The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1923-02-15
MONDAYS WATER MEETING

pointed on January 80 to formulate
amended plans for Snake river con
troll for 1928 and future years.
The Water Users union ha
brought up three main questions al
to the justice of the present system
of control and division of the waters
of Snake river, and these points have
| been recognized as deserving of con
sideration and adjustment. They are
1. The loss of water by seepage
and evaporation between Blackfoo
and Heise.
2. The loss between Heise and the
reservoir.
8. The division of the loss by
evaporation on the reservoir itseli
and the return to the decreed water
users Of the wedge on the lake, com
prised in the grade on the water
level between the head and the foot
of the lake. The loss on the reser-
voir resolves itself into two prob
lens: When the water flowed into
the old lake at the upper reaches, it
then flowed slowly to the foot, or
outlet of the lake. There was a
grade to the lake just as there is a
grade to river that flows, and it
never becomes really level. The
lake in its present condition is said
to be seven feet higher at the head
than at the dam, and the storage
people have always claimed, and
used, all waters on the lake above
the level of the old outlet, when, as
matter of fact, there was always a
wedge-shaped body of water belong
IN 70 al III kc
seven feet thick at the head, and
tapering to nothing at the outlet
This wedge had, then, an average
thickness of three and half feet of
water over the whole surface of the
old lake and it belonged to the de-
creed water rights, so claim the
Water Users union, and they want
to release to the storage interests
only what lies above that.
There was evaporation from that
body of water all summer from June
to September and that has always
been charged to the decreed rights
and is recognized as being right, but
there is a seepage loss and an eva
poration loss from the additional
lake surface created by the storage
and the union claims that
the storage interests are not stand
ing that loss or are. not standing
their share of it.
The loss by evaporation and see
page on the river itself, and especi-
ally the seepage loss, is now in dis
pute since the union has some |
records Of its own for comparison !
with the practice heretofore followed
in the division of the water. The
reclamation service has elaborate
records, but they decline to allow the
Water Users union to see them, so
hey have to go on from year to year
taking measurements, doing again
nent has already done.
The question of seepage is a very
arge one and very complicated
Measurements show that at certain
lines the loss of water from the
stream out into the adjacent country
s tremendous, and under certain
conditions some of it comes back
n. The union sets up some claims
hat they have been standing the
oss of water seeping out and the
forage interests taking it for them
elves when it comes back in at
lifferent stage of the flood or fall of
he water line in the channel.
There is said to be heavy flow of
water thru the bed of the river be-
ween Blackfoot and Woodville, the
vater escaping into the lavabeds
Underlying the valley, and travelling
arallel to the river down the valley
nd coming out at Thousand Springs,
tut branching off in part at many
laces and entering the river at all
UGH places as Thorn Springs, Danil-
on springs and hundreds of other
nlets into the river. The Water
Jsers union act on the belief that
he people having the records and
he expert information make use of
to the advantage of the storage
lterests, accounting to the decreed
lights for all the manifest rights, but
eeping for themselves that which is
OF manifest to the uniformed.
The storage interests take the at
tude of "This is all news to us. We Z
ave been protecting you in the pos
ession and use of all that you said :,
as yours, and if you can show us
lat we have been using some of !,
our water we will deliver it to you d,
hen it is known just what it is" ,
In trying to determine just what :
lat change or difference should be-,
lere comes the clash of theories and :
pinions, and the commission at once {
the need for disinterested :
xpert judgment to be applied to the :,
roblems. The commission consists
nine members, John Pincock and
ohn Hart of the upper section above I
onneville county; John Kelley, A.
Miller and w. o. Cotton, for the {
kelley and Idaho Falls section; w. 1
Sollenberger, of Blackfoot; F. A. I
anks of American Falls represent I
g the government interest; Ivan Z
incoln of Twin Falls and R. E.
lepherd of Jerome for the lower +
ction. Mr.. Cotton is an engineer I
presenting the Water Users union,
Id Mr.. Banks is an engineer repre- y
nting the government interests, .
Id each of them has been looked
1on as authority for what may be
rmed the opposing claimants. If
e commission itself attempted to
'cide it, it would resolve itself into
commission or jury of seven with Y
kwr> ~ L. ill.,