The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-12-02

This reservoir can be constructed u
q capacity Of about 100000 acre-feet
but can be depended on for q safe
annual yield Of only about 100000
acre-feet.
The American Falls reservoir
should be constructed with sufficient
capacity to permit Of the transfer OF
all the rights In jackson Lake res
ervoir now held in the Lower Valley
to the water users In the Upper Val
ley and also take care of additional
irrigation requirements below Amer
lean Falls.
Storage and Costs
Construction of the necessary res
ervoir capacity by the Reclamation
Service having been almost unani-
mously endorsed by the applicants
for storage, inquiry was made of the
Reclamation Service as to whether
or not it would undertake this work
ind furnish estimates Of cost of the
required storage at various sites un-
der its control. Correspondence
from the Reclamation Service is en-
closed herewith and indicates that It
will construct the works providing
that the funds are advanced under
arrangements similar to those made
with the Twin Falls companies for
he enlargement Of the Jackson Lake
reservoirs and that the estimated
ost of the storage at the various
sites is as follows:
Island Park-Capacity 100000
acre-feet; yield 100000 acre feet
$8.45 to 1906 per acre foot, depend
ing upon the depth to bed rock.
Swan Valley-Capacity 100000
acre feet at 1886 to $9.45 per acre
foot, depending upon the depth to
bed rock.
American Falls-Capacity 100000
acre feet at $3.50 per a. f.; 100000
acre feet at $500 per a. t.; 100000
acre feet at $40 per a. I.
The Idaho Power company has a
right to practically all of the water
flow in low year at the American
Falls site. In order to store any of
! his water at any of the sites above
this plant some adjustment would
probably have to be made and the
cost Of same added to the estimated
ost of all reservoirs stated above.
The power plants at Idaho Falls
and Shelley and the water users in
the Upper Valley have acquired GER
tain rights to the use of the winter
low for power and domestic pur-
poses. The storing of any water at
Swan Valley or Island Park would
curtail these rights to some extent
and the damages if any would have
o be added to the cost of storage
at these sites.
Damages to power rights on the
North Fork have been included in the
estimated cost of storage at Island
Park but nothing has been added for i
any interference with rights for do
nestle use if there be any.
In the light of above information
and the general knowledge of your
committee members of the various
sites, it is concluded that the storage
required at this time can be pro-
more in line with what the ultimate
policy should be than at any other
duced at the American Falls site
more rapidly and at less cost and
site, and for these reasons it would
appear to your committee that the
American Falls site is the most feas-
ible.
Method of Financing
If the work is handled by the Rec
lamation Service, as proposed, each
organization would enter into a con-
tract with the Reclamation Service
for storage capacity agreeing to ad-
vance the funds as required by the
Reclamation Service. In the case of
organizations below American Falls,
pacity in Jackson Lake reservoir to
be made available as rapidly as ex-
change storage could be created at
american, Falls. According to this
plan, each organization would make
its own arrangements for finances.
Prior Filings
Your committee has verified the
for the Twin Falls runeau company
made last May reservoir filing on
the American Falls site for 100000 |
acre feet and followed it up last Aug
ust with another of the same size.
While this action might, at first thot,
seem to be in conflict with your plans |
for obtaining storage, it is believed |
by your committee that both the |
state officials and officers of the
promoting company realize the nee
essity of first taking care of the re-
quirements- of lands already de-
veloped and in high state of cul-
tivation and are in harmony with the
efforts of your committee to secure
protection for these lands. To de-
velop these facts, and afford all in
terested parties an opportunity to
get behind sound policy for future
reclamation, promoters of the Twin
Falls-Bruneau project and others
have been invited to meet with us
today to discuss this important topic.
4~. Recommendations
1t is recommended:
al That your committee be au-
thorized to request the Reclamation
Service to submit form Of contract
covering the work;
Ib) That each organization make
a more careful determination of it's
needs for storage based upon a DOS