The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-06-18
WATER SUPPLY IS
SIMILAR TO 1918.
Backward Season De.
lays Run-of; Condi-
ditions at Reservoir
Twin Falls Chronicle)

1
J. c. Whee!on, general manager
of the Twin Falls Canal company,
reports that conditions at Jackson
lake are comparable with those in
the year 1918.
This is taken to mean that with
full use of the flood waters available
| now and for some weeks, the at1T-
age waters will be sufficient for the
needs of the later season.
G.. Clyde Baldwin, special deputy
at Idaho Falls, writing to Mr.. Wheel
on, says:
while it is too early yet to pre-
| dict with any certainty whether or
not the available snow supply is suf-
| ficient to make up the deficiency in
Jackson lake storage, ! am not at
all confident that this can be done.
While it is not impossible, my opin-
ion is that the reservoir will not be
filled before it will be necessary to
begin the draft on storage and on
this account, | think it will be ad-
visable for you to make good use of
the natural flow as extensively as
you can to good advantage on your
project and thus have everything in
good shape in the event that some
shortage should be experienced la
ter on in the season."
A letter received from F. A.
Banks written June 4, says:
Il have just returned from Ash
ton, where | discussed the water sup
PLY with Mr.. Markham, superintend-
ent of the Jackson lake reservoir.
From the precipitation records and
the general conditions of the snow
on the ground at this time, the ap-
pearance of the mountains, etc., it
looks as if this year would resemble
fairly closely the year 1918, with re-
spect to runoff. If this is true, we
may expect the reservoir to be full
about July 10, and the release bf
July 10. Of course, it is not alb
solutely certain that the reservoir
will be full on this date or will be
be full at all, but the general condi-
tones of the snow on the watershed
above Moran seem to justify predic-
lions of this kind.
THAT the spring is somewhat
backward is evidenced possibly by
the fact that the ice went out at
Jackson lake on May 81, the latest
of which we have record, while in
1918 it went out on May IL, fifteen
days earlier. Comparing the stage
of the reservoir in 1917-1S with the
present year the indications are that
we might expect waste this year
amounting to something over 200,-
600 acre-feet. While there may not
be a waste of this much, still this in
formation points to probability of
filling the reservoir.
while this information and pre-
diction is probably of little value and
should not be taken in such way as
to create too much optimism, it is
somewhat encouraging, coming as it
does in the path of a year of very
low runoff."
Mr.. Baldwin is the manager of the
Snake river distribution and has
been in the water resource branch of
the government serdice for many
years. Mr.. Banks has been in the
employ of the reclamation service
ever since the Minidoka project was
started. He has devoted his time
to a special study of the Snake river
and it's watershed.
Mr.. Dibble on the 18th said that
| the lower story of the reservoir has
been filled and that, from about the
10th inst. water is being stored in
the upper story of the reservoir or
that portion which impoundsl water
| for the North and South Side Twin
Falls canals. The water is flowing
into the reservoir at the rate of
between ten and twelve thousand
acre-feet per day, and will require
in the neighborhood Of thirty days
to fill the reservoir.
On June II the diversion at Miner
dam at the North Side canal was g.
| 14S second feet, the South Side can
al 1910 second feet, making a total
of 6,65S second feet or 1876 acre
feet per day, showing that while
we are drawing this amount Of wa
ter from the river in natural flow the
Jackson lake reservoir is storing for
these two projects an equal amount
of water to be used later on if nee
essary.