The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-07-04
PROGRESS OF WATER FAMINE
THAT THREATENS OUR CROPS
Water for Balance of Summer Will be Scarce;
Jackson Lake Supply Ceases Here
About the Middle of July
CANALS BEING CLOSED ONE AT A TIME.

Inc waters OF snake river and
other mountain streams are low and
getting lower, due to the lack of
normal snow fall last winter to main
tain the flow of the springs.
The decreed water rights of the
streams are being delivered so far
fas there Is water to deliver. and the
canals last constructed are closed
down first. The oldest canals will
be supplied so long as there is
water to supply their vested rights.
On the first day of July the water
commissioner for this district of
Idaho reported that the process Of
closing down the gates had proceeded
as far as the 1890 rights, and that
the next step in the shrinkage of the
stream would be to close down the
canals of the year 1889, meaning the
canals built in that year. As the
water shrinkage continues into mid
summer, the closing process will ap-
ply to canals Of 1888, 1887 and so
on according to the scarcity Of
water in the parent stream, Snake
river. Where it is deemed best, the
waters of two or more canals are
combined for a shorter period to en-
able the water users to accomplish
more by reason of the larger head
of water in the bitches. In this way
the duty of water is often increased.
Finding canal dry is not always
proof that they have no water. They
NAV lrn awaiting their turn % take
a Srleam that some other canal is
ucing temporarily. 1t may also lie
observed that there is much water
running in the river passing canals
that have none, but farmers farther
down the valley have stored water in
the mountains and this is now being
reles sed and delivered to them, while
those along the way who are the
owners of what are termed lete water
rights, may not be permitted to use
it.
About ten years ago, the depart
ment Of reclamation undertook tile
task of constructing an artificial lake
in what is known as Jackson Hole,
on the headwaters of the south fork
OF Snake river, and owners of old
water rights were extended an op-
portunity to take stock in the enter
prise and receive their prOratO Of
the stored water from year to year.
A number of canals in the Blackfoot
country declined to take this Oppor-
tunity, and are now without any
water at all. This will entail loss
in crops that is serious, and for
few thousand dollars invested in
reservoir construction at that time
they could save losses now, as we'll
Of Inw
The South Side Twin Falls pro-
ject owns water rights in the stor-
age reservoir, but have exhausted
their share and ceased to draw water
on the second of July.
The North Side Twin Falls pro-
ject will cease to draw water on the
twelfth of July.
The Minidoka project will be cut
off next, and at that time the res
ervoir will have been exhausted. If
the stored water had been held up
on the twenty-sixth of June, accord
ing to the records of the water COM
missioner, Snake river would have
gone dry at Blackfoot on the first
of July. If their records are correct,
all water reaching as far down as
Blackfoot since the first of the month
are stored waters, and owing to the
loss by evaporation and seepage, not
all the stored water was reaching
that point that should according to
the averages of losses in transit 1t
has been running in a minus quantity
because of excessive losses or be-
cause some canal or canals took more
than their share of the natural flow
that was on Its way down. While
farmers in the upper Snake river
valley were looking on with jealous
eyes at the fine stream going on
down to the lower valley, Twin Falls
and Minidoka, those in the lower
valley were regretting that altho
they had spent their good money to
store water in Jackson Lake, they
could not get all of it past the farms
of the upper valley.
1t is also true that the owners OF
old water rights in the upper valley
are being saved much expense of
wing dams to force their water into
their canals, by the circumstance of
the stored water helping to fill the
channel and thus bringing the water
Continued on page eight