The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-08
dah0 State Land Board i'm III Repute

SpcciaI 10 i he Tribune.
MACKAY, Ida, Aug. 1T has been
one Of the pleasing experiences of my
stories TO The Tribune to give TO its
renders the many promising details OF
several of the splendid Carey act PROF
ccts. in the state of their infancy in
Idaho, among which the Big Lost River
project was one. 1t is a source of eX-
trcme regret that it becomes necessary
now 10 record history Of splendid
project reflective of discrcdit on any
phase of its construction. BE il re-
membcrcd in the details given below,
hat the land is here, the water is here,
the conservation is easy of accomplish
mcnt. and the people with the disposi-
tlon are here TO make in this beautiful
valley OF the mountains, for which ma
turc has done so much, great, rich,
happy community.
Carey Act Law.
When the federal government gave
life TO the Carey act on June so, 1894,
the selection, management and disposal
Of tho lands, the charge of the water,
tho construction Of the works, and all
specifications in relation thereto, were
vested in the state board of land com
missioners. This authority was given
to the state of idaho by the general
government in conformity with section
Z of article 8 of the constitution of the
state of Idaho.
BY this statutory law, the federal
government presumed that the state
would stand sponsor both to the federal
government and to the settler for the
adequacy of the work in all its details.
BY section 1919 of the general statutes
of Idaho this state has accepted the
conditions Of the Carey act.
BY the terms of the Idaho law ac'
ccpting the Carey act. the state engl
neer is made the scientific head of such
projects as the state board may allow
irrigation companies to promote, for
tho benefit of settlers seeking irrigated
lands. Section 1923 of this act points
out to the state land board their plain
duty, where contractors default in the
construction of irrigation works TO the
satisfaction of the state engineer This
act provides for forfeiture to the
state and requires the board Mt once
TO so declare by giving notice In news
papers and selling such works and pay
ing off the debts incurred by contrac-
tors on any of the dltchcs or reservoirs
of the particular project.
Mackay Citizens Engineer.
j. 3. Lippincott of Los Angeles, Cal.
is an engineer of national reputation.
There arc few men in the service of
the government who stand higher than
he. He has had many years of eNperi.
encc in the construction of dams, and
In this particular branch Of engineering
he probably has no superior an the
United States. He has the confidence
OF the people Of Los Angeles in that
they have made him their engineer In
the construction of a waterworks sys-
tenn which they are constructing at Il
/, cost cf $4,000, 900, This is supposed to
be one of the most difficult engineering
feats ever undertaken by any city.
The town of Mackay, although show
ing but 500 people at the last census,
is the metropolis of Custer county. it
is located at tho western terminus of
the Oregon Short Line IS Salmon River
branch. It is a bright, up-to~date little
town, with schools, churches, banks.
mercantile establishments and happy
homes. 1t is located on the soutberly
bank Of Big Lost river, near the mouth
Of "A canyon. through which the Big Lost
river flows from several miles above.
Just above n point about three miles
above, known for many years to the old
settlers of this country as 1.-THE Mar.
rows was the site chosen by the pro-
moters of this Big Lost River project
for their enormous dam, which was de-
signed to control the water, which was
the KEY to tho large Lost River irriga-
tion situation. The proposition was to
store the winter and flood flow of the
Pig Lost river in this Mackay reser-
voir and to release it as required for
tine watering of the arid lands below.
This dam. according to specifications,
was to have been 205O feet in length,
containing approximately 925, 900 cubic
Yards The dam was presumed to have
been 120 feet in height, twenty feet
wide on top. with slope Of one on two
and onc-half on the uDper face and
one on two on the lower face. If com
pIctcd according 10 specifications. it
would have been second in size only