The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-06-17
Continued from page one)

Reclamation association, was invited
to accompany the party, which he
did. The party began at the Ashton.
St.Anthony Power plant. which IL
designed to furnish light and power
for the towns from Ashton westward
as far as Arco and for pumping and
other purposes on the Dubois pro.
ject where surface water resulting
from seepage into the low Mud Lake
country in the center of the project
are being pumped into the canals
for irrigation. This power plant Is
built in canyon of the North Fork
of Snake river two and half miles
west of Ashton, where the river flows
in a canyon 1875 feet deep and about
200 feet wide. Construction work
was commenced in 1913. The first
unit is now in operation, generating
$3.50 h. p. and two larger units are
about to be installed. The dam and
power plant are very substantially
,structed with cement on rock
base between rock walls and the
dam is sixty-five feet high. 1t lies
fourteen miles east of St. Anthony
and forty-fve miles from Dubois,
105 miles from Arco. Power and
light are being furnished Ashton,
Dubois, St. Anthony and the Mud
Lake pumping plant. Negotiations
are being closed for the delivery of
power and light at Arco.
Head of the Proposed Canal
Travelling westward the next point
of interest is the point where the
proposed government canal will take
the water from Snake river; at the
village of Chester, six miles above
st. Anthony at an elevation Of $50.
1t is desirable to carry the water
westward to Dubois and irrigation
is to be carried from there westward
and southwark. In order to have
the canal as straight and as short
as possible and to save the grade
keeping the water on. the highest
levels for irrigation it is desirable to
cut the canal straight thru on high
land lying westward from st. An
thony. A cut eight miles long and
with maximum depth of fifty feet
will be necessary to deliver water
on the surface of the country. This
water can then be delivered across
the upper end of the valley some
distance southwark from the base
of the Bitter Root mountains west
ward to the base of the Salmon River
or southwark to the sinks
Of Birch creek, Big Lost and Little
Lost rivers, including large portion
of the territory where the Little Lost
River valley opens out on to the
Snake River plains. Another point
Of diversion of waters would be by
a gravity canal at the bend of Snake
river near Roberts, conducting the
water westward to where it raises
in a high bench and then a pumping
plant would be necessary to place 1t
On. the higher levels. The water for
that part of the country lying south
west of Roberts, west and southwest
from Idaho Falls and extending into
The country between Taber and
Moreland should be brought thru
his canal Preliminary surveys have
been made for all this work.
Mighty Conservation of Water
The water to be used for all this
and is not to be taken from the
summer flow of Snake river. The
plan contemplates the storage of the
'un-off or winter flow of Snake river
n twenty reservoirs on the head
waters of the river. The water that
s now allowed to run to waste from
September until May and the great
spring freshets of May and June will
be stored in these reservoirs and
n reservoir to be made by build
ng a dam across the country at
American Falls. The plan does not
interfere in any way with the water
lights already established nor take
anything away from any decreed
lights. The use of the water on this
,lan will saturate more of the Snake
River plains and the substrata and
will result in making storage res
,rvoir under the surface of all the.
country that is irrigated or saturated
" it's use in the manner spoken Of.
Much of this water will find it's way
back again into the channel of the
snake river and can be used again
~ the persons living below where
t enters the river. This is called
he return flow and is now considered
me of the valuable assets of an ir-
alton system and the more water
here is used in irrigation in the val
ey the more it adds to the value of
he old water rights by having it
,sed two or more times in success
ion. For example, If the entire
low of Snake river for eight months
rom September to May were poured
tut upon the Dubois project, much
,r it would be finding its way .back
nto the river during the irrigation
eason from May to September and
he owners of the old water rights
would have chance to use 1t,
whereas if it had been allowed to
low into. the sea, as it now does,
lone of them would have a chance
o use it at all. The whole valley
s a reservoir, or rather a net work
# reservoirs, with pools beneath the
urface at depths varying from
wenty or thirty feet to seven or
light hundred feet, according to the
Irainage of the respective pools or
he highth of the land over them.
The more water there is flowing into
he surface of the plains the more