The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-02-17
DUBOIS PROJECT.

0OA II
and Butte counties, held in Idaho
Falls recently, the Dubois Project
Finance Association was formed fol
the purpose of securing the local
support and backing necessary to in
sure y government investigation as
to the feasibility of the project.
Those who have been working on
the project have secured a PROPOSE
ton from the federal government to
the effect that II $4,000 is raised
locally in the communities interest
ed, the government will put up a
similar amount for a thorough sur
vey and investigation. 4
A central committee OF five has
been named, the members of which
will name local committees in the
various counties. The counties of
Eastern Idaho and the state are ex-
pected to give some aid to the fund
80 that the total amount to be rails
ed by popular subscription will be
cut down to a comparatively small
figure.
The central committee ia compos-
ed of H. g. Austin and G. F. Church.
i'll of Bonneville county; John w.
Hart, Jefferson county: s. X. Clark
Of Clark county and w. w. Brown Of
Butte county.
With the prospects for a govern
ment survey of the Dubois project
seemingly assured, provided the pro-
per support is forthcoming locally
the group Of men who have stayed
with the proposition and fought for
1t day in and day out for the past
" years, see hopes Of their
dreams coming true. Twenty years
ago the Dubois pro,ec. came to life
and in 1903 the government made
some investigations Of it, but the
plan seemed to die out for a time
and lay almost dormant until about
eve years ago, when it was again
great vision of the days when the
life-giving water from the mountain
streams could he brought to the
great arid plains lying southwest Of
Dubois, and fertile fields stretch
across the vast expanse then covered
only with sa%ge-brush and peopled
with jack rabbits.
Interest was drawn to the project
and many settlers came to home
stead land upon it,. They went into
the s~agelbrush, built their sh,acks,
grubbed out the requirements for
proving up and today over so per
cent of the land has been homestead
ed. Buoyed up by the hope that
some day they would get water,
these settlers have fought a hard
battle. Their determination, coup
group Of men who have built the
hustling little town of Dubois and
carved out the great commonwealth
of Clark county, has kept the Du-
bois project alive. One of this group
OF men, who has been particularly
active, is Captain D. T. Murphy, a
civil engineer, who saw the possi-
bilities Of the Dubois project when
he landed in that country eve
years ago, and who has spent the
greater part of his time for the past
seven years at WORK upon the task
of securing and presenting data on
it.
Captain Murphy was in Idaho
Falls recently, and from him the fol-
lowing information was gained,
which clearly sets forth what the
Dubois project is and what 1T will
result in to the benefit of Idaho and
the west:
Reclaim 255, 900 Acres.
The Dubois project would water
$4,000 acres out of the Island Park
reservoir, located in Island Park.
The overflow would supply water for
10000 acres ito the Mud Lake and
other pumping projects and the
drainage arrangement would supply
rim of Mud Lake basin, making a
total of 255,O00 acres that will be
watered.
The main canal as outlined in the
old Investigations by the govern
ment came a long and costly route
to the point Of distribution. Cap
tain Murphy has surveyed a new
route involving a tunnel through
the Big Bend range over a line run
ming due east from Island Park and
connecting with Camas creek, rs
miles from the park. The water
would run via Camas creek on thru
some old water courses which are
available without any expense, to
the head of the project-three miles
south of Dubois. Much of the wa
ter can then be distributed through
o+hor Sotrro1 watnrwavo SO tho az tho
canal construction is reduced to the
minimum.
Reservoir in Island Park.
The water supply has been filed
on in the Island Park country and
1t would be impounded I'M a reser-
voir 6 miles dong by 4 miles wide.
The contour of the land is such that
the reservoir could be built at no
very great cost. The tunnel thru