Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-03-30

DANIEL T. MURPHY,
First Lieutenant Engineers, United
| States Army.
turn threefold bounts-the one con-
structive, through the irrigation of the
land, the other two aftermathal and
rendered feasible through q peculiar
focal condition whereby altered me-
neurological processes render an in
creased precipitation inevitable over
two areas-bench lands and grazing
reaches, in the contiguous territory.
CLIMATE.
| Bulletin No. 1893, geological survey,
records n temperature in 1S9S-99, of
| al degrees f., in the entrance of a
canyon tributary to the valley of the
Lost river. AS this Is the nearest point
Ito the irrigable area under the Dubois
project, of which the bulletin makes
any reference, it is pertinent to state
| that the lowest authentic temperature
recorded on the irrigable flat at the
! 1900 feet altitude, is 20 degrees F.,
the highest temperature being 103 de-
grees +. These two extremes cover
records of the past 10 years.
| For the same period the extremes at
other critical points are as follows:
| Dubois, Idaho, altitude STAT, maxi
mum 95 degrees F., minimum -26 de-
grees F.
| Spencer, Idaho, altitude 1915. maxi
mum 80 degrees F., minimum 81 de-
grees F.
| AS compared with the 1901 records,
these figures show a marked effect of
moderating influences, the principal
one of which has been the general
progress under the department of the
interior, of irrigation work in the
Snake river valley. The influences,
however, have, in an equally mark ed
fashion, reduced atmospheric disturb
ances and have neutralized, in consid :
cradle degree, the unpleasant effects
of the hot winds so common in the
earlier days of settlement An even
more impressive fact is that the killing
frosts OF late spring and early fall have
been retarded by these influences, so
that at this time the conditions on the
Dubois project are approximately as
moderate as those which obtained in
| Minnidoka in 1S9S-99
GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHIC DATA.
| The irrigable tracts under the Dubois
project consist principally of the allu-
vial fans formed by such main creeks
as the Camas, Beaver, Medicine Lodge,
| Birch creek and the two Lost rivers.
Under the stimulus of local irrigation
along these streams, and in spite of a
constantly progressive increase in the
use of their waters, the normal flow
! age is vastly greater than that of 20
! years ago. Observers of Beaver creek
| at Dubois. Idaho, easily recollect the
time when that stream was dry for
periods of months in the summer, but
such a phenomenon has not occurred
! in the past 20 years and its possibility,
as may be clearly perceived, is yearly
more and more remote. This condition
/ is typical of all the streams in the
area.
In their processes of upgrading their
channels, all Of these streams are pro-
crossing gradually across the area OF
their sinkage so that they will eventu-
ally reach the Snake river, as little re-
duced in volume as the Wood river to
| the west.
! Though it may be remote, there is
promise in this situation and that
promise becomes an actual asset when
it is apparent that it is possible, from
a engineering viewpoint, to combine
/ two or three of these creeks and thus
afford them the impetus and volume
necessary to upgrade an impervious
channel to the Snake river This would
afford more water for impounding
lax