Show J 1 Project Prot Waters Waters Waters' I Fertile Region Many r I. I Soldiers Ex-Soldiers Find Homes i E E I By Daniel Dalziel T. T Murphy I Firt IT u. S. S Armr MM tJ Jim I BOIS Ida Idl March 29 Tho 2 Tho toI foli tolI fol- fol i JL B 1 lowing observational data on the I Dubois D Dubols Irrigation project an and tho the territory ter ter- rHory i contiguous thereto has brief ref reference ronco to local hy- hy top topo Isotropic an and geologic condl ions and asid c a a. Sacral general ro ro- ro or the civil ci and economic status ot an and t settlors thereon Tho Vio 11 10 argument is directed against scientific only nl a a. few erroneous t ns Tho main objects is to feature 1 I striking h changes wrought by natural phenomena sInco inco tho last official 1 rc and to emphasize i advantages caL ant nd advantages es which as a It Ir may nun may seem and notwithstanding their i Invincibility as bases of or argument In InI r I any amiS final determination have hao hereto hereto- I 1 toro for o escaped observation ho territory officially designated as tho Snake river plains of or Idl Idaho ho lies Jes In a shape somewhat resembling bling S a crescent concave to the north ln's along aloni Its Ita medial lino line thirty five miles mUes and maintains a width fifty to five tive miles mlles It federal was vas l s placed under a anco In the tho year 1901 and tho the results work worle aro luci lucidly ly set forth In Inho tio ho io Israel 0 O. Russell Hussell report printed as No 1 of or the tho geological r survey Eurcy Sur c- c which work Is obtainable for a aI af I f nominal no t fee from the superintendent 1 of s at Washington D D. C. C Tho The subject is not treated In fn a A. manner obtrusively ob ob- ob- ob oly technical it ft Is rather a highly high high- ly h cl work Interspersed with d artistic touches of or western hut huS ii and color The clear cut definition of of ot th tho writers writer's trained perception brings graphically before one ono tho luro lure and mystery of or tho purple Rage Bage plains the tho brightness of ot tho the sunshine tho the crystal clearness of or atmosphere with its deceptive mirages the myth and andI I lore lore of ot the tho canyons and nd tho the bor gorgeous magnificence of or the highly tinted yer tto lg- lg mountains Work WorL of or Much Value Despite a a. faithful a adherence to tho the te l ts 3 of ot science tho the writer betrays 5 a annd Jn d sensitized as that C of a naturalist to o the tho influences of the tho subtle western atmosphere surely surel- then no one who has been lured hither by the ous call of or tho thu plains the streams and tho the mountains no one who has Interests Interests interests Inter Inter- ests artistic or scientific or who ho has 1108 aspirations comm commercial o or industrial should be without the guiding knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- l- l r. r edge gc contained in Russells Russell's work Tho The de deductions In his work worle are general general general gen gen- eral in character They could not be otherwise In the general sense It rings strikingly l true to purpose of or orI such an sm article but so co varied ato afo the Iho I conditions of ot the district and so conI constant constant con con- stant In their complex and involved e I processing processing- are arc tho the forces of oC nature that each specific area are must be subjected subjected subjected sub sub- to the closest scrutiny not only to disclose Its special peculiarities and md its Hs latent Intent a advantages but also to bring down to the tho present Its conditions as with her latest lat hat nature sets It before Leforc U us cst est modifications It is therefore s ary In consIdering considering considering consid consId- ering tho the Dubois Irrigation project or an any of or Its ramifications to place before beCore those Interested an any available a data dita which ma may fix in the mind a lucid conception conception conception con con- o of its present status The Tho information submitted herein IB is not as n. n rule compiled from data scientifically mcI- mcI garnered l land and arranged It j 1 probably more often oCten based on the observation atlon of the tho keen minded ol older er settlers and Is confined principally to that period of or years subsequent to Russell's Russells Rus Rims sells sell's However a 1 great broat deal of ot the tho data and arid especially that dealing with the isotropic me and hydrographic conditions Is in fact Quito quite indisputable A As a general proposition It may bo be confidently predicted that a careful perusal of or the following paragraphs paragraph will wiH tend to demonstrate in a a rather surprising manner that no Irrigation project In the entire west vest has the natural natural natural nat nat- ural advantages ad possessed of the Dubois Dubois Dubols Du Du- Du- Du bois bols project There are reasons for this condition There reasons are why tho the governments government's dollar spent here will return threefold bounty the bounty the one constructive constructive con con- through the Irrigation of or theland the tho tholand land the Ute other two and rendered feasible through a peculiar local condition whereby altered meteorological meteorological mete mete- processes render an In Increased Increased increased In- In creased