The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-10-14

While 40,054 acres are given by the
assessors office as the irrigated area
of Gem county, Immediately tributary
to Emmett are at least 100000 under
water. There are many bitches, of
small and large dimensions that fur
nish the water. Many of the smaller
ones are privately owned and extend
to only a few ranches locaIed near
some natural water course. Others
are owned by local companies, while
the Farmers COOPERATIVE is the Sec
ond largest in the county, and rs its
name indicates is a cooperative stock
association conducted and Financed by
the farmers. The bench irrigating sys-
tenn is known as the Canyon Canal,
financed by outside capital. The Last
Chance canal, Reed Canal and Enter
prise canal, water extensive acreage,
and are we'll managed. Considerable
litigation has resulted from past mis-
management of the Canyon canal,
much money wasted quitting it mild
ay) and a great deal of dissatisfaction
caused by the water not being deliv-
cred to land owners as agreed. This,
however, it. is believed is all past.
This great canal system extends for
Is miles within the boundaries of
Gem County and also waters a large
territory in Canyon county. In this
county irrigated land is assessed at
1913 an acre on an average.
Canyon Canal.
It was in 1904 when this project
was first deemed probability, and
in1907 it was furnishing water to
the slope and valley lands. The
name Canyon is taken from the fact
the water supply intake is located
in the steep pitched Payette canyon.
1t is really wonderful piece of en-
gineering, skirting the foothills on
the north bench, flumed across gull
lies and lowlands in steel fumes, ST.
nboned across the river from north
to south side, and today has cement
work replacing the temporary wooden
channels and waterways throughout.
1t has cost a lot of money, but is IN
valuable to the people of Gem coun-
-ty. There are 10 fumes on the canal
and on the main line there are three
tunnels.
The most remarkable part of the
undertaking was the watering OF the
bench land, which for long time was
considered impossible.
Today this land, for long time an
idle waste, is we'll watered and thick
1v settled with an industrious popula-
ton. Fruit, grain and hay has been
nlanted and in few years VIII De
bringing in the best crops of the val
ley.
Last Chance Canal.
The Last Chance, gravity ditch,
is probably the cheapest system IN the
world water costing the users an
average of II cents an acre per year.
IT was built by local stock company
composed of farmers and is owned
and managed by them. The length
If this ditch is eight miles. 1t starts
one mile below Black Canyon and
rms runs south. 1t waters l5,OOo
acres of land. 1t carries 65OO acre
inches of water. The service is good
and there is plenty OF water at all
times. This year a new head gate
was nut in at the river at an>assessed
cost of 25 cents an acre.
No section of country in the irriga-
ted district of the United States has
q more abundant water supply than
the Payette Valley. There is enough
water in the Payette river every day
to water many times the number OF
acres as at present under cultivation.
The Payette River is the fountain
head of the great Black canyon irri-
cation project, upon which the federal
government has spent millions. This
entails the watering of more than
100 900 acres of land, part of which
lies in Gem county. While it has been
temporarily abandoned because the
money to carry on the work was not
available, surveying parties are again
at work locating new lines Tor the