The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-03-27
IMPORTANT WATER
MEETING MONDAY

4 MEETING MONDAY
Members of the committee of min,
appointed a year ago to work on tn,
problems of the division of tn,
waters Of Snake river as between tn,
stored rights and the natural rights
ask for the publication of the follow
wing article; and express the hope
that business and professional men
as well as farmers shall attend the
meeting at Idaho Falls next Monday
March 81:
The public generally do not seem
to understand that the big water
meeting which met in Idaho Falls
March 3, was adjourned until March
81, at which time 1t is expected that
Mr.. Meeker will again come to Idaho
Falls for the purpose of explaining
his report to the water users. 1t Is
not expected that water users will be
prevented from discussing this re-
port at the meeting, and, as grave
as the water situation looks at this
time it will behoove every water
user or person who depends on the
waters users for his business, to be
present and find out what may be
done with the question which affects
than any other question which could
be brought up at this time.
Mr.. Meeker was employed by the
Committee of Nine, which committee
represents all water users in district
SO, for the purpose of reporting on
Snake river problems and making
recommendations whereby a more
satisfactory distribution of the water
could be made. This engineer has
put in seventy-five days on this work
and he has been paid $2239.24 out
of your money, and here are some of
his recommendations, which will be
up to you to accept or reject.
recommendations for 1924
1. That storage water be charged
21a per cent loss, Moran to Heise,
100 miles.
That storage water be charged IL
per cent loss, Heise to WoOdville, SO
miles.
That storage water be charged 6
per cent loss, Woodville to BlackfOOt
40 miles.
2. That river loss and gain meas
urements be conducted from Butte
Bridge to Woodville.
3. That river loss and gain meas
urement be conducted from Wood |
vile to Blackfoot.
4. That these river loss and gain
measurements be carried out by the
regular organization under direction |
of deputy commissioner OF reclama-
ton.
s. That all bitches over twenty
five sec. It. diverting from Snake
river between Heise and Miner be
Equipped at the owners expense. with
automatic cages by May first.
6. That during the irrigation sea-
BON of 1924 a daily bulletin of river
how, reservoir storage, canal diver
6ion, and reservoir runs, in water
district SO, be issued by the Idaho
Falls office, and one copy be mailed
to each ditch company.
Z. Some minor adjustment should
be made in reservoir operation at
jackson Lake to cover lag of about
one week in reservoir bank storage
return to Offset evaporation losses In
extremely dry years, when reservoir
bank storage return does not equal
natural lake storage plus evapora-
ton charges, and to cover channel
losses across Snake river cone In ex-
treme low water years OF the charac-
ter of 1905, 1915 and 1919, when
water is run early In June.
Now a brief comment on each OF
the Meeker recommendations may
aid In a realization of just what
these recommendations mean to
every citizen of the upper Snake
river valley, whether he Is In store. !
office. or on the farm, for farming
with inadequate water is similar to
banking with inadequate money and
the final results are about the same,
and busted farmers are not con-
ducive of good business. II
In commenting on Mr.. Meeker's
relative to losses IN
storage water from
Jackson Lake to Blackfoot, we might U
say that this same charge OF n per
cent loss has been made against
storage water from Moran to He1se q
since 1916, and according to the I
BEST records available, the natural \
vater users have been deprived OF q r
treat deal Of water that they use to i
ret before Jackson Lake was used as h
! large storage reservoir. on account
If this arbitrary figure of n per '
,ent loss. For instance 1905 was O
he lowest year in history and as q
here was no artificial control on the t
liver at this time, we are sure that :
III water was natural water. AND
iuring July and August OF 1905
here was 100000 acre It, OF water
AVAILABLE for use at Heise. Now COM
,are this with 1919 which was
Ter cent higher type of year than l,
1905. but storage water was being t
nm in the river and during. July q