Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-06-08
SERIOUS SITUA-
TON AT NAMPA
UNDERGROUND WATER RISING
AND ENDANGERING VAL
UABLE ORCHARDS
Mason Creek Drainage Basin Again
Asserts Itself and Farmers are Be
coming Discouraged Promiennt
and Successful Orchards Running.


people of Idaho to boost continually
and even when an untoward condi-
tion arises il has been the custom 10
forget it, and 80 on with the boost
ing ACTIVITY regardless of consequence
es. This mehod has been carried out
so persistently that It has become /
a dominant feature IN the make up /
Of almost every citizen. But times /
come when too great a calamity fac
es the city or community to warrant
adherence to the cardinal doctrine /
of the country, and it is best to state
The conditions as hey are so tha thefe
may be an awakening TO a reallza-
tion of the situation.
This is what is required now in
the matter of drainage in this section
and though many have realized 1t TOT
a long time there seems yet to be a
large portion of the people who pass
up the question as being of little or
no consequence
To see that a grave situation eX-
lists right at the door of this city and
ina lands of Nampa's mos beauti-
full and most productive community
are at the point of ruin, carrying with
them some of the most valuable and
omst productive orchards of this part
of Idaho and, that alfalfa fields are
diving. one only needs to ride to the
norshern border of the city where
conviction will be forced upon him at
once.
There is abundant evidence to
convince one that within two or three
wears at the present rate he aliu-
vial. productive lands of the Mason
creek basin Will be a swamp.
Wells on the lower lands, whlch
three years ago were 2 to 10 rect 10
water. were only six feet to wafer
last years. This season the water
has risen to within three feet OF Jhe
top and as result the roos oI1rees
are now soaking in water and the
foliage Is turning yellow and the
trees are dying.
Charles Verheyne, with all his en-
ergy and persistence in building up
the fruit industry of this part OF the
countrv now sees his beautiful or
chard turning yellow and number
of trees actually dying. His altai1a
match which two years ago produced
ten tons per acre during the season
is diving this spring while its roots
are rotting in the underground wat
er.
The beautiful prune orchard across
the road from Mr.. Verheyne's Is turn
ing yellow and the prospects are tnal
is will "go the pace this season.
The wonderful (actually wonder
fnD orchards and nurseries of H. G.
Nance and ]. w. Pittinger, while
parts of them are still safe, are SLOW
iv falling victims to the underground
water menace, and cellars of the COM
munity formerly built for apple stor-
age have become useless because OF
water rising in them.
The lower part of the Mason creek
basin is already swamp OF aiKail
beds and tule beds, and as the under
ground of the country fills with water
from the vast irrigation and the Dle
reservoir and canal seepage, the on
ward march of the swamps is as Ger
tain as time and property owners
see it coming nearer each year.
Charles Verheyne, in speaking OF
the condition, says: Il can see nc
other thing to do than to give up IT
despair. / see ruin standing IN cnt
face of every farmer of this neigh.
horhood. and while it may not come
to some quite so soon as it come:
to me and my near neighbors, they
are all going to get it unless some
thing is done and done quick.
"I like to hear about the prett,
parks that the people of Nampa want
and they should have them but
war.t to tell you that they will have
q ,uined city and a valueless com
munitv unless something is done sool
10 protect the lands upon which Nam
pa must depend for its prosperity
There is encouragement IN one
faith in mankind when X Is note'
that many of those who live on hlgh
er land that is not Immediately men
aced by the water trouble reIuse
take anv part in a movement tina
would assist their neighbor to saw
his land. The fellow on the high Lam
who thus refuses to take part 4
the salvation of the community seem
40 he so short sighted that he can
understand tina when one body Q
land within his vicinity goes to rul
either to swamp or to alkalo, ina
is disastrously affects his propert
valuations.
when the beautiful orchards alon
4he Mason creek bottom have bee
destroped and a miserable swamp e'
lists where beautiful homes now arr
the owners of land on the higher pia'
es may then realize what they nav
lost by refusing 70 take part VIII
their neighbors when good mlgn
have been accomplished and the con
munity saved.
The drainage of the Mason cree
valley is a simple problem. fhis M
been attested by engineers competel
10 iudge. The cost would not
heavy and land owners would hard
notice the cost which has been est
mated at S4 per acre. But suppo
ing int were double that amount, e.
tended over a period of 10 or
years on a bond proposition. VIII
serious effect would it have on one
ananoas and Lno when Viewed in II