The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-08-07

import Every July august there would be ShOrt
age of and loss of crops Investigation would show that
canal companies would take all their canals would carry
and many it upon arid plains to to waste
while crops worth millions of dollars farther down the valley
suffering for them The canal systems had nearly
a been built upon the theory that the river would always exist
and that the mark the head intake of each canal would
always be about the given date the The
tremendous development of the agricultural of the valley
changed all this that the hottest and de part of when
the application of vital the of the the
line fell below the intakes and canals short of water
or absolutely dry.
DAMS AND COUNTER DAMS
At such crises the farmers would leave their fields and
great expense build emergency dams the river to raise the
flow their respective canals Many such dams
built of mbe and boards of rock and of frame
and rock and In cases when loose rock
dams had been thrown the great expense the
would decrease rapidly that would leak though the
holes and leave canals still without water even after the xend
of large of get quick relet In such Crisis
many canal company wired Salt Lake city for five hundred
thousand yards of be shipped by express from
point obtanabe, and its arrival would be mroed the
face of the rock dam and would give immediate relief that
COMPANY Other companies above and below might follow the
plan for quick relief and those highest up the stream would
have the and those farther down would only have spent
their money for dams and but would still witness their
canals dry and their crops less ruined When the hot
weather passed. the would again normal proper
ons after the crops had suffered the damage and the
the same difficulties would confront the farmers with the pos
sb exception that the rock dams would be intact but canvas
and other temporary dams would be roted carried by
the ice of winter and the floods of May and June.
| POSSESSION
In the summer of 1905 conditions became the most critical
Snake river was dry opposite Backfoot millions of dollars worth
of crops suffering the valley and committees representing
canal companies investigating conditions among the canals
above them and eSortng to violence IN attempts
to secure division of the Appeals made the court
for relief and Judge Stevens appointed special water commits
take charge of all and distribute the waters
for public benefit best they could without knowing what might
prove be the respective legal rights of the parties
PRESERVATION DESTRUCTION
| 4Lo4 III +La
run low their canals accommodate sufferers farther down
the valley, this might mitigate against them establishing the
of they would receive in the Decree and many stub
borny persisted running their canals and bitches full even
though running waste the desert and other hds down
the valley parchng for want of water So strong and
reasonable found be in this selfish theory and SO
deaf the appeal for compromises for the general good that
had locked by the and then
some of the locks broken and the wasting resumed
Returning the commissioners would adjust the gates and
put up notices asserting their authority and threatening prosec
if the gates disturbed and number OF men were ar
rested and before the be dealt with for contempt
of court before the commissioners and their locks and notices
respected.
Under these conditions the expenses and sacrifices of the ag
cultural interests pendous and great popular cry went
forth for the speedy completion of the Snake River Water
the formation of the decree and the execution of its provisions
Each hoped that this sacrifices would be the last
and that the necessity for pushing the work the referees court
had been demonstrated fearful cost that next the
would be delivered the gu under the decree
Under date of August 49, 1909 The Idaho Republican said
Ditch Companies Arrested
Prosecutions entered this week against the Danskln
Ditch company the Trego Ditch company and the Watson Slough
Ditch company for flooding the roads
1t there had been transferring of water from one
ditch another and there trouble in determining who
responsible and the will come to trial on the 2oth
One of the masters have made the excuse that
the registering the flow during the month of August
determine the used and to Tx the decree, and they
thought best pass much water through the canal pos
sbe during this PERIOD if they could not it. This
combined effort probably resulted in the overcowdng of the waste
bitches
Decree be Damned
looks like very poor logic to have to flood the roads and
the neghbo obtain perfect title to water that we have
owned for twenty-five years. would seem more in line OF justice
to have each company forfeit something for taking
water they the of scarcity 1t would appear
be rather title that could get by imposing
water the travelling public and other peoples fields