The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-01-04
OUR RESERVOIR ELECTION

OUR RESERVOIR ELECTION
The election to be held on January
16 to authorize the creation of the
super irrigation district is open to
all voters in the district, and merely
authorizes the appointment of the
commission to keep the project alive
while they in company with the Of
ficials of the United States reclama-
ton service figure out what is de-
sired, what it will cost, how the
contract shall read if work is car
ried forward, and then when all de-
tails are agreed upon by them, it
will be submitted to the people living
in the district and owning the lands
on which the proposed stored water
shall be used, and they alone will be
permitted to vote upon the question
of whether or not the enterprise
shall be undertaken. That question
will be voted on at some time in the
! future when we may know great
deal more than we do now about
what we can accomplish.
Many reasons why the American
Falls Reservoir District should be
formed, are cited by the committee
chosen to place all available infor-
nation regarding the issue, before
the citizens of the district.
The committee is composed of
reclamation service engineers, gov
eminent attorneys, and state Of
ficials familiar with the irrigation
history of the state. Data for the
report is. taken from the reports of
canal company boards of the Snake
river valley, official statistics re-
garding shortages and purchases of
past years, and from official data
gathered by the United States recla
nation service.
While it Is recognized that there
may be a difference in some minds
as to the proper policy to pursue,
there is a general agreement as to
the facts involved. Some of these
facts are set forth in the report of
the impartial committee, as follows:
The Cost
The present plans call for thel
construction of reservoir of $780,
900 acre feet capacity, the estimated
cost of which is Sc per acre foot. If
the AberdeenSpringfield tract pur-
chases one-half an acre foot per
acre as now contemplated the cost
to this tract will be SO per acre. As
Stunning that per cent bonds can be
sold at par, the standard irrigation
district bond would require a pay
ment of about IS cents per acre for
the first ten years and about AZ cents
per acre for the next ten years. If
desired, the first five years interest
can be funded into the, principal and
refunding bonds issued to extend the
payments over forty instead of
twenty years.
Both the Arrow Rock and jack
son Lake Reservoirs were con-
structed by the reclamation service
for less than the estimated cost.
Immediate Benefits
Each dollar of outside money put
into circulation in this community
will pay several dollars worth of
debts and improve conditions gen.
orally.
Any section tied in with this
advertised reservoir is
bound to benefit immensely by its
and any section having
a periodical water shortage will suf-
fer a handicap continuously unless
steps are taken to provide against
1t.
An increase in population and
wealth will assist in reducing taxa
ton.
Freight rate reductions can be
more easily secured; for competi-
ton in transportation will seek COM
munities where production and gen.
eral activities justify it. 1t is a
grave question: in many minds
any additional transporta-
lion will be provided for this Sec
lion unless additional population
and unfailing production is assured.
Water insurance enters prominently
nto this phase Of the subject.
The Time is Opportune
We find from official sources that, {
1T the present time, there is pending
before the federal power commission I
IN application by Pacific coast
power company for permit to de- s
yelop over 100000 horse power on I
he lower Snake river. The con- g
of this plan would i
prevent further irrigation t
development on Snake river or any |
If it's tributaries unless the Ameri- S
AN Falls reservoir is constructed in
h very near future. i
Irrigation district bonds are now /
alable at very reasonable rate of a
interest. The market, however, a
nay be very seriously affected if,
'efore the bonds are issued, the con- a
is amended, as now pro- v
osed, to make these bonds taxable. v
IL i