Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-01-12
GIVES THE REASONS FOR THE
INCREASE IN PRICE
OF WATER
State Engineer D. g. Martin, in His
Report to the Governor and Leg
,islature Predicts Big Develop
rnent in Future.

ficulties and the fact that the field
of possible development is reduced
from year to year, it can readily be
seen why the price of water rights
on Carey Act projects has increased,
State Engineer ID. G. Martin, in an
interesting statement in the eighth
biennial report of his Office, reviews
its history and that of Carey Act
projects. He predicts a bright irriga-
tion future before the Gem state.
In his statement Mr.. Martin says:
The history of the state engineers
office is the history of irrigation and
power development in the state Of
Idaho. The records of this Office con-
stitute a true index of the wonderful
development of the state as a result
of wise and earnest effort in the mat
ter of utilizing to the best advantage
the water resources of the state.
The state engineers Office was es-
tablished by law in 1895 and at the
same session of the legislature a law
was passed requiring copies of all
water location notices to be filed
with the state engineers. This was the
rule until 1903, when law was pass
ed doing away with the use Of the
old water location notice in the in
itiating of a water right. and requir-
ing that the state engineer issue per-
mits to appropriate the waters of
the state of Idaho, based upon ap-
plications filed therefore The state
engineer records show thar prior to
1903 much individual effort was ex-
pended looking to the irrigation Of
small tracts of land, with here and
there an attempt by corporate cap
ital to reclaim and irrigate large
tracts.
In 1894 the federal congress passed
what is commonly known as the Car
ey act, granting to each of the arid
states 100000 acres of land with
the proviso that the states enter into
proper agreements with private per-
sons or corporations. whereby such
lands should be irrigated and re-
claimed Prior to 1903 something
had been done along the state legis-
lation supplementary thereto, but
since that date a remarkable devel-
opment has taken place.
Since the advent of the permit sys-
tenn of initiating water rights. com
menced in 1908, there has been an
increasing activity in the matter Of
appropriating and developing water
to beneficial uses. For a number of
years applications for permit were
filed at the rate of approximately 100
per month, but during the past two
years there has been a very amrked
increase. this increase amounting to
about 72 per cent over the monthly
average of the preceding six years.
In other words. from March IL, 1903,
the date upon which the permit law
went into effect, to December 81.
1905. 6O37 applications for permit
We're filed. Since December 81. 1908
to the first of October, 1910, 1854 ap-
plications were filed In other words
during the 21 months of the bien-
mum just expiring more than half
as many application were received
than were received from March IL.
1908, to December 81, 1908, a per-
iod of almost six years.
In 1905 a bill was passed by the
legislature requiring a filing fee to
be paid on all applications before the
issuance of permit. This filing fee
is 81 for the first second foot and
10 cents additional for each addi-
'tional second foot or fraction. Under
the operation of this bill, together
with the statute requiring proof fees,
etc. the receipts of the state engin-
eer's Office from January /. 1909. to
October I. 1910. amounted to $2S.-
-349S0 This amount far exceeds the
total expenditures of the Office for
the period. The Office is, therefore,
more than self-supporting. It should
be borne in mind that by all odds
the major portion of these fees are
paid by large corporations whose ap-
propriations Of water in second feet
run into the thousands
Under the terms of the permit law
above referred to. two proofs are re-
quired under each permit before the
right to the use Of water finally vests