50 



THE IBRIGATION AGE. 



be used annually, giving a possible supply of some three 

 milliards of cubic metres out of a total contents of 

 twenty milliards. Such a lake, however, would have one 

 great drawback. Although during the month of April 

 it would give a plentiful discharge, by the end of May 

 its level would have so diminished that it could not give 

 all that lower Egypt requires. By the middle of June 

 it could not meet half the demand upon it for water, 

 and a fortnight later it would be practically useless, as 

 its level would have sunk approximately to that of the 

 Nile. For this reason, by itself it would be inadequate, 

 but, fortunately, we have at hand a means of contribut- 

 ing to the summer supply from another source. The 

 Assouan reservoir, owing to its height, can be drawn 

 from at any season of the year, and it is proposed oy 

 Sir W. Willcocks to raise the dam by six metres, making 

 it the height originally intended, and use the water so 

 stored to supplement the Wady Eayan discharge, thus 

 maintaining a constant total discharge throughout the 



were rejected, not because of any engineering reasons, 

 but because the government considered it preferable 

 to leave a great part of Egypt unwatered rather than 

 allow private enterprise to obtain command of any part 

 of the national irrigation. However, whether it is to 

 cost 600,000 or 2,600,000, the outlay will bring an 

 enormous and immediate return, and the names of 

 those who have assisted in bringing it to completion will 

 deserve remembrance among the greatest benefactors 

 of Egypt. ^ 



BOISE PLANS TO ENTERTAIN. 



The National Irrigation Congress. 



In a recent issue of a local paper Mr. Montie B. 

 Gwinn, chairman of the executive committee of The 

 National Irrigation Congress, is spoken of as follows : 



M ; ii r7i''r r *'L^il\H'W;' 



wn'onirtoM i /* \i '"'">* " *i^' &ym 



Diverting from a Small Stream wjtli Rapid Current. 

 [From the Primer of Irrigation, Page 151. J 



summer. The Assouan reservoir would, when raised, 

 yield a supply of two milliards of cubic metres, and 

 this would not be drawn upon until some time during 

 May. As the summer came on the proportion of water 

 from Assouan would increase, until in July it would 

 be giving practically the whole supply. Working to- 

 gether in this manner the lake and the reservoir would 

 provide the whole of the water needed for the irrigation 

 of Egypt. 



The estimates of cost of the Wady Eayan scheme, 

 according to Sir Wm. Willcocks. amount to 2,600,000. 



Mr. Cope Whitehouse, who first proposed the use 

 of the Wady Eayan over twenty years ago, and who 

 \mdoubtedly has a most intimate knowledge of the local 

 topography, maintains that the entire work necessary 

 can be done at a cost of 600.000. He has offered many 

 times to undertake the contract for the work on the basis 

 of this estimate, or to carry it out as a private specula- 

 tion, subject to equitable terms of purchase by the 

 Egyptian government when completed. These offers 



Montie B. Gwinn, chairman of the executive com- 

 mittee of the National Irrigation Congress, has returned 

 from his recent trip to Salt Lake, where he went to 

 advise with General Manager Bancroft and General Pas- 

 senger Agent Burley of the Short Line on many ques- 

 tions of importance regarding the next ssssion of the 

 Congress which is to be held at Boise, probably in Au- 

 gust or September of next year. At his office in the 

 Sonna block Mr. Gwinn talked of the result of his trip 

 to a Capital News reporter. Mr. Gwinn said: 



A PIECE OF GOOD FORTUNE. 



"Of all the great pieces of good fortune which has 

 blessed the State of Idaho, none has ever equalled the 

 securing of the fourteenth National Irrigation Con- 

 gress. It may seem a little early to talk about it, for 

 the date at which the Congress will be held has not been 

 fixed by the committee-, but the time is with us right now 

 to begin making preparations and arranging our plans 

 to care for and entertain a vast number of delegates that 

 will visit Idaho on that occasion. 



