Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-01-27
IN RINGING RESOLUTIONS EN-.
NETT CONNIE RcIAL CLUB CON.
DENNIS DECISION OF REcLAMA.
TON SERVICE.
USE PAYETTE WATER
IF SMALL PART OF BLACK CAN
YoN is WATERED, REST FOR
EVER REMAINS WORTHLESS.

AT a meeting held recently tb
Emmett commercial club took officia
cognizance of the resolutions tina
had been adopted by the Elmore De
Veiopment league and adopted a few
OF their own, and those Emmett boosj
ers are some Little resolutions too
lf you want to know exactly what is
the status OF the deal by which
Mountain Home Is getting fooled ou1
OF the water in the South Boise
that actually belongs to Elmore coun.
ty it is worth while to read the siz.
zling ARA gnm ent OF the powers that
be contained in the resolutions. In
full they are as follows:
WHEREAS, The Reclamation Ser
wee has recommended the use of
Boise River waters as stored in the
ArroWrock reservoir, to be used for
reclalming 27 900 acres of the North
Side Black Canyon District lying on
the north side of Boise, but are ac-
cessIble TO the waters OF thePayette
river.
NOW, We the Emmett Commercial
Club, set forth the following condi-
tions and facts: First,
l. There yet remains to be re-
claimed 500 900 acres south of Boise
river with no other known available
supply than Boise river.
2. There is available in the Pay
cite river, more water than there is
land adjacent for its use. Plainly
stated, there is more water than land
on the north side, and more land
than water on the south side. Con
cluSlon: All the land on the north
side Watered from the Boise river
prevents the use of that same amount
Of Payette river water, permitting 1t
to waste forever, while at the same
time, the equal amount of land on
the south side Of the Boise river
must forever remain dry because of
the waste of the Boise river water
on Payette river lands.
The excuse offered for the use of
Boise river water on Payette river
land, is that should the Payette
river waters be used later for
Black Canyon lands, the Boise river
waters may be returned to Boise
river lands. We hold it a wholly de-
lusive hope that waters once appro-
priated to the North side, will ever
be transferred to the south side. for
the reason that long before any
such arrangements could be made
the settlers would have acquired
vested rights in Boise river water.
Experience teaches us that peoplee
refuse to make changes in their irriga-
tion systems even though a change
might be to their advantage.
The strangest argument set forth
by the Caldwell portion of the Black
Canyon District, is that settlers were
in part encouraged to take up lands
in the Black Canyon District by the
reclamation service, and that in con-
sequence, the reclamation service is
under obligation to them. We be-
leve this claim Is being overurged.
the fact that the re- I
service is under obligation
to Black Canyon District, it is under !
to the whole district and
not part only. And, furthermore it
was the original plan to take it from
Payette river which gave rise to
name "Boise-Payette Project" 1t is
our firm conviction that the water
ing of less than one third of the '
district at this time, postpones far
into the future, the further consider s
alton of the reclamation of the re- {
tWo-thirds, or, more plainly q
stated, for the special favor now /
the one-third the other two
thirds of the district suffer for, by !
ong postponement, and most likely c
a postponement beyond the owner e
ship and even the lives of most 1
he present owners. One reason why t
i will be indefinitely postponed will r
De the greatly increased cost per acre t
If the remaining two-thirds Of the
district, the watered one-third not n
} airing its share. c
The fact is, most OF the 27,000 j
acres lie near to Caldwell and Cald- '