The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-08-06
UPPER RIVER
FARMERS WRONCED
Claim of Rgby Writer;
Thinks Water Should
Be Plentiful

Be Plentiful
George E. Hill of Rigby thinks the
engineers Of the Twin Falls area
Of Idaho are conspiring to nullify
water rights of upper Snake river
valley farmers. He writes as fol-
lows to tn Idaho Falls Times:
1--WE all had hoped and been led
to believe, that there would be plen-
ty Of water this season, and there
would be no necessity Of re-enacting
the unpleasant experiences we pass
cd through last summer, but it seems
we are to be disappointed. 1t is
reported the Enterprise canal has
been very materially cut in its need
ed water already, and one of the
canals in the Rudy country has been
largely shut Oft, by those who have
charge of the distribution of our ir-
rigation water.
II spent last Saturday in the upper
country and visited Salt river, Grays
river and also fished in the Grand
canyon of the South fork of Snake
river. All of these streams are very
high. The South fork is so high
that fishing is almost out of the
question. The extra large volume
has made the water very riley. l
talked with old settlers living on
the Salt river, near it's mouth, and
they said this stream and Grays riv-
er are higher now than they have
ever seen them before at this time
of the year. They claim this is due
to the heavy SHOWS that fell during
the latter part of the winter, and
particularly in April, which brought
the supply up to normal ,and the
cold, late spring that followed. In
other words, the spring weather was
such that it handled the melting
SHOWS in such manner as to hold
the water back, the ground was not
frozen and it found it's way to the
river through underground chan
nels instead OF being quickly run off
over the surface, and there should be
plenty of water this summer. l am
informed the same condition is true
of the river above the Jackson lake
and the other streams that are now
emptying their contents into the riv-
er that make up the natural flow
II am confident that the Hoback
river, Grays river and Salt river are
discharging enough water into the
South fork to supply this country
north of Shelley with all the water it
needs this year, to say nothing of
the South fork above the lake and
the other streams and springs that
flow into Jackson lake, Fish river,
Pacific creek, Buffalo creek and the
Gros Venture rivers that empty. into
the South fork in Jackson's hole be-
low the dam; and Fall creek, Pali-
sade, Rainey, Pine, Bear creek, Nc
Coy, Indiana, Elk, Blacks canyon
and Burns creek that enter the riv-
er this side of Grand canyon, and
the dozen or more other creeks and
seepage water that finds it's way in
to the river this side of the Jackson
dam.
"Mr. A. G. Baldwin was in Twin
Falls last week on business and
friends took him out to the Shoshone
falls to show him this great attrac-
tion. He made the remark, There
is no water going over the falls now
is there? I thought all the water
was being used for irrigation"
He was informed that there was
considerable volume of water going
over the Minidoka and Miner dams
: not needed now in those countries
for irrigation. To his surprise he
found large volume of water going
over the falls and he concluded that
as all the canals in the Twin Falls
country were bank full and crops,
in fine condition, none of them suf-
fering for want of water, that there
would be no cut in the water up
here.
William J. Chandler of Ririe was
down in the Minidoka country last
week and he reports large volume
of water going over both the dams
and the canals there as full of water
as they could possibly hold. He re-
furned and fOund some of tha canals