The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-11-06
Permanent Solution Of
Water Question Sought

A scheme whereby the uppe
Snake river valley water users ma,
eliminate the controversy which ha
obtained between the upper ant
lower sections of the valley on tn,
division of natural flow and Jackson
Lake storage water by purchasing
storage in the Jackson Lake reser
voir, has been proposed by w. o
Cotton, who with R. E. Shepherd o.
Jerome and John Kelley of Shelley
have just returned from a trip t.
Washington during which they
presented the plan to Secretary
Hubert Work, of the department Of
the interior.
The plan, which involves the prin-
ciple of the lower valley users ex-
changing their storage rights in
Jackson Lake for additional storage
space in the new American Falls
reservoir, to be constructed at the
expense of the upper valley water
users, received sincere consideration
from DR.. Work, who suggested a
plan for the upper valley farmers
participation in this storage.
The committee of three, Cotton,
Kelley and Shepherd, which left here
October II for Washington, made
the trip with the idea of getting the
department of the interior to in
crease the storage space in the
American Falls reservoir from L.
100000 feet, as the specifications
now call for to 100000 acre feet
They had hoped to persuade the
government to offer the upper Snake
river valley farmers the privilege of
signing contracts for the needed
storage with the same options as
we're carried in the 1916 contracts
for Jackson Lake storage; that is a
nat price for cash, the same price
plus per cent for payment over
ten year period, and third option
permitting payment over a period of
20 years.
With this increase of 100000
acre feet granted, Mr.. Cotton assert
ed, the cost to everyone participant
ing in its advantages would be re-
duced from 81 per acre foot, as the
estimate now stands, to between
$3.50 and IS per acre foot or a saw
ing of practically 1920 an acre foot
at the same time practically assur-
ing the withdrawal of the lower
valley from the water impounded
up here and eliminating the contest
over the water which becomes acute
every dry year, and dry years, Mr.
Cotton points out, occur at intervals
of about five years.
And since the government in
tends to use about 100000 acre feet
OF the water impounded for the
North Side Minidoka Pumping pro-
ject," said Mr.. Cotton, cit was the
expectation that the government
would be very much interested in
saving about million dollars, and
more especially when the added cost
OF right of way and construction of
the 100000 acre feet reservoir
over the cost of the 100000 acre
feet, is only about 100000. This
of course sounded well to the secre- |
tary Of the interior, but he pointed |
out that the government is not per-
mftted to speculate, nor to buy
something simply because it is
cheap.
His answer was like this: I'll
there are enough canal companies
who are in need of this 100000 acre
feet Of water, and will put up the
100000, the difference in cost be-
tween the small reservoir and the
large one, then contracts can be
drawn on that basis and with OPP
tons you have asked for on all the
balance. In this way we would be
.elling you our water in Jackson
Lake.
This discussion of the secretary
seemed a little hard to meet, be-
cause, even though the records show
hat in 1905, 10, Is, 10 and "a,
we're $4,000 acre feet short OF a !
normal supply it is doubtful at the /,
present time if more than 375, 1000 f
lcre feet can be contracted for even f
lnder these favorable terms. But, n
We found that the Fort Hall project v
8 asking for 100000 acre feet and 7
he Gooding project is asking for a
1000 acre feet, so with these facts n
n view we decided it shouldn't be C
ard to secure contracts for about a
$4,000 acre feet of the storage, in
7hich case about 81 per acre foot g
r 100000 would have to be raised I,
y the time the American Falls dam G
ad been constructed above the river [
ed so the contractor could be noti- 3
ed whether he is to build the large P
r small dam. P
''The total amount, $2,16O, 1000, P
Or which the upper valley farmers P
'OulQ NC dUlc " bcCuIc Iuc PIOpOb- IL
d 100000 acre feet of storage Il
1ater, would be divided into two D
unds both covered by long term
ontracts. One, for 100000 which T
'ould be furnished by Chicagol
nanciers within one year, and the W
Their for $1,260,00O which would o.
g paid to the government tt
1.-THE government will build the te
,undation for the large dam now, re
nd if Jackson storage is not sold at
lis time the construction would Vi
,op at 100000 acre feet. On the OF
Their hand if the money is raised, F.
lie dam will be built to hold 1,700,-l1,
90 acre feet. bt
The money necessary to make up ri
lis 100000 can be raised through tn
le same banking concern which fir
trough the purchase of the reser- d.
Dir bonds furnished the $4,000, 900 til
,r the construction of the American W
alls dam Mr. Cotton said. In that us