The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-06-17
MILLION and A QUARTER ACRES To Be
MADE PRODUCTIVE ON DUBOIS PROJECT

silt or soil out into the lake and it
settled, forming a soil we now prize.
Formation of Rich Farm Lands
That part of the country spoken
of as the original Dubois project. the
northern part of the valley, lying
south Of the Bitter Root mountains
as far as Roberts and the sinks of
Big Lost river, seems to have re-
ceived the greatest deposit of silt.
Great mud belts or banks we're
formed by the wash into the lake
from the mountains. That formed
the great bench land extending east
and west along the base of the Bitter
Root mountains. The force of the
streams coming out into the lake
around this great semi-circle on the
north and west carried mud to the
center of the lake, but there is Sec
ton about fifteen miles wide and
twenty miles in length extending
north and south in the central por-
ton of that whole inland sea that
did not receive quite such deep
coat of mud as the rest of it. In
the present situation this portion
forms basin that Is lower than the
rest of it and is filled with water
and known as Mud lake. The rest
of the country all around it is being
built up a little higher and the rich
agricultural land Is being farmed or
settled upon preparatory to farming.
Streams That Disappeared
A wash-out or break in the noun
tain range along the Idaho Oregon
line allowed the water level to go
lower; the size of the inland sea
was reduced and the great mud fats
of the present Dubois project were
left above the water level. There
are indications that the amount of
precipitation and the volume of the
streams flowing into that section
were greatly reduced at about that
time for these streams did not flow
out across the mud bars and cut
channels thru them. The streams
were so nearly dried up that what
water they supplied merely cut thru
the mud bank lying along the base
of what we call the Bitter Root
mountains and was lost by sinking.
Steady Flow Shaped Plains
On the southwestern part Of this
semi-circle there is evidence that the
flow of water continued heavy
oh in
Lost river to wash the surface down
somewhat, but the flow was so evenly
distributed over the vast surface that
it did not cut out any river bed or
gulch, but merely planed down the
surface leaving it on a sleeper slope
than the rest of the country. All
of this silted surface slopes to the
south or southwest, but over all the
central part the grade, is so slight
that it cannot be detected by the
eye. 1t amounts to only few inches
in mile, while on the slope opening
out upon the Birch Creek valley
and the Little Lost River valley the
grade of slope is heavier and amounts
to many feet to the mile.
Well Depths Vary
Many wells have been drilled over
the Dubois project and water has
been obtained at depths varying from
a few feet to $50 feet and the depth |
of the silt varies from ten or fifteen
feet to 125 feet.
Mountains Produce Vegetation
Several of the low mountains that
were once submerged in the lake
were partly buried in the mud and
the parts that stood above the mud
line still remain above the surface
Of the plain. These have the ap-
pearance of dark colored masses
when seen at a great distance, but
as one comes within few miles of
them the appearance gradually
changes and upon a close approach |
they are found to be covered with |
grass. They seem to be of lava !
Working for Increased Irrigation
Local capitalists have expended |
money in installing cleo
trio pumping plants to take the water |
out of Mud Lake and put it into |
canals for irrigation. The water in
Mud lake is due to seepage coming |
from the streams flowing |
out of the mountains on the north |
and northwest side of the plains and |
also from water passing from irri-
gated country eastward, known as
Egin bench country.
Water Supply by Seepage
If reservoirs and canals had been
fifteen years ago for
the Dubois project some of
The lands which would have been ir-
rigated then, would not need 1t now
owing to the increased volume of /
water in Mud Lake due to seepage
hat has developed since that time.
When canal is built to supply water
around the northern boundary Of the
,ract it is likely that seepage will
continue that will sub-irrigate
arge amount of this territory and
t might even make additional drain
lge necessary to protect the land
rom over-supply of moisture.
All Waiting for Irrigation
The country lying west and south
vest from Roberts and Idaho Falls