The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-03-19
Idaho Country Life =
A BIG CANAL OPENING.

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A BIG CANAL OPENING.
BOISE. Idaho, February %, 1909
An event OF far reaching import
ance and marking the partial con,
summation OF plan to transform Il
agricultural uses the largest body ol
sage brush land embraced In one
project In the United States occurred
here today.
In the presence OF a large number
OF settlers and residents Of the valley
the big headgates OF the newly con-
structed government dam In the
Boise river we're opened and the
pent up waters gushed into the
broad canal.
For months the settlers on the
south side Of the project have been
watching with deep interest the
progress Of work on this structure,
for upon Its completion rested their
hopes of an early and abundant
supply Of water. The dam is located
eight miles southeast OF Boise, where
the river energies from its canyon.
1t is of cyclopean concrete founded
on compact gravel. The spillway, OF
dam proper Is 216 feet long, SO feet
wide at the base and 81 feet high.
Along the downstream toe Of the
dam and securely fastened to 1t is 4
timber apron. This apron Is SO feet
wide and 13 feet deep on the lower
side. It ID built up Of 12x12 timbers
bolted together and the spaces be-
tween the timbers filled with rock
and gravel. At the west end Of the
spillway Is q logway four fet, lower
than the spillway crest, and Just
west Of the logway and forming the
west abutment Of the dam lis the
,fish-ladder. This is Of concrete,
ais are the tunnels, which were built
for the purpose Of diverting the
river during the construction Of the
dam proper. These tunnels are
closed by two 6x8 foot cast iron
gates, and will be used when need
arises for sluicing the silt from the
reservoir. The main canal with a
capacity Of 1900 second feet, heads
at the extreme west end Of the dam,
and the water is taken through eight
5 by foot cast iron controlling
gates supported by concrete piers and
Iabutments.
As tn big hadgates were opened
and the life-giving waters gushed
into the canal, the scene was viewed
with varying emotion by the throngs
gathered there. The engineers gazed
with satisfaction at the beautifully
finished structure; the farmers saw
an abundance Of water. In their canals
orchards laden with fruit and encr-
nous yields of grain and alfalfa But
to the statesmen came visions of a
new Idaho, an Idaho with possibili-
ties unsurpassed by any state in all
the golden West. They saw home
on every 40 acres OF til project,
rural population of not less than
$4,000 people and 10000 more peo-
pie living In the cities and towns
which have been growing by leaps
and bounds since the initiation Of
the government system gave assur-
ance OF an ample water supply. From
conservative estimates of decade
ago on the value of irrigated land
and crops 1t took no complicated cal
culation to figure out that more than
eighteen million dollars worth of
taxable property In land values alone
will be added to the wealth of the
state upon the completion of the
project, and that crops worth not less
than six millions Of dollars will be
grown annually. Already new rail-
road lines are being built through
the agricultural area, new mines are
being opened and the stock raising
industry increased.
But let US follow the progress of
the water taken from thfe Boise dam.
The canal extends for "a miles to a
point on Indian Creek above Kuna.
This creek then carries the water for
eight miles, when another canal IL
niles long carries it to the Deer Flat
'eservoir. Occasionally along this
quite smaller ditch diverts water
o supplement the supply from other
sources, but the principal function
u this canal is to feed the Deer Flat
eservoir.
This reservoir was formed by
two long earthen dams in
lpressions' between surrounding
ills. The lower embankment, known
g the Hubbard and Carlson dam, is
1880 feet long and 6S feet high.
t Is $50 feet wide on the bottom,
nd a driveway 20 feet wide extends
long the top. The upper embank-
nent is only 43 feet high and 200
eet wide on the bottom, but it has a
ength Of nearly mile and half,
nd the volume of each embankment
approximately 100000 cubic
ards. The process Of construction !
'as a marvel of modern engineering.
treat steam shoyels of the type
sed in digging the Panama canal !
pre- gravel from the hillsides, two {
ties of one Of the giant machines s
Hing car, while big steam plows
ug up trainloads of clay, which
'ere also dumped from movable
racks laid along the top Of the em-
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