The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-30

will be above American Falls or be-
ow it. AS 1t stands at present the
major portion would be above Ameri-
can Falls not counting the part
which the government is to take
which will have no vote. If the peo-
pie above American Falls do not take
very much Of the storage right and
more people below American Falls
can and do subscribe for it, then the
majority of the stock would be
owned below American Falls, but the
government would still be the con-
trolling power.
Greater Fort Hall Project
The entrance of the greater Fort
Hall project into the storage pro-
position is for this purpose that the
water in the Blackfoot reservoir may
be conducted thru mountain range
into the Bancroft territory and the
lands in the Snake river valley on
the Indian reservation can take
rights In the American Falls reser-
voir and receive their water from
the Jackson Lake reservoir. II the
Greater Fort Hall project enters for
storage rights 1t forms an Organiza-
ton of its own which finances itself
in its own way for the reason that
the rest of the territory made up OF
more or less improved farms does
not care to 60 in on an equality with
the Greater Fort Hall project which
will be made up with unimprOved
farms. This is done as precaution
to protect the old settlers from the
possibility Of having to pay off any
of the bonds for the new settlers
who might quit their claims. This il
not considered likely and there
would be a double security, for the
water Is worth. the price and always
will be worth that much or more and
the land is worth the price. But tc
save the possibility Of the old settlers
having to pay any money at all and
take property they do not care fol
and put it on the market, the Fort
Hall project will be required tt
finance itself Independently and will
not go in on the bond election.
The Dubois Project
There is enough water by storing
at American Falls to water all Of the
Dubois project and after it had done
service on the Dubois project and in
the upper valleys the return flow OF
about 80 per cent of it returning to
the river could be stored again or
used again on the lower reaches of
the Snake river and the Bruneau pro-
ject is one of the large ones that
seeks the use of it. If we should
suspend operations on the American
Falls project and the Bruneau peo-
pie should appropriate the water and
demand that it be allowed to run
thru to them then we could not
come in at some future time and
store the water and hold it year
when they demanded the direct trip
thru to their land. If we do the stor-
ing first 80 per cent of the water can
be made to serve at least twice in the
state.
Until all the old farms have had
a chance to have all the storage
water they want no sales will be
made of the storage water to new
land. This is to protect the old set
tiers so that they may have all the
water they want and then whatever
there is left after they have had OPP
portunity to apply for storage rights
will be open to appropriation by the
owners of new land. Different parts
of the Jackson reservoir are Of diff
ferent values according to what part
Of the reservoir the water lies In.
There is what is called the bottom
layer of water, the middle layer, and
the top layer, and if there should be
a series Of dry years when the res
ervoir did not fill to the top layer,
then the owners Of the top layer of
water would not have any for use in
such circumstances.
Those who make their application
first for storage rights in the Ameri-
can Falls reservoir will have their
application filled from the Jackson
Lake reservoir first and those that
apply later will have their orders
filled later and somebody will have
to take the top layers which have
the element Of danger that we have
just mentioned. The Jackson Lake
storage reservoir was built at three
different periods. First the log crib
dam being made across the outlet of
Jackson Lake storing one layer of
water, that layer cost only about 81
an acre foot, and has since been
rented at 81 year, so that it pays
up every year by rental. After few
years when they saw how successful
and profitable it was, they put in
more substantial log crib dam stor-
ing a great deal more water costing
about 50 per foot. After they saw
how profitable that was they built
the large concrete dam at cost of
about So per acre foot, and that rent
very redily at 81 per foot per year