The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-02-08
BORAh DEFINES POSI-
TON ON BLACK CANYON
Gives Reasons for Supporting
Plan to Use Waters from
Arrow Rock.

The following letter has been re-
ceived by an Emmett farmer from
Senator VIM. E. Borah, in which he
explains his position in indorsing the
proposal of the Reclamation service
to irrigate lands under the Black
Canyon project with waters from the
Arrow Rock reservoir. The commu-
nication is in reply to a protest by
Emmett people to the proposed plan:
81 have your letter of recent date
with reference to the use of the waters
of the Arrowrock for the irrigation of
part of the Black Canyon. | have
written pretty fully upon this matter
and some of my letters will likely be
published but | want to repeat that
l have no intention whatever and
never have had of abandoning the pro-
position of building a dam on the
Payete River to irrigate all of the
Black Canyon and of Emmett if nee
essary. | have a bill pending now
providing for ten thousand dollars for
the completion of a survey. This bill
l succeeded in getting through the
Senate the last session but it was kill
ed in the House or rather by the |
House conferees. | have reintroduced |
it and shall urge it at every oppor-
tunity and shall continue at all times
to work for the Payette proposition.
| never intend by my consent, at least,
until it is demonstrated that it is i'm
possible to bring the waters from the
Payette, to leave any part of the set
tiers of the Black Canyon without wat
er. But in the mean time, this pro-
position has been submitted that we
secure an appropriation to irrigate
$4,000 acres of what is known as the
300 acres of the Black Canyon lands,
all from the Arrowrock reservoirs.
Now as to the $4,000 acres of the
Hillcrest everybody is agreed, and as
20 $4,000 out of $4,000 upon the
Black Canyon, that amount will be
irrigated from the Deerflat reservoir
And am told by the Department that
he waters which will be used from the
Deer flat reservoir to irrigate this
1000 acres can be used nowhere else. ,
Then that leaves 27,000 acres to be
from the Arrowrock reser-
-oir upon the Black Canyon and as to
hat 27,000 acres the Department in =
orms me that the construction work
yill all be available in case we de-
lonstrate ultimately that the Payette !.
roject is feasible and be incorporat- !.
d in the Payette project. l do not :,
ltend by helping in this plan of the
department to abandon the Payette ;,
| have never had any
lea of doing so but l do feel that =
ending the ultimate conclusion of the
ayette project we ought to make use >
{ these waters where we can and as
est we can. We ought, at least, to !,
)ver the $4,000 acres, in the mean
me going ahead and urging the Pay :
tie proposition also. | am simply
ying to do the very best l can un- :,
n the circumstances intending at no :.
me to abandon any part of this work :,
do not see how we could refuse to =
lip put water upon $4,000 acres of
e Black Canyon when the Depart
ent is willing to help in that direc- n,
On simply because we are not pre- ~
lred to put it upon all of it. But sc
nat | wanted to say to you, and you Fl,
n rely upon it at all times, is in
at | am not by this action consent te
g to or conceding the failure of the tn
Iyette proposition. an
.'It seems to me that if we will all
'rk together and be tolerant and
lpful as possible with each other
at we can ultimately bring the wa ed
s from the Payette and have the 27
tiers of the Arrowrock dam for use RI,
ewhere. to
Every respectfully, 70,
."WM E. BORAH" nj,