The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-07-12

HS largest ievel area in all the 1
tntermountain region. except the
snake river plains, is comprised in
the Pahstmaroi valley. The adjacent
rolling foothills where crops may Al
so oe made to grow would bring the
productive or arabic land well to-
ward the 50.000-acre mark. Less
than half. perhaps less than a
third, OF this vast tract Is at present
irrigated; the rest lies a desert stiil
III the waste places Of the earth,
wanting only the magic drink to
make 1t blossom forth into fruitful
ness and living green.
The water supply does not begin
10 go around under the poor system
Iot distributing it, which is in effect
mat every man shall take what he
can get and hold on to what he has
or that the law and court degrees al.
low, so that some land is practically
drowned in water while other tracts
are parching with eternal thirst and
aridity Any practical engineer will
tell you upon beholding the lay of
the splendid stretches OF level bars
and the sources OF its water supply
from two high mountain ranges bor-
oering them. to say nothing about
the possibilities Of bringing an abun-
dance OF water from the upper Sal.
mon river across one of these
ranges. that with proper conserva-
tion OF what water there is available
at least twice the acreage now irri-
gated might well be supplied.
1t would not be Utopian paternal-
ism or even socialistic and impracti-
cal for the state Of Idaho to under
take such a work as this. Why not?
kanchers who have water now flow.
Ing upon their lands. perhaps to
waste, should be made to give up
what its beneficial use does not re-
Iquire to the man who is willing to
take up an adjoining desert home
stead and apply that waste.
Then there might be constructed
a great storage reservoir or reser-
voirs back in the foothills, with ade-
quate and scientifically built canals
leading therefrom to secure the
lleast possible loss of water from
seepage until it actually arrives upon
: the land where it is to work its
| blessing. There are numerous other
districts in the state of Idaho like
the Pahsimaroi valley in this res.
! pect-abUndant water but profiigate
; waste in its application. Before any
thing like desirable reform in
these methods can come about there
will have to be reQuisitioned some
, broadminded craftsmanship into the
: legislative halls at Boise
III is an enhancing view presented
to the traveller after he climbs the
hill at the confluence of the Salmon
and the river that gave the Pahsi.
maroi its name. Mr.. Rees in the Pho
neer department gave an account OF
! the derivation of the name Pahsima
roi from the Indians poetic way OF
telling of a grove of trees standing
by crystal stream. II was perhaps
some such grove as the Big creek
picnic grounds (there are many like
} 1t in the Valley chat the Indians had
lin mind when they used the term.
From the point of the confluence
|of the two rivers the great valley
extends from ten to fifteen miles In
width for a distance of more than
thirty miles, comprising for the
most part level or slightly undulat
ling plains. The view is uninterrupted
for at least twenty miles up the val
, lev except for the growth OF green
| along the natural and artificial wa
tercourses. The land is of porous
: alluyial nature. underlaid with grav
, el and stone, and drinks up water al
| no other kind of land. That Is why
7 there should be conservation of wa
, ter along scientific lines instead o'
/ the present wasteful methods OF dis
: tribution. Wherever water has oeer
applied the landscape is clothed II
rank, luxuriant vegetation ina
: chokes the very soil.
The editor Of The Recorder ane
mrs. Melvin journeyed to this fail
Iland to spend the Fourth of July, be
ling passengers with Mr.. and mrs
lW. c. Smith and Mr.. and Mrs. q. d
IOuarles. Mr.. Smith drove his cal
for the outing, which began the da!
lbefore and ended the da, after. fol
We all wanted the outing to last al
long as ii was possible for US TO re
main away from home. All wer'
agreed ON the program that afforded
)the greatest amount of delight to eV
ervbody else. Billy Smith used u
live ND in the Pahsimaroi and knew
lthe Indians when they named I'M
galley in their own mellifiuent Ian