The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-02-09

which have been accepted and con-
ira is have been entered into with
most of the companies.
These AZ different projects embrace
$3.50, acres, of which 1884
acres have been sold; of the unsold
acreage 270,1S4 acres are now open tt
public entry. The estimated cost of
construction of these canal systems
aggregates the enormous total of SIS,
667 $40, of which SIT ,562,O 1S58 have
been expended to date. The total
length of the main canals is 1868
miles; length of the laterals 3,12S
miles, making total of 4,491 miles
canals under Carey Act projects. The
aggregate length of all other irrga-
ton canals in the state is 5000;
which added to the mileage of the
Carey Act canals, gives a grand total
of 10, 491 miles of canals the state
of Idaho. If placed end to end these
canals would form waterway more
than two-fifths of the way around the
earth; or practically each from Id
aho to the summer palace of the
Car of Russia.
The Reclamation Service the arm
of the wonderful machinery of the
United States Government through
which two gigantic irrigation schemes
are being carried through to success
full completion in Idaho These pro-
tects are known as the Minidoka and
the Boise-Payette; the former is st.
uated on the Snake river, adjoining
the Twin Falls tract on the east, and
consists of 100, 900 acres: the latter is
located i'm the Boise valley, extend
ng south and west from Boise city,
and comprising 243,000 acres. This
segregation was cut down little dur
ing the past year, thus the acreage
here given is somewhat less than for
merly reported.
Out of the $2O,OOO,OO0 fund and the
increment to regular reclamation for
the years 1911 to 1914 inclusive, re-
Gently provided by Congress and np-
portoned by Prest. Taft to the var
ious states where reclamation work
is being carried ON, Idaho received
the handsome sumof $7,113,435 for
the completion Of her two projects.
OF this amount $52S,OOO will go to
the Minidoka project, which will com
plete that splendid enterprise. The
remainder, $685., 435 will be appro-
pr.ated to the Boise-Payette project,
thus guaranteeing the completion of
this gigantic scheme, which cO-tem-
plates the construction of hugh con
crete and masonry dam $50 feet high
up Boise river, and several other
great storage reservoirs, besides the
building of hundreds of miles of cam
ais.
The wonderful benefit to come
to Boise and the immediate country
surrounding through the expenditure
here of this $4,000 fund is almost
inestimable.
The most stupendous proposition
thus far undertaken i1i Idaho, iii not il
the world, is that of the Twin Falls
Land and Water Company, who pro-
pose to irrigate about $4,000 acres
of land in Owyhee county at an ex
penditure of $17,OOO,O0O. To accom-
plsh this end, it will require the con
struction of main canal over lac
miles in length, besides hundreds Of
miles of latcrals, and the building OF
dam across Snake river just above
the American Falls. This dam viii
be 80 feet high and 5000 feet long
forming a reservoir with a capacity
sufficient to store 1896, 900 acre fee
of water, covering 10000 acres Of
. land, constituting the largest artifica
reservoir in the world. The entire
townsite of Amercani Falls will b.
submerged, besides thousands of acr
es of adjoining Indian lands. The in
take of the great canal, which will b
200 feet wide ON the bottom, will bt
at the Miner dam. The hugh Amer
, can Falls reservoir is to store thu
water during the flood season AMI
, supply the demands of the canal FLOW
DURING the irrigating season.
The lands composing this projec
. have been withdrawn from the publ
domain under the provisions of thu
Carey act, and the company is eagag
ed in running its surveys and doin,
!, preliminary work The Muhl-Milnel
Kimberly interests are back of thi
!. scheme They it was who successful
ly completed the original Twin Fall
project of 244,00 acres.
The sublime climate which Idah
affords, filled with 260 days of sun
j, shine I'm the year; the great open, vi