The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1909-05-06

fetal statement of the present condi-
tion Of the Idaho Irrigation project,
from Mr.. James A. Green, supervIs-
ing engineer of the project for the
! G. White Company. Mr. Green
is of the hard-headed, practical type,
his business from the ground up. He
is in charge of one of the biggest ir-
rigation projects in the West, a pro-
ject that demands good men, and
gives them the widest opportunity to
serve the whole world by reclaiming
the desert for thousands of homes.
Mr.. Green authorized the following
interview:
ITO reclaim the lands controlled
by the Idaho Irrigation Company's
project, it is planned to divert the
water from the Big and Little Wood
Rivers. The natural flow of these
streams, supplemented by the water
to be stored in a reservoir on the Big
Wood River near the Lincoln and
Blaine county line, will be ample
to supply all the lands covered by this
project This reservoir, when COM
pleted, viii have a capacity of 2O5,O0O
acre-feet, which, reduced to gallons,
is 66,973,5OO,O0O gallons.'
To provide for this storage, it is
necessary to build dam across the
Big Wood River which viii be of
earth-fll construction, and one Of
the highest earth dams in the world
This dam will be 1S5 feet high, about
500 feet through the base, and con-
tain approximately 100000 cubic
yards of material The river makes
a sharp bend at this point, making
it possible to construct the outlet
tunnel through the natural formation
This tunnel has been completed. It
is about 700 feet long, with an area
of about 125 square feet, and is lin
ed with concrete averaging 2 feet in
thickness. When the. reservoir is full
this tunnel will operate under 12O
feet head The capacity of the tun-
mel is great enough to deliver water
for the irrigation of all of the Com
pany's lands.
"The entrance of the water into
the tunnel is controlled by means
of an intake tunnel in which are num-
erous openings, which will be screen
ed to prevent the passage of fish,
and the amount of water which will
be passed through the tunnel will
be controlled by two 5-foot valves
which will be operated from the in
side of the tower This tower is
hexagonal in form and about 120
feet in height, and will be reached
by a bridge of heavy construction,
about 900 feet long, running from
the hillside above the dam. The work
On the dam is being carried on both
lay and night, a force of about 400
men being employed, besides heavy
contractors equipment, consisting of
steam shovels. derricks, locomotives
hosting engines, etc.
:" The water is taken from
he outlet of the big tunnel
ind diverted on to the several tracts
If the Company's lands. These lands
ire embodied in four distinct tracts,
lamely: Richfield, South Gooding,
North Shoshone and Dietrich. .
For the RichfeId lands, diversion Il
S made about 2 u miles below the d
mpounding dam The water is deliv- II
red onto these lands through main
anal system approximating SO miles II
n length This canal system is COM :
leted with water in the main canal y
nd several miles of the lateral dis y
system is in shape for the v
vater. In addition to serving these
ands, the canal is being made of
ufficient capacity to carry additional
-ater for the Dietrich and South
ooding lands Water is passed from
le Richfield main canal system into
le Little Wood river and thence di-
erted onto the South Gooding tract
iversion is made for these lands
bout miles east of Goodng and
arried onto the lands through
ain canal system approximately 80
lies long This canal system in
udes wood stave syphon pipe
et in diameter and 5000 feet long.
his entire system IS completed and
ater is ready for the lands
Diversion for the North Shoshone
nds is made from the Big Wood
iver about miles below the i'm
,undng dam This canal has cap
ity of watering $4,000 acres of
nd and will be about 35 miles in
myth. The construction work on