all the time
They put up good, substantial frame
houses with modern conveniences anC
comforts, and most of them are not only
bat they have money in the bank. They
come chiefly from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri
and otper states of the central west anc
are nearly all young married peopie-the
overflow from the farming communities
in those states. Few of item have ever
had any experience in irrigation. but
they are intelligent. thoughtful and prac.
tica! men. and will COON understand that
system OF farming.
On the north side many of the settlers
got crop last year. On the south side
they viii get their first crop this year
wi ch viii be chiefly alfalfa. wheat, oats
potatoes and other vegetables with some
sugar beets. A good many of the settlers
are planting orchards, berries and othe,
fruits. for this Is great fruit country
clown here. II will be three or four wears
before things get 10 running smoothly
put there is no more prom sing spot or
Garth" said Mr.. Schenk. THE land
about Burley is almost a dead level anc
can be cleared Of sage brush and othe,
vegetation now growing upon It at a very
small cost. There is just enough slope
to make II easy to distribute the water
The soil Is free from alkali. and the
chemical tests which have been made al
the agricultural colleges show that il il
adapted to all kinds OF crops; and par
t.cu'arly to sugar beets.
The dam and the mach merry are as sub.
stant al as human ability can make them
Concrete and steel and stone are the
principal material. IL cost neary So
6O06D. There are already 12s miles OF
main canals and about 1000 miles Of lat
erals. When the extension Is complete
and the pumping apparatus is in work.
ing order there will be room for moro
than 4,0o new homes on the Min!doka
The Town Of Burley.
The town OF Burley, the future me.yopo.
,.s Q! The sIin!doka irrigated tract. Is sit
usteG twenty-five miles from NJ a!doka
upon the Oregon Short Line. and Is the
county seat OF cass!a county. 4 few
5ears ago. when work began. the plair
on both SIDES Of the trac, was covered
with sage brush so far as the eve cOiif