The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-10-18
SALMON IRRIGATION PRO
JECT SURE OF MATERIAL
REDUCTION
How Much Not Yet
Announced
Second Full Day of Investigation
Questions of Run-off Capacity
and Acreage Necessity Answer
ed From All Points of View.

At the opening of Tuesdays session,
Judge Boutwell,, for the Settlers as
sociation, submitted a report by for
mer State Engineer Robinson in 1915
that made the computed" average
loss in reservoir "a per cent, instead
OF 171%, as derived from the company
records, and the water available for
irrigation correspondingly smaller
There was much comment and some
argument during the submission of
this evidence, the gist of which was
that the most reliable conclusions as
to the matter in question must be
reached by actual figures of water
tai ken in and turned out rather than by
any ones computations" One great
point in the submission of the Robin
son figures was the assumption that
the reservoir reached it's maximum ef-
ficiency in 1913. This was controvert-
ed by u. S. Land Inspector Wells, who
explained the pudding" process that
must take place inn reservoir filled
with water, and concluded that no
reservoir in use can be made or
reach it's highest efficiency in less
than ten years.
A report on reservoir contents and
losses made by Engineer Jno. Birkett
was also quoted by Mr.. Archibald, one
of the government engineers, who de-
clared that in his opinion the losses
must be considered only with relation
to the area of ground that was wet
Quite a diversion was occasioned by
a question from Governor Alexander
with regard to a considerable quantity
of water that oozed from the sides OF
the canyon below the dam and seemed
to indicate seepage theretrom Mr.
Waters said no such flow appeared be-
fore the dam was built; and Mr.. Hall
: said that a gauge in the river below
= the dam did show a greater flow IN
1913 than in 1914, while much more
water was impounded in the later
year.
The assistant state engineer, F. A.
Willxie. was here called upon to give
his opinion regarding reservoir loss
es and the allied questions. In sub
stance Mr.. Wilkie said that the only
safe method of arriving at reservoir
losses is from the record OF its ac-
tual performance-that the method
used Monday was correct. AS prac-
tical, horse-sense proposition, he
thought the record showed an average
available supply of from seventy-flVe
to eighty thousand acre feet of water
on this tract. To a question from the
governor as to whether an allowance
should not be made from that for safe'
", he said he thought that had beer
taken care Of The losses are likely
TO decrease instead of increase in the
future. The check basin, with its sew
enty acres of evaporation surface he
would eliminate if possible, as costly
and not necessary to the system, Hat
rot studied how this would best D'
done but a concrete canal might b'
built right through it. The canal sys
tenn can be improved by elimination
especially of one to the northwest
A fair duty of water he thought to b.
variable with regard to soil, crop
and farm methods; but in his opinion
21k acre feet on this project VIII no
only be sufficient, but Will prove al
over supply as time goes on ana larm
ing is diversified. After full reclama
ton and under best methods ! 3
acre feet has proved abundant, an
will doubtless do so here. On tn
Oakley tract it is fixed at l " acre fee
> In pumping propositions the increase
expense insures more careful method
and records, and less water Is uset
These have been made success l
some instances, but perhaps averag
smaller crops
Applying Mr. Wilkes estimate
an average $4,000 available acre zee
OF water, and a duty of 219 feet, tn
salmon project would irrigate S2,OO
acres. But how about the lean yea
Mike 1915, when only 41,657 acre Zee
was turned into the canals?
Answering questions Mr.. WIKI
further said he deemed 212 acre fe'
a liberal allowance for this projec
and that it could be reduced unde
improved management and condition
Saw no indications of motion or sof
ening to create increased loss in rel
ervior. The average project has fro
Is to 20 per cent non-irrigable land
account of waste, roads, fences, barr
and stack yards, etc.
The question of the amount OF wat'
necessary for successful irrigation Wa
then taken up with the water user
the directory of the association,
representative thereof, being intel
rogated one after another 1t is NJ
practicable to follow the testimony
each in detail, especially since eat
explained to some extent the natui
Of his land and crops However,
Carter thought his own farm might {
with something less than acre fet
Haeasured at farmers headgate, {