Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-03-30

al from this cause is less than the av-
erage. II all the canals OF the valley
or of the state be considered, it is
doubtless IL more than SO per cent
Of the water diverted from the stream
ever reaches the fields. But assume
that the Sunnyside canal is repres-
entative. and that 80 per cent is
fair estimate Of the toal loss in ran
sit The total average diversions
from Yakima river and tributaries
during August 1905 amounted to ap-
proximately to 1000 cubic feet per
second.
Then on the basis of our assump-
ton the waste from seepage would
be 500 cubic feet per second, water
enough at the rate or second foot
per 100 acres to supply $4,000 acres
of land, or nearly twice as much as
was watered by the Sunnyside canal
in 1910.
With water rights valued at 500
per acre. which is materially less
than many have been sold for in ddf-
erent parts OF the state. this water
would be worth $9,600.OO0. This am
cunt of land nj is raw state, with
water right. would at present prices
be worth s2O.0OO,000 to $35,0O0,-
600. The foregoing is illustrative of
conditions in many parts OF the state,
and should be sufficient argument in
facor of better construction which
will be necessary before the most
efficient use of our water supply can
be realized.
At the time most of the canals of
this valley were built. no better con-
struction, as rule. was possible, or
justified by the existing conditions.
The prime object was to get water to
the land. So long as here was an alb
undance in the stream. loss OF 80
per cent or more by seepage from the
bitches was matter of small concern
an dto have considered structures of
masonry or concrete or lining canals
win cement. at $40 per barrel, would
have been ridiculous.
The history OF this valley has been
repeated in most OF the other dis
tricts and the pioneers in canal
building and irrigation did we'll and
deserve greas praise for what they
did. But conditions are not now what
they were rs years ago. or ever five
years aga. The general development
in this and other irrigated districts
has been marvelously rapid; almost
beyond our power to realize. The old,
leaky and temporary wooden fumes
and other structures have served
their purpose and about had their
day.
We are now, l believe, in the be-
ginning of a new epoch in irrigation
development, one in which the meth
DDS and practices of the earlier day
will have little part. We are ready
to build for the ages; and start
has been made. Some of the works
that have gone in during the last
five years should be in service a thou
sand years from now. At Charleston
and some other places the open ditch
es have been abandoned and pipe
lines substituted at a great expense,
thus eliminating seepage losses alto
gether. Several of the irrigation COM
panies have begun to line their can
ais with concrete, and more Of it will
be done eacn year until finally a
large percentage of the irrigation
bitches all over the state will be
doubtless rendered water-tight in
this way, and the present waste from
i, seepage stopped or reduced to min
imum.
Besides the saving of water there
would be other important benefits
and objects in lining the channels.
The danger from disastrous breaks
would be reduced; less inspection and
fewer patrolmen would be required f;
the common trouble and expense due
to the growth and necessary removal
of equatic plants would eb eliminat-
ed, and the growth of sweet clover,
willows, thistles and other noxious
weeds usually found to be a nuisance
along canal banks, would be largely
prevented; all tending to amterially
reduce the cost Of maintenance and
operation.
In building the more important syis-
tens, such as the Yakima High
inn the ssEorsa Heaven" canal