Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-01-08
Empire of Lincoln
Astonishing Agricultural
and Horticultural Re-
sources In Sight.

1t is difficult, if not impossible,
for the people of Lincoln county to
realize the magnitude of the empire
that is building in their midst-that
is, within the present limits of the
county. For onl va few short years
ago there was not a large irrigation
project in the county, and the few
towns on the railroad maintained by
the sheep and stock industry, and
the ranches scattered along the river
valleys were all that redeemed the
country from the sage brush plains
and relieved the monotony of a des-
ert waste.
Since in southern Idaho irrigation
is king, Lincoln county is destined
to stand at the head of the list of
irrigated counties in the state. For
she has a broad expanse of valley
land whose fertility is an inexhausti-
BILE mine of wealth and the water is
available to coin that wealth into
standard dollars of the realm.
To make the matter plain let a
table of statistics be introduced to
obliterate any skepticism that might
remain in the minds of those who are
inclined to doubt:
There are now, old ranches under
the ditch-private irrigation, $4,000
acres. Minidoka project, North Side,
government reclamation, $4,000
acres. Twin Falls North Side project,
Miner tract, 10000 acres. Same
project, Jerome tract, to be watered
this year, 10000 acres. Big Wood
River project, Alberta tract, water
this year, 10000 acres. Same
project, South Gooding tract, water
this year, 10000 acres. Total land
under ditch this season, 100000
acres. -
To this add
Big Wood River project, North
Gooding tract, water for 1910, CO.,
600 acres. Same project, Shoshone
or DIETRICH segregation, water 1910,
$4,000 acres. Twin Falls-Clover
Creek segregation, water 1910, 4O,-
900 acres.
Making a total of land to receive
water for 1910, of 10000 acres.
Then add to this:
Government reclamation between
Minidoka and Shoshone, 100000
acres. State and government land
under ditch, note ounted. 10000
acres, and it gives a grand total of
land watered or to be watered, 900,-
600 acres.
AS time goes on and the value of
irrigated land rises steadily, means
will be provided TO lift water by
electric and hydraulic power and con-
vey it onto higher lands than were
heretofore watered by gravity and
another 100000 acres will undoubt-
edly be redeemed from the desert,
raising the total irrigated area in this
to 100000 acres.
The water supply for the irriga-
ton of this one million acres of
Lincoln county land is both abundant
and available. The government re-
elamation service acting in concert
with powerful Carey Act promoters.
is taking steps for the storage OF
100000 acre feet of water in the
region of the headwaters of the
Snake river, all of which will be
available for land in the Snake river
valley. Then there is the drainage
Of the south slope of the Sawtooth
'ange, much of which can be used
or the irrigation of Lincoln county
ands.
The water falls of the Snake river
canyon which forms sixty miles of
he southern boundary of the county,
re capable of developing 10000
horsepower which can be conveyed
o all parts of the county without
Material loss after being trans
ormed into electrical energy.
What an unlimited water supply
or irrigation means when the land
5 there to receive it and in addition
heap electrical power can be OBJ
aimed to develop every latent re-
ource within a radius of one or two
undred miles of the wonder-work-
lg Canyon, each individual must pic
ire for himself, for no pen can por-
'ay it and no artist can picture it.