The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-07-30
THE BIC LOST RIVER
PROJECT WILL BE
PUT ON IT'S FEET
Plans Of the Utah Construction Conn
pany for Reclamation Of Land are
Now About Complete.

/, Now About Complete.
Plans for the reclamation of lands
under the defunct Big Lost River irri-
cation project are well under way on
the part of the engineers of the Utah
Construction company and the state
lengineer's department, which must
first approve them. This fact was
LEARNED yesterday. The REIMBURSEMENT
of the affairs of this project is made
possible by the action that has been
taken by the land board accepting
the proposal Of the construction COM
lpany, which bid in the project, and
expects to spend over $1,000,000 on
lit The board approved the new con-
tracts to be entered into with the
settlers. These contracts call for theb
delivery of two acre-feet of water to9
1.-THE lands within the project. Work
| is to be started on the irrigation
works as soon as State Engineer
Smith can inspect and approve the
lcompany's plans and the contracts
can be issued to be presented to the
settlers.
Engineers at Work
For over a year, or ever since it
purchased the Big Lost River project
/ at public auction, the Utah Construc-
ton company has had its engineers
lat work investigating the Big Lost
river region endeavoring to find To-
cation for dam and new reservoir
lsite. They have always come back
| to the old reservoir and the Mackay
dam, great earthen and concrete
formation, which never successfully
held the water in the reservoir. 1t
has been decided to go down to rock
bottom below this dam and make use
OF that part of the structure still in
good condition, in the rebuilding OPP
CREATIONS. When rebuilt it is certain,
according to the engineers estimates
that the dam will hold water and
there can be impounded behind it the
necessary water to assure the pro-
;ect of irrigation. The delivery of
Two acre-feet means that during the
irrigation season every acre of land
for which water right is sold will
receive enough water which IL placed
on the land at one time would cover
it to depth of two feet.
State Hopes to Close
The state is in hopes that the pres
ent deal will close the Big Lost river
project matter and bring this DOR
mant enterprise into life. The Utah
Construction company is one of the
most substantial concerns and is pre-
pared to carry out its plans. It has
taken over defunct Carey Act irri-
cation project which has played no
unimportant part in the irrigation
history of southern Idaho as we'll as
figured prominently in politics Ac-
cusations and counter-accusation
have been made regarding the alleg-
ed manipulations of land boards re-
garding the project and legislative
hearings have been conducted into 1t.
The building of the Mackay dam was
admitted finally to have been an en-
cheering mistake. Failure to i'm
pound water in the reservoir behind
1t cost many settlers on the lands that
were to have been irrigated their
small fortunes. Not a few of them
left their improvements, their for
tunes and in some instances their
health on the land they were forced
to desert. Several millions of dollars
were sunk in the building of the irri-
cation system. Now the Utah Con-
struction company has plans to profit
by the mistakes of others and by
placing at least another million dol
lars in the project, eventually make
1t feasible and turn the rich lands
into profitable crops and homes for
future settlers.
The Big Lost river country is the
most peculiar in the west. Rushing
from the water sheds Of the Sawtooth
mountains are three rivers flowing to
the plains below When these rivers
strike the lower plains they suddenly
disappear into the ground. For so
miles from that point below there is
not a drop of water. Then the rivers
rise again to the surface, rising and
sinking alternately and finally disap-
pearing entirely. Capital News.