The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-12
MEANS RECLAIM ALTON
Of DESERT EMPIRE
Official Approval of Government
Surveys of Bruneau-Twin
Falls Project.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
BOISE. Ida, March f1.-The official
government surveys OF the big Bruneau-
Twin Falls irrigation project have been
passed upon by the department OF the
interior according to information which
has just been received in this city 10y
Surveyor General ID. y. Utter and by
this action OF the department southern
Idaho is given another mammoth lrrlGa-
ton project which VIII mean the reclaim
alton of practically 100000 acres ol
desert land by private capital. The sur
vey has been held mp for the past year
and a half and It is one of the largest
that has been conducted under The su-
pervlsion of the surveyor general dS-
partmen, When this tract Of land Is
pire in Itself and be the medium OF fur-
nishing homes for thousands OF people
The original survey as made by Dep
uty United States Surveyor Oscar SOM
merkab called for the running OF the
lines on eleven townships described as
Nos. 6, Z, S and south, range 10 east;
and 10 south, range l. east. comprls-,
ing PAS 964 acres This is but n third OF
the original tract of over 100000 acres;
but owing to the large amount OF land
IL Will require the dividing OF the tract
in separate segregations on which the
irrigation projects can be completed, and
next project, in this way eventually ir-
rlgating the entire tract.
Application was made to the, Idaho
BruneauTwin Falls promoters: better
known as the Twin Falls Land & Water
company. backed by w, S, and J. S.
invested heavilS in irrigated southern
Idaho through the promotion Of private
projects, and ]. H. Buhl. also a capl-.
talist OF the east. for the segregation OF
the entire 100000 acres of land In order
that 1t could be irrigated. The esu-
mates then placed on the completion or
the entire project was $50 .OoG' 600, me
pend on an irrigation project In this
state. The application of these two in
terests however, created one OF the most
strenuous contests ever instituted be-
Kuhns and Buhl applied for the segre-
cation. The former quoted $50 per acre
as the price for the water rights. While
Buhl quoted $50 \ compromise was
reached after days OF arguing by which
Buhl received the segregation of the
water right, the price being quoted at 500
an acre and the Kuhns were given all
privileges regarding water power sites,
installation OF electric lines and power
franchises.
Active work Will be started this spring
that millions OF dollars are necessary to
handle II. the statement has been is
sued oy Buhl that instead Of investing
bis private fortune. as has been the case
state. he will create a bond issue These
bonds Will be disposed of in the east
and eastern capital practically develop
tho project
The soil in the tract is considered the
finest 10 be found In Idaho and runs
from ten to sixty feet deep. The project
is located south OF the, Snake river be-
tween Buhl, Bruneau and Grandview.
II is bordered on the north by the Snake
river and on the south by the Idaho
Nevada divide. The surrounding towns
tributary TO the project. and which are
located in Irrigation sections, are Twin
Falls, Buhl. Glover Flat. Wickahoney.
Hot Springs and Bruneau on the op-
positc side of the Snake river and ad-
jacent 10 the project are located King
Hill. Glenns Ferry and other smaller
towns
The plans for irrigating the tract In
clude an extension OF the canal OF the
South Side Twin Falls project a dis
tance of over eighty y-five miles west over
the new tract II Will be necessary to
raise the Miner dam In order 10 Sc
cure the proper volume OF water and
divert II into the canal. which will be
widencd and deepened. a chain of large
reservoirs arc TO be installed and these
will be used to collect the spring flood
waters and store them. thus guarantee
ing the project water the entire irriga-
tlor season.