Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-06-23
REPORT FAVORS
RECLAMATION
GOVERNMENT ENGINEER SPEAKS
WELL OF KOOTENAI VALLEY
DRAINAGE PROJECT
WOULD INCLUDE INDIAN LANDS
Believes Benefits Would Far Surpass
Cost of the Work.

A. j. Kent is in receipt of a copy
of the report submitted by L M Holt
of Yakima, Wash, following his in
vestigation into what effect the drain
age of the Kootenai valley would have
upon Indian lands here. Mr. Holt
is supervising engineer of the north
west department of the u. S. Indian
Irrigation and Drainage Service, and
submitted his report to the commits
sioner of Indian affairs at Washing
ton, d. c.
Mr.. Holt was at Bonners Ferry sew
eral weeks ago and made personal
examination of the matter In response
to instructions from Washington. His
report speaks favorably of the drain
age project and says it would benefit
very materially the lands affected In
part the report is as follows:
"Thirty-nine Indian allotments will
be affected by the drainage of the
Kootenai valley lands of which area
800 acres is classed as swamp land
affecting part of twenty-six alIot-
aggregating some 2,246 acres are af-
fected during high water. Some of the
highest are not covered every year.
"The lands are very productive when
not flooded as shown by some of the
crops produced | heard of yields for
wheat as high as 72 bushels per acre,
potatoes 20 tons and ensilage 40 tons
to the acre and saw photographs il
lustrating the same.
"The land is we'll worth reclaiming
and | believe that for complete drain
age and protection it could we'll stand
an acreage cost of $4,000. | was in
formed by farmers in the vicinity of
Bonners Ferry that in their opinion 1t
would have value of $4,000 per acre
with complete reclamation. Even with
value of only $4,000 per acre it
could stand a cost as high as $4,000
per acre.
II understand that the assessments
for benefits will be based on the loca-
tion of the land, whether or not it is
swampt continually or periodically
For example the land swampt contin-
ually might have to pay $4,000 per acre
while that flooded once in three years
would have to pay $1,000 per acre and
that flooded every year $4,000 per acre.
or some similar scheme, depending of
course on the entire cost
The following is quotation from a
British Columbia report on Kootenai
Flats reclamation, giving total acreage
of 77,204 acres of which $4,000 acres
are in Idaho.
"It is believed that the lands can be
reclaimed at a cost of about $500 per
acre Such an expenditure would re-
claim a large proportion of the acre
age, which could then be brought into
production. In succeeding years ex-
penditure would need to be made on
internal drainage works on the flats
themselves until finally the whole area
would be reclaimed and placed under
cultivation. After the construction of
the controlling dam, which would
probably mean a charge of about $500
per acre, it would be advisable to carry
out the work in stages, at first ex-
pending a sum equivalent to only a
small charge per acre and noting the
effect on the high water The infor-
nation gained will be of value in de-
termining future works and their
carrying out in every succeeding stage.
The Hon. John Oliver, minister of ag-
riculture for the Province of British
Columbia has expressed himself as of
the opinion that reclamation would be
an economical proposition at $500
per acre. 1t is considered that a con-
servative valuation of this land when
reclaimed, based on its productiveness,
would be $4,000 per acre Without
doubt. these lands will stand for very
high reclamation charge in the course
- 1w.A - Il.
portance that such charges should be
levied so that production may be able
to meet them as they fall due, after
making all allowances for crop and
other failures incidental to farming
and beyond control by the human
agency
81 approve of the method outlined
in the above quotation. Build the con-
trolling works at the outlet. arm of
the lake first and after that do the
work as required
I'm view of the fact that the state of
Idaho and British Columbia are to have
conference soon and which may last
for some time / am making no definite
recommendations. III the results of the
conference show the project to be rea-
sonable l believe the Indian lands
should come in in accordance with
benefits that would be derived.
Three methods have been suggested
for handling the matter:
Il. The disposing of part of each
allotment to pay for draining the part
retained
y. Leasing the land and paying
drainage costs out of the rentals.
3. Getting congressional appro-
priation to pay for the drainage as
sessments.
"The last method would undoubtedly
be the most satisfactory.
Something should be done to make
it possible for these Indian allotmeats
to be productive"