The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-05-03
GREAT CANAL PROBLEMS
THE STITCH IN TIME
Continued From Page -

Last year during the height of the ir
rigating season 1t was made to carry
1850 second feet or 300 second feet
beyond it's estimated peak capacity
This overlooking was made necessary
by reason of the abnormal losses
which are permitted to occur in var
ious parts of the system. The risks
attendant upon this overlooking are
startling, however, when one contem-
plates the possible loss which may re-
suit therefrom. The report says. "A
leak and threatened break two miles
below Miner last August resulted in
shutting down the canal for two days
in an effort to locate and stop the leak
by trenching and pudding. 1t was
soon evident that the trouble was too
deep to be reached in that way and
the leak was finally stopped by driv-
ing sheet piling in the bank When
located it was found to be ten feet
below the bed of the canal" Measure
ments made on this part of the main
canal with current meter at various
times indicate a loss of water of
somewhere from 800 to $50 second
feet.
Certain portions of the canal bank
at Dry Creek reservoir have become
so saturated with water that the whole
structure is flattening out. This en-
has no concrete core. A break at this
point, if it occurs at all, will occur
almost surely at the height of the ir-
rigating season and by the time the
great volume of water stored in this
reservoir has torn its way through the
canal banks the gap would probably
be so large that several weeks would
be required to repair the damage The
injury to growing crops, of course,
would be beyond repair and would
conceivably amount to several times
the cost of putting the canal system
in good condition at once. 1850 sec
ond feet. the amount of water which
we flooded into the main canal at
Miner last year, represents full
supply for 292,80O acres. We did not
have that much land in cultivation on
which to use this water by more than
100000 acres, Furthermore, the users
in certain sections of the tract had
their supply cut 10 per cent during
a portion of the irrigating season. We
permitted a loss, then, aggregating a
full supply for considerably more than
100000 acres. Not all of this could
be avoided All distributing systems
suffer certain losses through evapora-
ton, percolation and other ways
which, to a certain extent, are unavoid-
able. The losses disclosed by this
report, however, are no immense and
to a large extent are so manifestly
subject to correction, that we must
face the responsibility and apply the
remedy
Mr.. Porterfield estimates that, "An
expenditure of 100000 can be made
in concreting canals that will save
somewhere between 500 and 600 feet
of water This will not only make
good the present highline shortage
but leave an amount, the minimum
of which sold at the present price of
$500 per acre, will nearly pay the
bill"
Which is better business policy, to
supply that half million or a million
dollars, if necessary, to put the canal
system in good condition, making it
safe from disastrous breaks and cap
able of delivering the water to all of
the stockholders according to their
respective rights, or to save the in
terest on this half million or million
dollars of expenditure and run the risk
of losing through some disastrous
break several times that amount in
crop damage in a single season?
If any difference is justified in the
relative capacity of the Highline and
the Lowline canal the Highline should
be the larger as any excess from this
| territory can be used on land under
the Lowline.
The highest delivery to the Highline
at the forks of the two canals prior to
1916 was SIS feet. This supplied only
rs per cent as much water per unit
of cultivated area as is supplied 70
the Lowline canal. The defects of the
Highline have been remedied to a par
tial degree by doubling the capacity
of the Cottonwood flume and by en-
largement of the whole canal from
Cedar Draw west. 1t seems that this
lower end of the Highline canal now
has sufficient capacity to meet the
probable demands upon it. Mr.. Por-
terrified quotes Mr. A. j. Wiley, con-
sulting engineer, as stating that the
capacities needed in the Highline can
| al are as follows:
Head to Cottonwood flume, 1860 to
100 second feet.
Cottonwood f1ume to Cedar Draw,
100 to 900 second feet"
Quoting Mr. Porterfield further as
| to the result of cross sections of the
| Highline canal taken during the sum-
mere of 1915: 1.-The canal was made
quately constructed in a number of
places. 1t was so irregular both as
to width and grade that it was impos-
sible to calculate its carrying capac-
ity. 1t was evident, however, that no
where west of Cedar Draw was the
canal of sufficient size to carry water
for all the land that might some time
be covered and there was large por-
ton of it that could not possibly car
ry the necessary amount for the land
already in cultivation
That part of the canal system west
| of Cedar Draw may be assumed to
have a sufficient capacity since the