The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-28

q present of enough water to irrigat
half million acres II the Duboi
project and its extensions and com
panions are put thru according to tn
program now being mapped out b,
the Idaho Reclamation association
formed to assist in the work startet
a few weeks ago by the Snake Rive
Plains Development association.
Commission Will Help .
This work will be greatly assisted
by the new reclamation code, or com
mission which will be formed if the
measure now pending the action ol
the Idaho legislature is enacted into
law. Strangely enough the new
plans for handling the entire run
off of the Snake river drainage basin
began to dawn upon the men in
these reclamation associations while
there was bitter contention over the
proposed new law for governing
water used in irrigation, and it gives
a new vision to the possibilities in
farming in the whole valley, by
greatly increasing the amount of
water available for the upper valley.
More Water Tor All
This is an age Of short cuts, and
of multiplying the usefulness of ma
terials, and irrigation as applied in
the duty of water IN the Snake river
valley promises to go forward by
leaps and bounds. 1t is proposed
to take the water rights existing in
the Snake river canyon below Ameri-
can Falls and now being used on
lands in the Minidoka and Twin Falls
country, and give it to the upper
Snake river valley. This is exactly
the reverse of what might be ex-
pected in developing new farms by
the score in the lower vally, but the
farms of the lower valley are to have
something absolutely new in the
creations of modern irrigation.
Turning Back the Stream
The average man shakes his head
when told that the plan is to build
the largest storage reservoir in the
world at American Falls and thus
provide more water for irrigation
for lands in the upper valley con-
tiguous to Blackfoot, Idaho Falls,
Dubois and Rexburg, but that Is what
The reclamation service proposes to
DO. The food waters that have been
running past American Falls, can be
stored for use below there. and the
summer flow that has been allowed
20 run directly thru the upper val
ey for use in the Minidoka and Twin
Falls country may be used in the up
per valley. Then as it returns to the
liver by seepage, or what is known |
Is return flow," it can again be
lsed in the lower valley.
Marvel Already Demonstrated
In the time Of the water famine Of |
l915, water stored in the govern
nent reservoir north of Soda Springs
vas borrowed by farmers far up |
snake river, fifty miles above where
his water flowed into Snake river,
md it was done by exchange. The
'articular water of the reservoir was
llowed to 60 down the streams, the
3lackfoot and Snake rivers, for use
N the Minidoka project, and water
q the Jackson Lake reservoir owned
" the Minidoka people, was diverted
or use on farms in the upper valley.
was all done by wire, and farmers
1ere saved from ruin. But 1t had to
q done by some higher authority
r commission than the Individual
wners of the water or the courts.
had to be done by the reclamation
ervice by consent of men who might
ave lodged effective objections.
Welcome the New Law
When Idaho gets its irrigation
ode into operation, a measure now
ending the action Of the legislature
! its closing days, there will be a
entral commission with power to
zach out over the state and make
lch exchanges as may be found
ractical, and to do it before the
inch comes. In fact the pinch will ,
Q anticipated and prevented, and
le duty of water greatly increased
ithout harming anybody. The ,
guarantees and the ,
rejection Of the courts will still be /,
perative, but the courts will have q
vift arm to reach forth and prevent !
le troubles that we have been in the /
abit of suffering and trying out in !
le courts at great expense and sacri-
,e of delays. F=