The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1919-02-05
DIRECTOR OF N|NADOKA I
PROJECT VISITS fALLON
Confirms Statement in Standard Of
Splendid Development of Project
Under District Management

there appeared an article bearing
upon the Idaho Minadoka Project
giving most glowing account of the
development of 100000 acres of
land which is entirely under culti-
vation, and of the prosperous and
contented condition of the settlers
on that project. The article was re-
produced from the Reclamation Rec
ord and its accuracy has been vouch-
ed for the past week through the
visit to Fallon of N. X. Jensen one
of the directors OF the project and
who was one of the pioneers in the
plan to take over the project from
the government.
1t will be remembered that the
Minadoka Project was organized the
same year as the Truckee-c Carson
and the reason for its more vigorous
life may be CLEANED from the partial
history of its growth as given by Mr..
Jensen.
He states that the Irrigation Dis
trict was organized in the fall of
1914 being development from the
Water Users Association to be found
on nearly all the projects One of
the chief difficulties they had found
with the latter association was
lack of power to collect and execute
and he believed that in the State OF
Idaho they have an excellent Irriga-
tion District and the only one oper-
ated along the lines adopted The
organization he states consists of
three directors, the 10000 acres OF
Irrigated land being divided into
three districts each district being
entitled to one director but the dis
trict as whole votes upon the en-
tire board, The salary of these di-
rectors is $500 per day. expenses
and mileage for such days as are de-
voted TO official business
The organization handles the OPP
GRAFTON entirely which embraces the
distribution of water. repairs and
collections. Reports upon these
iteme is made to the government and
he said further that when they took
ever the system in 1914 the-ergani-
zation agreed to assume the defici-
ency In the matter of overhead
charge the Minadoka organization
collects only the actual expense and
reimburses the government this
charge for the last year amounting
to about $4,000.
In addition TO the 10000 acres
there are $4,000 acres OF pumping
land, and as TO the water rights
these are all sold and have been for
number of years Mr.. Jensen stated
at $2200 per acre. then an extern
sion was granted of $4,000 and to
that was added s12.O0 for drainage
making these charges in reality
$4,000 and 1900, and on the pump
ing lands $500.
The maintenance charges are col
/ lected through the water Office or
paid directly through the districts
and the records show very few delin-
quencies. The drainage system is
deep and completed their experience
with shallow drainage being so un-
satisfactory that it was abandoned.
The method adopted to secure the
sf2.00 advance by the. government
was TO send cards to the settlers
with the question do you favor
drainage to the extent of same cost
ing about $1,000 per acre?" Ans
wer Yes or No." the result being
greatly in favor of its adoption. The
repayment of this charge is through
the building charges these to be
made in twenty payments.
The District organization he stat
ed is of great benefit reducing the
expense and giving the people moro
direct interest in the latter point in
his estimation being its most import
ant feature.
The Reclamation Service does not
maintain either an office or force OF
any kind although maintaining these
for twelve years prior to the district
j assuming charge He admitted that
much opposition was encountered at
first but this died out and the gov
ernment willingly acceded toe tn
wishes of the people and transferred
the responsibility to the district
The nature of the contract was that
the organization was to take over
/ the operation and maintenance. the
government to- be reimbursed for
its deficiency.
The land Mr.. Jensen said Is SINH
lar in character to that on this pro-
iect. they have reservoir but this
was not taken over, but the project
receives It's share of the water.
Asked II the people kfiew that the
project had ben rnnning at loss
under government operation he said
that personally he knew this to be o
fact but the people as whole did
not. In the method of voting one
man does not have more votes than
any other on the project merely
through the possession of larger
l --r