precipitation Ino inevitable bic ov over r two to areas areas bench lands and grazing grazin reaches in the conti contiguous territory Climate IN Fn Bulletin No o ge geological sUr e survey records s a temperature In Sn 99 1898 of or 41 deg eg- eg F F. In the time entrance of a canyon tributary to the valley of ot the Lost nv- nv er Cl As this Is tho the nc nearest point to the tho Irrigable area under the Dubols Dubois project project project o of which tho time bulletin makes an any reference It Is pertinent to state that tho the lowest authentic temperature re recorded recorded recorded re- re corded on the tho irrigable flat rInt at the tho feet altitude Is la 29 9 F. F tho the highest high high- est cst temperature being 10 leg deg F. F These two extremes cover records o of tho past ten years cars For the same samo period the extremes at other critical points points- are aro as tol follow follow- Dubois Is Ida altitude 51 17 maximum 9 95 deg 1 F. F minimum 26 deg deS F. F Spencer Ida altitude G maximum 92 F F. minimum 27 7 do deg F F. As compared with HIt the 1901 records these figures I ures show a marked effect of ot I mo moderating Influences the principal ono of which has hns been the tho gem general ern I progress progress progress ress under the department of interior of or irrigation work in the Snake rl rIver r valIe valley The Influences however ho have In n an equally marked fashion re reduced atmospheric disturbances and have e neutralized c In considerable degree the tho unpleasant effects of 01 tho the hot winds so common In fn the tho earlier days d of oC settlement settle ment An oven even more Impressive o fact tact Is Is that the killing frost of lato hate spring spring- and early fall have been retarded e l by b- these influences so that at this time the conditions on tho Dubols Dubois project are arc approximately as moderate te as thoo which obtained In oha In 1893 1598 9 99 90 G D Data Datil The Irrigable tracts un under er tho the Dubois Dubols Dubols Du Du- Du- Du bols bois project consist principally of ot tho the alluvial fans formed by such Buch main creeks as the tho Cam S Beaver Medicine Lodge Birch creek and the two t Lost rivers Under the stimulus of or local Irrigation along alonE t leso streams nn and in spite of a n constantly progressive increase In tho Iho use of or their waters the thc normal flow flow- ago ngo Is vastly greater than that of or twenty years cars ago Observers ers of Bea Beaver cr ver creek at Dubois Dubols I Ida la easily recollect lect the time when that stream was as dry r for Cor periods o of months In the summer summer sumner sum- sum mer ner but buch a n. phenomena has not oc occurred occurred occurred oc- oc In the tho pa past t twenty years and Its tas ma may bo clearly perceived percel is yearly carl growIng more and more mor re remote re- re mote This condition i is of or nil all m n nIn streams I In th the area c In their processes of or upgrading their channels hannel all o of these streams ms are aro progressing progressing pro pro- gradually across time the area of af their so that they will eventual eventually al ally r re reach ch tl the Snake river as little re reduced reduced reduced re- re In volume as s the tho Woos Wood river rl to the time west Though It may mar be remote there la to prom promise Iso In this situation and arid that promise becomes an actual asset when It Is apparent that It Is possible from froman an engineering viewpoint to combine two or three of ot these creeks and thus afford them the tho Impetus and volume necessary to upgrade an Impervious channel to the Snake river This would afford more water for r Impounding e even cn If Ir water a er compensation were al allowed al- al lowed for tor an any diminution of or the tho flow- flow ago ngo from the Thousand springs where tho the geologists believe belleve the tho waters now sinking near tho Dubois Dubols project gush forth t TO Cond Conditions Although tho the Irrigable are areas area's s of or the Dubols Dubois project are not conspicuous b by reason of ot any special physical features oth r than those of or a a. high adaptability to Irrigation the contiguous territory Is on on tho contrary distinctly and ch char characteristically r- r marked by almost every conceivable ble variation of or condition and stat status s and therein lie hidden the tho many many- advantages of or tho the pr project In Its effect on on the surrounding t territory I In view fow of f the ther fact tact that tho time varied isotropic plc conditions make Inevitable an I increased rainfall In tho the areas bordering borderIng border border- I ing those to be bo placed under Irrigation it will bo be necessary under this heading to combine three throe separate zones as a a. single entity rho Tho first of or these Is tho the level leel zone which It Is pr proposed to Irrigate t and which embraces to acres TIme The second a wheat belt of potentially potentially poten poten- and popularly designated os as th the has an nn parca ar area a of til tillable tillable til- til lable acres It lies lies lies' to the cast east west vest and north of tho Irrigable project In Ina Ina Ina a roughly crescent crescent- shape concave to the tho south Tho The third area aren embracing embracing- parts of or orth th the and and- Lemhi Cor forest