The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-30
STATEMENT TO ST0CKH0LD.
ERS OF CANAL COMPANIES

STATEMENT TO STOCKHOLD-
ERS OF CANAL COMPANIES
So many misleading statements
are being made in regard to the pro.
posed big irrigation district design.
ed to finance participation On the
American Falls project so it can be
constructed, we believe the follow.
ing will be informative and answer
questions that are being asked.
This district is purely financing
district, and it will be so set up in
the petition. It will have nothing
whatever to do with existing canal
companies, no voice in their opera
ton or maintenance, and 1t will alb.
sorb no existing water rights MOI
interfere in any way with them
The sole water rights of the dis.
trict will be storage rights in the
American Falls reservoir.
It is contended by some that the
big district could legally take over
--operty and existing water rights
wen IL it should have that power
',ere is not a chance for it to do so.
s',ch a district could do nothing
without the approval of two-thirds
majority. If it should be proposed
by anyone to take over any canal
system 1t could only be done by out
right purchase, which would involve
the Issuance of bonds. 1t would Ibe
utterly impossible for such a pro-
posal to carry. There would be no
advantage to the district in owner
ship OF any canal unit within its
boundaries, and such a suggestion
would receive no support whatever.
The same thing is true Of water
rights. Any existing water rights
could he taken over only through
purchase by the big district. The
big district, being amply supplied
with water from the American Falls
project, would have no need for any
additional natural flow rights.
1t is plain to be seen, therefore,
that the transformation given out
along these lines is akin to a bug-a-
boo.
For reasons stated, the big dis
trict would not be permitted to en-
gage in any additional reservoir en-
terprises. In the first place the
American Falls will absorb all the
rights on the river that have not
previously been appropriated. There
will Ibe no need for additional res
ervoir capacity to serve the district,
which would be already supplied
from American Falls, and, therefore,
there could be mo benefit to anyone.
Consequently there could be no legal
means of assessing benefits to any
property within the district.
AS to distribution of water among
individuals now having natural How
from their respective canal compan-
les. and who at present have differ
ent amounts of water available 10
them under their ownership OF STOCK
in said companies, there are no COM
plications possible.
The distribution of storage water
would be in proportion to the needs
of the individual as stated to the
directors of the big district at the
proper time. If man should be SO,
short-sighted as to say he desired no
storage water he would not have to
pay for it. There would he mo ben
efits to him and there could be no
assessment to him for his share of
the principal and interest on the big
district bonds. Insofar as this in
formation is available, such persons
would not he included in the dis
trict to start with. Those needing
storage water and indicating the
amount would simply pay for the
amount OF storage water their dec
laration indicates they need, and
they would be furnished this. In
other words, each user of storage
water would pay for just what he
1OIs / AC dbSCScuAOAtt3 'WouAN
be levied in proportion to the bene-
fits.
There seems to fbe no question that
every canal system in the upper
Snake River Valley needs this stor-
age. Many Of them have already
for same.
We are not trying to force any
into the district, but we
giving the contracting parties the
first opportunity. If any indicates
it does not desire to be in, it will,
Of course, not be included. If none
of the upper Snake River Valley
companies should come in, there
would still be applications for more
storage water from what is left Of
the proposed big district than was
originally contracted for.
However, we feel that every COM
pany on the river above American
Falls will want this storage water
and will desire to come into the dis
trict so soon as it knows the facts.
We have not yet had opportunity to
present them and all we ask is that
opportunity, after which the stock
holders in each company can act, we