The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-12
WILL DECIDE GREAT
WATER RIGHT CASES
Decree in Snake River Litiga-
ton VIII BE Ordered
This Week.
Special To The Tribune,

| Special 10 The Tribune,
BLACKFOOT, Ida. June lt.-NeNi
week at ST. Anthony. Ida. Judge j. NJ
Stevens of tho sixth judicial district ol
| Idaho win make an order In the famous
| Snake rlvcv water suit. which Will in SUD
stance confirm. temporarily at least INC
report. findings and decree rendered anu an
filed hv the referee during the May term
of that court
Seven years ago the EeNhurg lrrisa
tion company, corporation. inSiltulcG
suit I'm the district court for Fremont
county against the Teton Irrigation Cana'
company. and many other defendants, 20
the purpose Of having determined NE
respective rights Of the claimants TO ihe
waters OF Snake river. Later the IrcGo
Ditch company intcrven"d In the sult
and finally nearly every person clhilnlnE
any rights IN or 20 any Of the watcrs
OF the north and south forks or snake
river. or any ot Its numerous tribula
ries. became party TO lais sun
large number of corporations and nun
drcds of private individuals Will be n!
fectcd by this decree.
This is probably the most important
suit ever Instituted In state court ios
the determination or questions 0i "at't
rights The referees rcport Involves
tie TO 900. 900 inches OF water and II -
estimated that the value OF the water IN,
volvcd is fully $50 .0O0 400. Practically all
tho valuable lands Of Fremont and Bing-.
ham counties are arid lands. ana WoCld
be worthless FOR agricultural purposes
were ii not FOR irrigation afforded by
these waters in controversy in thls case
T.. i. Cowan. an attorney o! Salmon
Ida. was appointed referee by the court
ana during the MAY term OF the court ne
filed his findings and made his decree.
The taking OF testimony In this case has
occupied much OF The ;ime for the lost
three years. Nearly every lawyer III
southern Idaho has represented some o'
the various liticants. and some OF the
most able attorneys in the west nave
participated in the trial OF this case; The
cost TO the !:teants VIII a,pproNlmatc
500 600 and it is estimated that the
final cost will ne about a cents per. lncb
of water dccrccd.
All OF the large irrigation companies
and Carey act projects in this section
or the state were vitalIy interested In the
outcome OF This suit
Judge stevens has prepared an order
which will bc filed and become cfiectlVe
next week. Couditipnally approving the
findings report and decree or the rei ,
cree The decree in its present form VIII
bc allowed 10 stand during the present
irrigation season so that the court maS
sec how il operates. and so that he can
intolIiCcntly modify IL to meet conditions:
and properly protect the various 1hter-
csts involved. After tic present irri%a :
lion season Judge stevens viii make ms
final decree. approving tho findings OF
lhc referee or modifying them 10 the eX-
tent That he deems proper after having
had an opportunity of seeing the prac-
tical worEinc Of the decision in it's pres
ont form. To examine the roluminous
record and make a decree in . matter OF
such moment II great deal Of ti'oc and
care and arduous work is neccssitatcd.
and for these reasons the s'lt VIII not
be finally determined until fall.
This has been matter or great con +,
sequence In the users OF the waters OF
Snake river and all win be cratificd
TO know that the end of this matter is
ia pjdly approaching
The title 10 the waters OF streams is
q question Tor the solution OF the state
courts Some OF tie most important
cases in recent years have involved qGcs-
tions as 10 the rights TO waters Of the
rivers i'm tpe western slales where irri"
CATION plays such IN important part In
the cultivation uf the land, and the de-
V"lopmcnt or the country, IN the whole
western country no more valuable or fer
tile lands can he found anywhere than
in the great Snake river vallcT The
most productive aud valuable lands in
Fremont and Bingham counties are de-
pendant solely upon the waters of this
great water course. and naturally every
one Interested in these lands is vltally in
terested in the outcome OF this suit