Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04
Hundred Thousand Dollars e
Spent on Maintenance -
Large Siphon Built--Water
Put to Second Use.
BY J. b. BOND.
Project Manager.

Project Manager.
Ceres, the goddess OF the harvest and
irrigation has again scored a most sig
nal victory over one Of mans oldest
enemies. drouth. BY curbing natures
extravagant waste Of precious water
and applying 1t to the thirsty soil the
magic has been applied which has re-
suited in a year Of plenty instead Of the
traditional lean" year to the tillers of
the soil in the Boise valley.
So gradually has irrigation come to
US that 1t seems the most natural thing
in the world to see great fields Of wheat
and oats and wonderful orchards on all
sides of US, and yet just one short sum-
mer without the benefits derived from
irrigation, and the desert would again
claim it's own. for as an enemy the
desert is never vanQuished, never ad-
mits defeat, and only awaits a slight
weakening in the settlers defense be-
fore hurting its fury against the smil-
ing farms and converting them into
whitening. sun baked wastes.
ARRoWRoCk DAM SERVES
PURPOSE.
And irrigation from the natural flow
of the streams has not sufficed. Ma
ture has been too prodigal for that, and
1t has remained for the ingenuity of
man to put q check on her recklessness
and by means of reservoirs conserve
water that would have otherwise been
lost and no more fitting monument to
this endeavor car be found than that
visualixed in ArTowrock dam. This
structure. $50 feet high and 1900 feet
long, linking with bond Of solid rock
the mountains on either side Of the
Boise river, has impounded sufficient
water to flood 100000 acres of land to
a depth of one foot, and cost in round
numbers four and three quarters mill
lions Of dollars, and was dedicated on
Oct. 4, 1915, the past season being
the fifth to receive benefits from it.
While this dam has been constructed
to last for all time it has earned WON
derful dividends in its five short years
OF existence. In fact, 1t has been esti-
mated that its entire cost, four and
three quarters millions has been saved
to the Boise valley during the season
of 1919 alone.
SAVES THE CROPS.
This latter statement may be more
readily understood when attention is
called to the fact that last year during
the irrigation season the Boise river
experienced the lowest flow on record;
in fact, the flood water was exhausted
so far as the Boise project was con-
cerned by June 10, and from that date
on until harvest each precious drop
NCntCiCu W tHc AdIiu Represented tldl
much stored during the early spring
run-off. Had 1t not been for this stored
water supply thousands OF farmers
would have faced bankruptcy. and
10000 acres of land would have pro-
duced practically nothing beyond
single cutting of hay. Oats, wheat and
corn would have withered without COM
ing to head; meadows would have re-
sembled the brown sand of the sea
shore instead Of soft green carpets, and
all overlooked by the trees, bare of
leaves, and holding aloft medals in the
shape of half grown, unripened fruit,
mute witnesses to the successful inva-
sion of the desert.
In addition to the project 10000
acres Of additional lands are dependent
on project storage to supplement the
flow of the river would have had but
a scant supply during the summer
months. and would have suffered enor-
nous crop loss had 1t not been for the
reservoir supply.
FUNDS INSUFFICIENT.
Owing to insufficient funds the
United States reclamation service has
confined its endcRyors in 1919 largely
to the operation and maintenance Of
the local project, although some con-
struction work has been done.
The largest item OF construction was
that In connection with the develop
ment OF 5000 acres OF land lying north
and west Of Caldwell. being part OF the
original Black Canyon aggregation. 1t
IL planned to furnish water for this
land as soon as funds are available
to complete the work. Eight miles of
canal have been completed on this ven
4 70, puy11f at HAM mn Eaf