374 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



IDAHO 



TO USE OLD CANALS. 



The Secretary of the Interior has approved a con- 

 tract entered into by F. E. Weymouth on behalf of 

 the United States, with the Nampa-Meridian Irrigation 

 District and the Payette-Boise Water Users' Association, 

 which provides for the use by the Government of the 

 canals and laterals of the Nampa-Meridian Irrigation Dis- 

 trict, in the reclamation of certain lands belonging to the 

 Payette-Boise project, Idaho, and for the adjustment of 

 expenses of operation and maintenance of the canals and 

 jaterals between the respective partie^. The United States 

 is given the right to enlarge or extend the existing canals 

 or laterals of the Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District, the 

 title to all enlargements or extensions to vest in the 

 United States. 



The lands involved consist of about 50,000 acres, lying 

 within the boundaries of the above named irrigation 

 district and below their canal. It was deemed inad- 

 visable for the United States to construct new canals and 

 laterals to irrigate these lands when the work could be 

 done more cheaply by utilizing the canals and laterals 

 of the district. 



It is reported that the J. G. White Company and the 

 Kuhn interests are contemplating operations on the Dubois 

 project in Fremont County, Idaho. This is a tract of 

 about 300,000 acres of Snake River Valley land lying 

 north of Idaho Falls. A few years ago the United States 

 Reclamation Service withdrew it from entry and made 

 preliminary investigations, but finally restored the land 

 to entry, because the cost was too great. It is estimated 

 that from three to five million dollars will be required to 

 complete the project. 



Nearly 5,000 acres of Idaho state land, most of which 

 lies under the pumping system of the Minidoka irriga- 

 tion project, have been sold at public auction by the State 

 at an average price of $27 per acre, although some tracts 

 selling as high as $70 per acre. Preparations are under 

 way for the early construction of the superstructure of 

 the power plant and pumping stations, which at present 

 are protected by temporary frame coverings. 



Delivery of water through the pumps during June 

 has been intermittent, owing to several slight alterations 

 in the new machinery, but the flow from Marsh Creek 

 has been diverted into the canals. Water has been sup- 

 plied to a number of the south side settlers and an 

 increasing number of farm units are being watered as 

 the laterals are completed. The gravity system has sup- 

 plied water without interruption. 



Irrigation by pumping is to be tried on an extensive 

 scale by the Crane Falls Power and Irrigation Company 

 on the Snake River, west of Mountain Home, Idaho. The 

 company will construct a power plant to reclaim about 

 8,000 acres of sage brush land, to which water can be 

 lifted in no other way. The Snake River is about 200 

 feet lower than the land and the water will be elevated 

 in three sections. 



Boise capital is said to be interested in a new irriga- 

 tion project near the town of Bruneau, adjacent to the 

 Twin Falls-Bruneau segregation. About 15,000 acres may 

 be placed under water. Surveys are now being made with 

 a prospect that work will be begun this fall. 



Construction work is now being actively pursued on 

 the Big Lost River irrigation project, which will reclaim 

 80,000 acres of fine land south and east of Arco. This 

 land lies about fifty miles northwest of Blackfoot and is 

 reached by the Salmon River branch of the Oregon Short 

 Line Railroad. 



Articles of incorporation have been filed at Caldwell 

 for the North Side Irrigation Company. The incorpora- 



tors are: G. D. Snell, E. A. Clark, S. S. Foote, B. M. 

 Holt, J. B. Gowen, Fred E. Fisk and Frank J. Smith. 

 The capital of the company is $100,000 of the par value 

 of $100 each. If the government relinquishes the north 

 side of the Payette-Boise project, this company will be 

 prepared to promote it with private capital. 



UTAH 



CAPITALIZE NEW COMPANY. 



Land owners in Davis, Weber, Morgan and Summit 

 counties, Utah, are planning the formation of a com- 

 pany to construct a comprehensive irrigation system to 

 reclaim arid and semi-arid lands in this section of the 

 state. It is said that the new company will be capitalized 

 at about $4,000,000 and that preliminary negotiations for 

 the sale of bonds have been closed. 



Several years ago a local company was organized, 

 but after the expenditure of about $25,000 it was found 

 that the capital was entirely inadequate to needs. It is 

 only after five years of effort to interest outside capital 

 that the company's promoters have been successful. 



About 50,000 acres of land, a larger part of which is 

 arid, is involved in the work. The old Weber Reservoir, 

 Power and Irrigation Company, now holding valuable 

 rights and plans, will be merged into the new corpora- 

 tion. The directors of thig concern are: W. H. Rich 

 of Morgan, president and director; G. Christensen of 

 Ogden, vice-president and director; Thomas L. Allen of 

 Coalville, secretary-treasurer and director; John G. M. 

 Barnes of Kaysville, director; James Green of Hooper, 

 director; Heber J. Sheffield of Kaysville, director; Nephi 

 Sargent of Hoytsville, director; Joseph H. Grant of 

 Wood's Cross, director. 



Water will be stored above Echo, and as needed, will 

 be conveyed into the river channel to a point above Peter- 

 son, Morgan County, where a dam will be built and from 

 which point two canals, one on the south side of the river 

 to water Davis County lands, and one on the north 

 side to irrigate Weber County farms, will be constructed. 

 They will follow the line of the Union Pacific track 

 through Weber Canyon into Salt Lake Valley. At the 

 mouth of the canyon the canal will be 340 feet above the 

 river bed, this elevation being sufficient to cover practi- 

 cally all tillable lands in Davis and Weber counties. In 

 all, something like fifty miles of main canal will be re- 

 quired. 



WYOMING 



FLOODS IN 'THE NORTH PLATTE. 



Mr. A. P. Davis, chief engineer of the Reclamation 

 Service, who has recently visited the Pathfinder dam in 

 central Wyoming, reports that the extraordinary floods 

 have necessitated the rapid construction of a dike across 

 a low point on the side of the reservoir, left open to 

 prevent the flooding of certain lands in the basin, the 

 acquisition of which has not been completed. 



The floods in the drainage of the North Platte River 

 this year are far in excess of any previously recorded. 

 Although all the gates and openings in the recently fin- 

 ished Pathfinder dam are kept wide open the inflow has 

 been more than double the discharge. According to all 

 precedents the flood should cease rapidly, but in view 

 of the fact that this is an abnormal year, extraordinary 

 precautions are being taken to prevent the escape of water 

 from the low point in the reservoir. The engineers are 



