CHAPTER IV 



AIIABLE, PASTURE AND TmBERED AEEAS. 



The area of that part of the Green Eiver Basin comprised within the 

 rectangle under consideration is 4,300 square miles. In the latter part of 

 June, near the time of spring floods, the river was gauged at Eobinson's 

 Ferry, about five miles below the mouth of the Big Sandy, and found 

 to carry 13,620 cubic feet per second. From the marks of the highest 

 floods upon its banks, it was estimated that the highest floods carry 

 doAvn 18,500 cubic feet per second. At its medium stage its flow is not 

 more than one- half that at the time of gauging, i. e., 7,000 cubic feet per 

 second. This is much more than can ever be utilized for irrigation in 

 the basin. The northern part of the basin is too high ever to be of 

 much value for agricultural purposes. Farther down, the amount of 

 land which can be reached by water from the river is somewhat lim- 

 ited. On the east, the high bluff wall which follows the river cannot 

 profitably be surmounted by ditches ; so that the immense area between 

 the Green and Big Sandy must forever remain as it is, a sage-brush 

 desert. It is only for a few miles above the mouth of the Big Sandy 

 that water can be brought to any part of this great area. 



The bottom-lands of the Green can everywhere be easily irrigated. 

 These range in width from a half-mile to two miles. Besides these the 

 bench on the west side of the river can be reached by water in certain 

 localities and considerable areas irrigated, but the main source of 

 water for irrigation must come from the side streams from the west. 

 Most of these flow on or near the surface of the plain, and water can be 

 carried laterally to some distance, covering areas which, in most cases, 

 will be sufficient to absorb all the water of the streams. Such is the 

 case Avith Marsh, Bitterroot, Piney, and probably La Barge Creeks. The 

 Fontenelle is enclosed by bluffs, which limit its irrigable area to a strip 

 only about a mile in width. 



Below the mouth of Slate Creek, the Green flows nearly on the sur- 

 face of the plain, with bluffs comparatively low, and a large extent of 

 land on the right as well as on the left can be reached by ditches. 



The Big Sandy flows for most of its course in low rock caiion, and the 

 amount of its irrigable land is small. Although it is very difficult to set 

 the limit of irrigation in this basin, still it is safe to say that not more 

 than 700 square miles of valuable land can be reached by water. This 

 area will necessarily include the bfest part of the i^asturage of the basin, 

 that in the bottom-lands of the streams, leaving only the scattering 

 grass among the sage, which in most localities is very scatterin^g, im- 

 proving, however, in the northern part and near the western rim with 

 the greater altitude. 



On Ham's Fork, near its head, is an area of perhaps 50 square miles, 

 which can be rendered productive. 



On John Day's Eiver there is no arable land. Salt Eiver Yalley is 

 about 25 miles long, with an average width of 4 miles. Most of this 

 can be irrigated, bat the soil of the middle part of the valley only is of 



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