The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-12-28


water is depleted to whatever
amount Of return flow we were re-
ceiving at that time.
An investigation made on the
river after the irrigation season of
1919 reveals some peculiar facts,
for instance; the loss between the
Great Feeder and Texas Slough
shows as 20 per cent; between the
Texas Solugh and Lorenzo, as 5 per
cent, while a net gain of 1877 second
feet is recorded between Lorenzo
and Woodville. Also an apparent
net gain was recorded between
Heise and the Great Feeder, as we'll
as a gain of little better than 100
second feet below the last diversion
in the district, and the Blackfoot
gauging station. 1t seems significant
that the only item in this investiga-
ton that was taken cognizance of in
the distribution of water was the
100 second feet of return flow be-
low the last diversion on the river,
which the advisory board allowed to
be appropriated by the Twin Falls
country. l do not doubt their right
to this water, but is hardly in keep
ing with their treatment of those
below the Minidoka tract, as they
claim and get credit for the return
flow after they can no longer divert
it. .
We have seen the transportation
losses reduced from around 20 per
cent to 6 per cent without giving us
any reasonable excuse for so doing.
For a number Of years they set an
arbitrary loss on the stored water
between Blackfoot and Heise at Sh
per cent. If that loss was correct
why change it to per cent and run
it at that figure for three years?
And if 6 per cent was the correct
loss why change it to 8 per cent
this year?
Getting the extra per cent trans
portation loss this year was a big
factor. We received $4,000 acre
feet more water than we did las
year and as the stored water inter
ests admittedly were not charged al
much loss as they sustained in 1921
and 1921, then it is fair to assume
that we we're entitled to the same
consideration in 1920 and 1921 tina
we received in 1922.
| For the first five years that storet
water was run in the river we wer'
allowed no return flow, after tina
time we were given return flow II
varied amounts, while now we ar
receiving about 1000 second feet o
1000 acre feet per day. Take tina
for six irrigation seasons that W
were deprived of it and it woul'
make quite a tidy sum and tn
evaporation from Jackson Lake
yet to be heard from.
The honorable commissioner o
reclamation says, that so long as W
have no more data on the river tina
we have at present, that we vii
have to use empirical methods i
setting losses. The only definit
figures ever given on losses betwee
Moran and Heise were those of MI
LaRue and they were never mad
public, altho Mr.. LaRue said in
! letter that they were 10 per cen
: Now, it seems that after having ru
the stored water in the river fC
fourteen years, no one seems
know what the transportation losse
should be. Don't you think that
is about time that commissio
; composed of engineers, representa-
D both the stored water and naturs
water interests, be appointed to d.
termine these losses and quit guess
J, ing at them? Or il we must COZ
: tinue to guess at them, let us do
part Of the guessing!
The necessity for losing no tim
) in getting supplemental DEGREES ft
t our food water RICH was taken U
g as follows:
3 The matter of supplemental d
y crees is very important in this W
T ley, and while the records show VET
S few days, even with un-restricte
q access to the river where the con
u bined diversions of the valley wei
Z in excess of our total decree, stl
there are good many canals whic
:, in order to properly irrigate the
. lands, find it necessary to dive
II flood waters in addition to the
: decree; then there are other cana
l. with ample DEGREES who do not fir
e it necessary to draw their fu