The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-12-03
SETTLEMENT IS
TH0T PROBABLE
IN WATER CASE
Efforts at Cancellation
Expected to Prove Sue
cessful; Project Faces
Improvement.

SAo" 90 WV sAAA SA8A kASAA 0tlOIuCy vi
the Boise project, B. E. Stoutemeyer
covering engagements of the Deer
Flat feeder canal and certain drainage
work on project lands is expected this
morning when the board of directors
of the Payette-Boise Water Users
association meets to consider the
proposition. This proposal will con-
stitute the contract binding the partie.
involved in its complete form. Its
acceptance means that the work will
be undertaken and prosecuted.
Wednesday before Judge F. S. Diet
rich of the federal district court, for
NAL application was made for decree
of the court of Boise project waters
following disagreement over certain
clauses in the first draft of the pro-
posal submitted by Mr.. Stoutemeyer.
While the court was prepared to de-
cree the water as asked, he was re-
luctant to do so, preferring that the
parties agree on the points at issue.
Conference between the respective at
torneys resultd in a continuance of
this matter and Thursday indications
pointed to an agreement that would
make unnecessary this decree.
Compromise Likely.
Certain proposals in the first con-
tract submitted met with opposition
from water users. After Judde Diet
rich had used his influence and ex-
pressed an unwillingness to decree
the water, that an attempt was made
to dispose of some of the provisions
of the agreement which were objec-
tionable. It Is believed here that
while compromise will be necessary,
that the amended form of agreement
will prove satisfactory to both parties
and that enlargement of the New
Yofk canal and appropriation of funds
to further needed drainage will fol-
low
Upon being appealed to for de-
cree. Judge Dietrich indicated that
the Boise project as now constituted
would not get the 26,000-acre feet of
water now in controversy and set
aside by the reclamation service for
use on the Hill Crest project. Recla-
nation officials, however, expressed
the opinion that more than this
amount might be made up to Boise
project users by the enlargement of
the New York canal and construction
of certain drainage works which will
permit the reuse of considerable wa
ter.
Only Chance for improvements.
On the other hand, it is believed
that the reclamation service has for
ever renounced any desire to use So
O0O-acre feet of Arrow Rock storage
for Black canyon lands as it was
originally intended. Informally, the
court expressed the opinion that wa
ter enough to raise two full crops
of alfalfa per annum should be suf-
ficient for Boise project water users
and intimated that his decree would
be based on approximately this
amount for use on project lands.
Mr.. Stoutemeyer indicated that II
the matter must be finally disposed
of through a court decree that the
reclamation service would make no
attempt to continue along the lines Of
improvements Gu the project as pro-
posed in the supplementary agree
ment to be submitted to the board Of
directors Of the water users associ-
atom today. L. J. Magee, secretary
of the water users aassocition, indi-
Gated Thursday that in all likelihood
a mass meeting of project water users
would be called in the near future
to consider supplementary agreement
proposal and that the board of direc.
tors did not feel they should take en-
tire responsibility for entering upon
such An important matter for all the
water users under the project.
Pay Assessments.
Checks in tie hands of Mr.. Magee
Tor payments of the yearly construc-
ton charges on the project were paid
over In the event the new work is
undertaken. its cost will largely eat
up the difference now due water users
on the amounts they have paid and
should have paid under the courts
recent ruling, the latter still unde.
termined Cost of the new work will