The Caldwell tribune., 1920-01-06
BOISE MAYOR FEARS FOR
future OF CAPITAL CITY

IS up 10 the people OF BOISE to insist
that the proper application of that
water be made to insist with all their
power and energy regardless of who
or what interests may stand in the
way. The people of idaho require the
maximum amount of land and prod
ucts and they surely ought to repu-
date any plans in the application OF
their water resources that will mini
mize the number of possible homes to
be made in the great Snake river val
ley and tributary areas.
Boise and Salmon Water.
| THE unused waters of the Boise
river, if stored and used on the proper
lands, might irrigate 100000 acres if
joined to the Boise United States re-
clamation service project, and it might
also be possible to reclaim $4,000 acres
more adjoining these lands with Sal
mon river waters via a tunnel from
Alturas lake into the south fork of
the Boise river These waters could
be diverted from low level of Arrow
rock dam by a gravity canal, which
would also enable the United States
reclamation service to augment the
New York canal service and fill the
Deer Flat reservoir in the late spring
without danger from ice.
ITO secure the maximum use of the
Payette and Boise river waters re-
quires that the entire Black Canyon
project of approximately 10000 acres
be irrigated exclusively from the Pay
ette river, which has an overabun-
dance of water If stored. 1t would un-
doubtedly be practical to extend this
irrigation system to the dry lands
north of the Payette river, into Pay
cite county. Moreover, it is also
probably feasible to extend this Pay
ette- Black Canyon canal system across
Boise river and perhaps even across
Snake river, high enough to greatly
enlarge the Gem district and other
projects farther down the river. 1t
could very likely supply $4,000 acres
or more of the lower Boise Valley now
irrigated from the Boise river.
Divert Boise Water Elsewhere.
Boise river waters, thus released,
could be applied to lands north and
west of Boise and above the Payette-
Black Canyon project, via the Arrow
rock gravity canal above mentioned
To undertake to reclaim at this time
any more land from these three
streams, Boise, Salmon and Payette
rivers, than as outlined, would involve
so much of high duty of water be-
yond what our courts now recognize
that the high financial aspects of the
proposition would be apparent to any
one and would prevent its consumma-
tion.
Big Possibilities in Snake.
"Now a further word regarding the
peoples land and water resources ad,
joining the Boise project on the east.
It is generally understood that the
unused waters of the Snake river are
about 100000 acre feet, and that
practically all of this can be controlled
through storage reservoir and on the
north side of Snake river, between
american Falls and the Boise United
States reclamation service project as
possibly extended, there are fully a
million acres of land not now irrigated
that can only be irrigated by Snake
river water augmented nominally by
the small creeks between Wood river
and Boise river.
On Lands East of Boise.
Upon these dry lands there are
now living more than 1000 people, and
there are perhaps twice as many more
who have secured title and moved
onto adjoining irrigated tracts-most
OF them i'll Elmore and Ada counties,
and all hoping to get water. There
are also upon these lands county and
state highways costing over $1,000, 900
also there are upon and adjoining
these dry lands hundreds of miles of
railroads, thousands of miles of tele-
phone, telegraph and electric light
wires, costing approximately $4,000
200. There are also nearly 90 siiings
and shipping points. some of large
population, now available, from which
no present or future settler can be
more than one hours auto ride.
Bruneau is Virgin Desert.
"On the other hand, the Bruneau
tract contains scarcely any settlers,
not real wagon road, and not foot
of railroad, telegraph. telephone or
electric light wire; and just because of
these conditions it looks good to the
tOwnSits and Duhl;r ,t;l;tv Drorater