t re reserves no- no serves Is tho the stock range It sUrrounds surrounds sur sun rounds the tho is 11 even en more Ir Irregularly in- in regularly crescent than that area aren and andIs andIs andis Is also concave to the south Houth This area culminates tes at the tho mountain summits summits summits sum sum- mits and includes approximately a a million ados acres Shaped tl Taking Taking- tho the three areas as us a entity a a. batter bolter geographic conception is available available available avail avail- able by comparing the thc whole chape hape 0 of the district to a horseshoe with the moun mountains on on tho the outer rim the th Irrigation irrigation gation project considerably lower the center and th s' s be ho- ho tween It Jt is necessary to visualize and retain this conception In fn considering tho the phenomena which would come come as ns the tho aftermath of atlon a- a tion The Ore Orega Q holt hort Line railway ru ruS run run- S ning north fr from in Salt Lle o CH City Utah to Butte Butta Mont would form an approxImate approxImate approximate from tram south to north Along this line the territory has a n length of ot about sixty miles and an anI average width of or abo about t Cort forty fort miles nilles I Tho The altitude ranges from fron to t feet teet The bench lands are are aro settled settle over o practically the entire area area- while the tho stock ran range c Is pastured pasture to the thc limit of oC Its capacity and this capacity is being reduced b by tim the progress s of oC settlement Under tho the next heading will witt be he demonstrated demon demon- stra cd how such an increase In rainfall rain fall as would result from evaporation e from tho Dubois Dubols project under irrigation irrigation tion would easily casU double the thc crop yield on the bench lands and vastly in increase increase in- in crease creaso tho the pasturing capacity of r the stock ranges To the south of tho the heel of or thi shaped horseshoe-shaped territory lie He tho the splendid id areas to tho the west vest of or Idaho Falls nn and Blackfoot foot Ida to which the tho water tailings as well vell as present and prospective e of or water sater can cnn be carried economically 0 In this manner mannor man man- nor ner the plans of the Snake River Plains Development association can be bo started towards realisation nn and a n. Constructive eon Con on- on foundation laid laM for tho the full development dc of or tho the easterly section of or orthe the Snake river er plains the waters from tho the Irrigation of or which Inevitably must return to Snake river for use farther to the west and Data Russells Russell's report cites the fact that the thc prevailing winds In the river plains are arc from the south This applies neither to tho the territory within nor that contiguous to the tho Dubois project It enters eaters this area aren from the southwest East south and west winds are arc common common cornmon com corn mon while in the growing season less than seventh one or of the tho wind pressure comes from the thc north the latter hatter pressure pres sure usually brin bringing ln rain Keeping this In ml mind d an and with Ith a lu- lu citi recollection of or the horseshoe horseshoe- shaped area area which would bo ho favorably Influenced by the Irrigation of or the flats a n. reciprocal condition confronts one which scarcely needs explanation In fact from rom tho the lc vl w- w point those two shaped horseshoe levels lev els namely the tho bench lands hands and tho the stock raisin raising area comprising nearly a l million and a half halt acres and surrounding surrounding sur sur- roun rounding as the they do tho time flats lats would If IC the time flats lats were cro placed Under Irrigation constitute i n. n veritable moisture moisture mois mois- ture tune trap trai for th the conservation of 01 the tho water which on other w would be lost through eVI evaporation mh 1 00 A 1 JL A LL II ut UL InC incao O two IWO ri- ri mense levels and their higher altitude would through the chill of or the tho atmosphere atmos atmos- phere as well as through other mote mote- orol Influences Induce the precipItation precipitation tation so necessary to a moro more SUC successful successful success success- t ful l exploitation of ot these two to groat reat areas At the present time on two ex expanses x X pauses lri on the gr grantor tor torone one Is successful though becoming m more re and nd more circumscribed each day while on tho lesser areas tho the economic status of tho the farmer farmer- tharo ro are arc thousands of ot them them them-Is is a dubious Irn if Ir n not t. t actually a precarious one Only two additional inches of rain in inthe tho the growing season would transform tho the bench land and md stock raising s from a problematic to a 0 superb con condi condl- l- l tion The Tho evaporation from the thc Du- Du boI bolg bolS project would furnish much and more moisture and the change wrought through ough this Influence w would uld be bo fully as startling as that produced by Irrigation waters on a parched des desert rt I Six sevenths of ot the atmospheric disturbance dis dis- ls- ls in this section pushes tho the evaporation against one or another er portion of the highlands wh where re precipItation is induced to o But Dut the tho argument docs |