The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-07-27
POWER POSSIBILITIES
OF LOWER SNAKE RIVER
IDAHO'S GREAT RIVER SUBJECT
OF REPORT BY U. S. GEO.
LOGICAL SURVEY.

Thousands of people are familiar
with that part of Snake river which,
for over 800 miles flows in a general
westward course across the plains of
southern Idaho but few have ira
versed the river where il flows north
ward and for 200 miles forms the
boundary between Idaho and oregon
and for 80 miles the boundary be
tween Idaho and Washington
Snake river rises in the southern
part of Yellowstone National Park,
flows southwark for short distance
in northwestern Wyoming, turns and
enters Idaho and flows northwestward
for about 70 miles TO its junction with
Henry's fork At this point it turns
westward and flows in a crescent
shaped course across southern Idaho,
Makes the Desert Bloom.
considerable part of the upper
stretch of the Snake is paralleled by
the main line of the Oregon Short
Line railroad, which follows closely
the route of the old overland caravans
to the northwest. The plains through
which the river flows We're, as late as
1900 little more than barren deserts;
but now, through the utilization of the
waters of the Snake and tributaries,
some parts of them have literally
blossomed. The irrigated tracts in
the Minadoka, King Hill and Boise
developments of the United States
reclamation service. the North Side
and South Side Twin Falls districts
and many smaller diversion and
pumping enterprises amount to more
than 100000 acres, and crops are
raised on them that make Idaho one
of the greatest agricultural states.
Below Homestead. Ore. which is the
end of a branch line of the Oregon
Short line, Snake river has cut
through the mountain ranges that
blocked its path to Columbia river
and flows in a canyon which, though
not so we'll known, so majestic, nor
so Kaleidoscope in color, is in some
respects worthy of comparison with
the grand canyon of the Colorado for
at some places the river flows in
canyon deeper and narrower than the
grand canyon at FL Tovar
Penetrated by Prospectors.
Throughout this stretch the Snake,
unlike the Colorado. can be reached
at many points through the valleys of
tributary streams; and the early
prospectors in this way no doubt
thoroughly explored all parts of the
canyon. To traverse the river be
tween Homestead and Lewiston is,
however. a difficult undertaking, and
though many prospectors have per-
haps made such a trip there are only
a few records of boat journeys
through the canyon from Homestead
to Lewiston.
In May, 1885, at time when the
river was in flood. Capt. w. =. Gray
took the steamer Norma through the
canyon. Stretches of the river have
been mapped by engineers of the
United States army engineer corps
and in 1910 and 1911 reconnaissance
surveys were made by engineers of
the Oregon Washington Railway q
company to determine the
feasibility of constructing railroad
between Homestead and Lewiston.
Develop 10000 Horsepower.
In the summer of 1920 engineers Of
the geological survey made surveys of
the entire river between Huntington
and Lewiston. The results of these !
surveys and of records of stream flow
that have been collected by the geo.
logical survey in cooperation with the |
states of Idaho, Oregon and Washing |
ton. have been put into a preliminary |
report on the power possibilities of
the lower part of the Snake river by |
w. G. Hoyt, hydraulic engineer Unit
ed States geological survey. Mr. |
Hoyt's studies show that more than |
poo. 900 horsepower could be develop |
ed at low water flow. The report |
which is illustrated and accompanied |
BY maps of the river and dam sites is
not yet published bat the manuscript
may be consulted at the offices of the |
United States geological survey at
the interior department building, |
D. c.; at 615 Idaho build
ing, Boise, Idaho; at 4O6 Federal |
building, Tacoma, Wash; and at SOC |
Post Office building Portland, Ore.