Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18

VI nearly SzoO0o.0OO-'
GREAT CANALS.
Following Mr.. Buhl came the Kuhn
brothers of Pittsburg, who entered into
their first contract with the state. nm
der the Carey act, Aug. Il. 1907. and
whose Operations In Idaho during the
past two and half years" quoting
Major Fred r. Reed. have no paral-
lei in the west In that brief time they
have built and have under construc-
ton irrigation canals that aggregate
the distance between San Francisco
and PIttsburg. supplied water for $500
acres, and through the heart of them
constructed and put in operation
broad-gage railroad. magnificent ho-
tells. built one great power plant and
have another one well under way. and
have established modern systems OF
waterworks. electric lights and power
and telephone systems in all the towns
on the land they have been the means
of reclaiming'
The government has also played an
important part In the work of reclama-
tlon in this state BY Its aid and under
its supervision nearly 100000 acres OF
desert land have been transformed into
fruitful fields and happy homes. This
work is represented In the Minidoka
q32.026 acreS) and the Bolse-Payette
(348.000 acres) projects. The former IS
located near and receives It's water
supply from the Snake river. adjacent
to the great Twin Falls tract, on tho
east; the latter Is situated In Ada and
Canyon counties and receives its water
supply from the Boise and Pnyetts
rivers. by means of great storage rescr-
voirs on the headwaters of each stream.
stream.
In connection with the former project
gigantic pumping plant is to be in
stalled to hoist water from the Snake
river for the irrigation of $4,000 acres
on the south side of the river. This is
an adjunct to the Minldoka project pro-
per, situated on the north side OF thu
river, which is now receiving water by
natural gravity. diverted from the river
by means of a huge dam.
LAND TAKEN.
The land under both these great prof.
ects is practically all taken, except
the school lands belonging to the state.
which aggregate about 25,0O0 acres, one
fifth of which are under the Mlnidoka
and the remainder under the Boise
Payette project.
With but two exceptions. every
| county In the state boasts of its irriga-
| ton record The exceptions are Bonner
| and Shoshone. The latter Is wholly Il
mining county; the former Is. by virtue
| of its natural endowments. devoted to
| numbering and mining. Both are with
IN the rain belt.
| According to the figures collected by
the state statistician, Bingham county
! leads all others In irrigated acreage. 1t
reports 75S.9l0 acres under canals. OF
which amount 1890 acres are actual
| ly being irrigated Fremont county
follows with 552.S64 acres under canal
systems and 236,995 acres under actual
| cultivation. Then comes Lincoln, Twin
| Falls, Blaine, Canyon, Ada, Cassio,
Oneida, Bannock, Washington, Owyhee.
Boise. Elmore. Custer. Bear Lake, Lem
hi. Latah, Kootenai. Idaho and Nex
Perce counties. graduating from the
figures above given down to 7,lS0 acres.
Those counties in which Carey act
projects arc located are as follows.
Twin Falls, Lincoln, Blaine. Bingham.
| Owyhee, Canyon, Fremont, Bannock.
| Oneida. Cassia, Ada, Gilmore, Custer
and Lemhi The six northern counties,
Bonner Kootenai. Latah, Shoshon>,
Idaho and Nez Perce, arc situated with
in the rain belt and receive practically
sufficient precipitation for the develop
ment of crops.