The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-08-06

lDuDolS doing most OF the telephoning
and debating the kilograms to gov
Nernment officials, and Mr.. Trego act
ling as stenographer, messenger and
treasurer paying the tolls. On We'd
nesday afternoon they attended the
water meeting at Idaho Falls in the
hope of defeating an order of the
state engineers department to close
the gates of the two canals mention
led, but in this they were disappoint-
FED. There were SO many other canals
all through the valley in the same
condition it was impossible to secure
such concession, and in the even
ing the gates were closed to every
thing except a small flow for domes-
tic use and what other canals in this
district loaned to them. Many of their
crops are burning, and other canals
are requested to add to the flow at
the earliest hour possible.
The work of the week brought out
some complex problems, number of
which the people of this valley are
concerned in, and for whose informa-
ton we publish the following:
The work of canal building in the
Snake river valley, aside from a few
pioneers, began in the early eighties,
and increased greatly during the
lnineties, and is still in progress. In
1901 suits were brought to secure
a decree of the waters of Sake river
land all its tributaries, and the work
was completed and the decree issued
in 1911, having occupied ten years
and cost 100000 for the court ex-
penses. The decree fixed the titles
to the waters, and those who con-
structed their canals first are entitl-
led to the water when there is short
age. The last bitches made are the
first to be shut off when there is
scarcity
In 1904 congressional committee
received a commission to visit the
jackson Hole in Wyoming, to see If
1T were feasible to build dam across
the canyon to convert the valley
above into storage reservoir. The
committee consisted of Senator Du-
Ibois of Idaho, Senator Mondell OH
Wyoming, F. H. Newell, chief engin-
eer of the reclamation service, and
C. D. Walcot, director of the U. S.
geological survey.
Each state owns the water within |
its borders unless appropriations |
made by settlers living across the.
boundary give them title to the waterd
by it's flowing to them. The unap-s
propriated waters Of Jackson Hole
belonged to Wyoming, but it was !
separated from the agricultural lands
of the state by ridges of mountains !
that made it impractical to use it /
for them, and Senator Mondell Of !
after looking over the sit I
uation said they would have to con-
cede it to Idaho by reason of it's
location 1t was agreed /.
upon the ground, that bill should be
asking for a federal APP
Jropriaticn to construct the dam, for
the waters of Snake river
for supplementing the water rights
along Snake river and for use at Mini
doka and on the Twin Falls North
Side project. Mondell, representing
his state, agreed to support the bill
Tor such purposes.
The dam has been in course of con-
,truction ever since the measure was
and it has been raised seven
cen feet during the past year. The
AXE is about 10 by Is miles in size,
Ind is fed by many rivers, the basin h
being 60 by 100 miles in extent. 1t
s generally spoken of as government !
water belonging to the Minidoka pro-
ect. The winter flow is stored to be
released in summer and goes via n
snake river and Lake Walcot, a stor- !
lge reservoir on the Twin Falls tract.
number of fine valleys opening into Il
he Jackson Hole are now being set /,
led, and many canals are being made L
O take water out of the streams lying
Wholly within Wyoming, by citizens
# Wyoming Settlers in Idaho claim =
ng prior rights to the same water by y
laving previously appropriated it, de-
nand that it be left to flow into Jack :,
on Lake and by the government al .
owed to flow through and pass out =
o keep the Snake river fed just the
anne as it was before the dam was
uilt or the canals made in Wyoming. !,
Each state holds the right to gov
IN the water within the state, and VI
he federal government claims the
light to govern the water stored in
built by federal appropria-
ions. If the state of Idaho has abb
olute right to govern the waters Of :
make river. it might, through its :
tate engineer. participate in or d. 2