226 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Mountains, to the west. The State is divided by moun- 

 tain ranges into two great sections, which have a widely 

 different climate. The southern portion of the state 

 lies within what is known as 

 the arid belt, and requires irri- 

 gation to produce crops, and 

 for the development of its re- 

 sources. The Snake river (the 

 largest in Idaho) is the main 

 artery of this great section of 

 country. From its source to 

 the American Falls, the banks 

 of the river are generally low 

 and the fall is rapid, permit- 

 ting of easy construction of 

 irrigation canals to cover the 

 great benches of fertile land 

 that border the stream through 

 this section. About 100 miles 

 below American Falls the river 

 enters a veritable canyon 

 with precipitous walls of ba- 

 saltic rock on either side. 

 Some thirty miles below this, 

 the river makes a drop of 134 

 feet at what is known as Twin 

 Falls. Four miles farther 

 down are the famous Shoshone 

 Falls, with a drop of 210 feet. 

 Eleven miles more and a drop 



of 139 feet are the Augur Falls. Within a distance of 

 fifteen miles the river makes a straight drop of 483 

 feet, creating the greatest natural water power in the 



able canyons in the United States, comparable only 

 to the grand canyon of the Colorado in grandeur in 

 some places surpassing it in depth. The elevation of 



Snake River at St. Anthony, Idaho. 



United States. From a point near Weiser, on to Asotin, 

 the river flows through one of the most remark- 



Snake River Above Warm River. 



the southern portion of the State is about 2,000 feet, at 

 the western limit, and rises gradually to about 6,000 

 feet, on the eastern border. 



The northern section of 

 the state, commonly known as 

 the "Panhandle," has a pleas- 

 ant, genial climate, and is 

 blessed with sufficient natural 

 moisture to insure the raising 

 of perfect crops. The north- 

 eastern part of the state, and 

 the range dividing the two dis- 

 tricts, is very rough and moun- 

 tainous and nearly all covered 

 with timber. The great Bitter 

 Root range of the Rocky 

 Mountains, with its elevated 

 snow clad peaks, forms the 

 east boundary of this region 

 and gives rise to the great 

 Clearwater river, which cuts 

 its way through the mountain 

 defiles to the west border of 

 the state, where it unites with 

 the Snake river. In this sec- 

 tion is found the largest vir- 

 gin forest of white pine tim- 

 ber that is known in the world. 

 Here are also found millions 

 of acres of pine, fir, cedar, 

 tamarack and hemlock timber 

 awaiting development to sup- 

 ply the world's wants when the timber that is located 

 more accessibly has been exhausted. The eastern boun- 



