The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-12-22
OF MEETING OF
NORTH FORK WATER USERS

charge of the delivery and distribu-
ton of water, but we are after 4
change in the system. The commits
sioner of reclamation looks to the
natural water user to ask for what
we consider right, but since approxi-
mately 5000 second cubic feet of ma
tural water is used below American
Falls and is usually voted at the wa
ter master election in March by three
men and the 1000 second feet of ma
tural water used in the Idaho Falls
section is voted by about so men, it
is absolutely necessary that the natu-
raj water users in this section get
together and find out what is for our
best interest, instead Of allowing the
three men. with 5000 second feet to
defeat our best interests when we re-
present 10000 second feet, but are
divided into 60 parts instead Of 3.
G. H. DeCamp being called upon,
talked on return flow, transportation
losses, and gave a graphic descrip-
ton of what has happened to the
natural water in this valley. Mr.. De-
Camp stated that the stored water in
~terests had charged the Twin Falls
north side 33 1-3 per cent transporta-
ton loss: that losses in the last ten
years had fallen from % per cent to
6 per cent and as their losses decreas-
ed, our increased. He asked If S12
per cent loss between Heise and
woodville was correct in 1916 to 1918
why cut it to 6 per cent from 1918
to 1921? And If 6 per cent raj cor
rect in 1921, what was the impelline
motive that caused them to raise 1t to
9 per cent in 1922? None of these
questions were answered.
In 1921 the lower valley was short
Of water and we turned down to them
2 1000 acre feet, at that time they had
800, 900 acre feet of water stored in
the Jackson Lake reservoir, to water
100, 600 acres Of land or a little bet
ter than two acre feet to the acre. In
1919 they had 500, 900 acres under cul-
tivation; with GAO, 900 acre feet Of wa
ter stored in Jackson Lake, 1902, OO(
Of which was owned by the canals in
the upper valley and which now has
a market value at 1900, 900. This
left them $4,000 acre feet with which
to water this land or a little better
than one acre foot to the acre They
had sufficient water to take care OF
all their land and had water to rent
to US at $1.0O per acre foot.
Mr.. DeCamp closed his remarks By
saying that he had no fault to fine
with the special deputy in charge D.
the stored water, but that he advo-
Gates a change in the system Of dis
tribution.
Deputy Commissioner Baldwin wa.
then called upon to talk. Mr.. Bald
win first made it clear to the meet
ing that he as an administrative Off
Ger would not argue for or agains
the union, but that some statement.
or presentations had been mad
which he wanted to explain. First
was the reference made to his 1917
1918 report on transmission losse
from jackson Lake to Heise. I'll
union has said that they were 8 pc
cent in 1917 and 5 per cent in 1911,
but l can't read any such thing II
these reports. / said the losses wer
small and with d.. G. Martins per
mission l will read what he say
about Mr.. Cotton's interpretation
Mr.. Martin shows where Cotton ha
taken an average of all the test
made to get his average Hut hat i
all short period runs or f1uctuation
are eliminated the loss would be 2.
per cent on the long period. Cotto,
in answering this said that it is tru
Mr.. Baldwin did say these losses wer
small but that he did not say in wha
comparison they were small, whethe
he had in mind 200 per cen or so pc
} cent but some of these losses run a
high as 20 per cent. and in answer t
Mr.. Martins analysis of the reDor
l Cotton said it would not be fair t
! the short period fluctuations frol
. the report as the storage water pee
t pie are using the river for an equal
l ization basin instead of using thci
= own Lake Walcott for this purpOs
and when they have 5000 second fee
/. in the river and for some reason the
t only want 1000 they cut off 5000 SEE
ond feet at Jackson Lake and dow
!. goes the river. then possibly in thrc
days they need more water and the
: increase the flow to 5000 second fe,
. and up goes the river. each tim