The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-11-06

served on the pooling committee and
are members of the Committee OF
Nine. They have found, they as
sert, that many canals which con-
tributed literally this year will be
unable after the late canals have had
an opportunity to purchase storage
rights to protect themselves; then
too, they say, many canals escaped
losses through the exchange agree
mittee of Nine. This exchange
principle is being opposed by some
of the lower valley water users, be-
cause we were able to exchange 225,-
900 acre feet of our early water for
similar amount of their late water.
i Therefore, these men feel that it is
very necessary for this matter of
storage to be considered at the
earliest possible date, SO that it can
be determined whether we shall Sc
cure the best rights in Jackson Lake
or permit them to be purchased by
outsiders.
Here is the letter presented by the
committee to Secretary Work:
Chicago, ILL.,, Oct. 13, 1924.
The Honorable Secretary Of the In
terror, Washington. D. c..
Dear Sir:-The following is a
brief statement of present conditions
and future possibilities of the upper
Snake river valley, Idaho.
In this valley the canals are all
built, the railroads are built, the
cities are built, five large beet sugar
factories are built, twenty-five cheese
factories are in operation, nine
| Touring mills are in operation, we
are raising a large amount Of alfal-
ia and clover seed produced in the
United States, we produce 80 per
cent of all the garden peas raised in
the United States, we ship out 1900
cars of beet sugar, we winter about
100000 head of livestock and feed
about 100000 head of livestock for
market, to say nothing of the wheat,
barley, oats, hay and honey ship
ments, in fact, Idaho Falls as center
of the valley has been reputed the
largest agricultural produce ship
ping point in the United States.
The foregoing is the annual ac-
complishments of our valley at the
present time, but on account of the
severe droughts of 1908, 1910, 1915,
L L
plishing all that we could if our
farmers were sure of sufficient water
each year with which to finish pOta-
the present irrigated area was in
sured by having sufficient storage
water to bring these short water
years up to normal water years,
then the increase in the sugar beet
crop alone, would pay for all of this
water in one year, as shown by the
following figures. Our five sugar
factories have a combined slicing ca
pacity Of 5000 tons daily or 1850
bags of sugar, or an output for a
hundred day campaign Of 100000
bags of sugar, but at present these
mills are only running to about SO
per cent of their possible output,
largely on account of the question of
late water, with which to mature the
beets, hence an ample supply of re-
liable storage water would help to
make possible the production of
$4,000 additional bags of sugar,
representing 1900 cars, or As train
loads of sugar alone, valued at $5,-
100000, to say nothing of the by
products of this increased produc- ,
ton, and this is possible without i,
any additional expenditure for can !,
ais, railroads, buildings, or ma =,
chinery and this production would !
not compete with other farms in the =
United States, also much might be :
said with regard to additional pro- =
luction of our other crops and live =
stock. =
Figures were presented by the .
committee which showed that the
I've counties, Bingham, Bonneville, r
fremont, Madison and Jefferson :,
lave present irrigated area of $780, :,
80 acres with a population of 64,- %
90, property valuation Of S135,- q
1864, and that the average water 9,
sed during 1920 to 1928 in acre .,
eet was 2,711,890. The figures ..
urther showed that the amount :,
ecessary to bring the short water A
ears up to these normal years was 8,
35,450 acre feet, and that the q,
contracted for in 1920, but ~
OF included in the present Ameri- q
an Falls contract, was $4,000 "
ere feet. A
ated from Snake river in the -
lture: IT.
reater Fort Hall Acres NJ
lincoln creek basin.. 1000 ~
uckskin basin .-.......... -, 900 r,
ocatello bench ---- 5000 e,
over irrigation district 1860 g,
over irrigation district $4,000
resto bench district .---.-- 1000 +b
laho Falls, west side 900 ~
laho Falls, east side 5000
ubois project ---225,0 900
Otal possible new lands---421, 500 o.
These new lands when irrigated or
i'll Require approximately 1,600,- av
20 acre feet of water in addition to he