Show IDAHO I PEOPLE v 1 I WERE IN EARNEST EARr EST The Result Is Millions to Be Spent in Irrigation PAYETTE YETTE P BOISE PROJECT I VIST AST POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE a r Special to The Herald Washington D C April 2 The c irrigation project in Idaho has ha received the formal approval oi of o the secretary of o the interior who recently set aside the sum of or for fot initiating the work of construction This Th action oil on the part of oC the secretary been anticipated for some time und And nd Is largely the result of or the splendid Nil did f id enterprise of the citizens o ot of that stIon For more thai thail 1 a year the theland thel theland land l nd owners organized Into a water U users Jers association have hae labored Inde fatig bly to harmonize the tho many con conflicting conflicting claims of private interests in inlands lands hinds canals and water rights with the result that today practically y the V valley aa as a a unit stands pledged to the government enterprise Groat as the satisfaction or of the citi citizens zens ilens may be on account or of the favor favorable favorable favorable able action A tion of the secretary It is no greater than that felt by the reclamation reclamation tion Jon service which has long recognized I the Met 1 ct that the project project project Is one of the most attractive in the arid azid west and but for the many and complicated private and corporate In Interests interests Interests Involved would have been se selected for tor the initial work of the gov government gO in Idaho The people having worked out satisfactory solutions to the divers problems are deserving of or the success which has finally crowned their efforts While the citizens were straighten straightening lug ing out their difficulties the govern government ment engineers thoroughly Investigated ed the physical conditions and worked out comprehensive plans pl ns for Irrigation which have been presented to and re received received the approval of the tho board of consulting engineers These Investigations Investigations investigations show that the project is entirely feasible from an engineering stand standpoint standpoint standpoint point The lands to be are of excellent quality and with the tho climatic conditions prevailing are capable of sustaining a 3 dense population The fer fertility fertility of or the lands now under irrigation insure the financial soundness of o the undertaking Nearly 30 90 O per cent of all an anthe the irrigable land in the valley is pledged to repay to the government nt Its expenditure for providing a 8 permanent water supply Lands to Be Reclaimed Briefly stated the tue Pa project provides for the reclamation of acres acre of land In these valleys MX acres of which are now in a desert condition It is proposed to ir irrigate acres with the waters vaters of Payette Fayette river acres of this area being situated in tho the Boise valley acres store situated on the south side of the Snake river a portion of the latter areA re t to be supplied with water from that stream the water to be pumped by means of power which will wm be de do eloped at the diversion dam on the Payette river rier The rhe remainder of the water ter which will be used on this tract will m be furnished by Succor creek a tributary of oC the Snake river The re remaining area of or acres Is situated in the Boise Bo e valley and will be watered from the Ute Boise river Of the lands in inthe inthe Inthe the project about acres are pub public public lic Mc lands subject to entry ento under the conditions of ot the reclamation act About 4 0 0 acres have been to date under this act about acres belong to the state of or Idaho and the remainder about are in private ownership held in tracts aver averaging averaging aging a about bout acres aCles each Ample storage facilities exist on the headwaters of or the Pa river which will ill be available for regulating the dis discharge discharge discharge charge of that stream and which h can be developed at very ver reasonable cost The principal storage for the Boise lands i is In the valley proper along Klon the of the power canals Some storage can also be obtained on the headwaters of or this stream and utilized for the Ir 11 Irrigation ri of or lands situated above the thel l level v vel l of the reservoirs on the plains It will be entirely feasible to develop a supply of or water for the late irrigation irrigation tion of or practically all of the lands un unit it ct th the project as about acres Of or it lend land within the limits or of the project are already irrigated This work has ha been accomplished through individual and community ef of effort e efort fort and private enterprise but has hot been ben planned on very comprehensive ive lye lines Unell and anti the communities have made no provisions for the full devel development of or the natural resources TC of these hese valleys s The plans pIan which must mu t rily be adopted in order to ac accomplish eish the tl t boat best results owing to the thc magnitude m of the undertaking are be beyond beyond yond the reach of community effort effot nor lor do they offer an attractive field for forthe forthe forr r the investment Ine of or private te capital They 4 can only be carried to completion by bythe bythe 4 the help of or the government The broad br d plans which the reclamation reclamation tion on service have haye under consideration contemplate the construction of a di dl diverting dam in Payette ette river and of a C canal ranal for the some on the south side o d valley for tor Or the irrigation of the th lands h r f r about acres cr a 1 canal canar will also aI o conduct through the divide between the two riv rh rivers ers erH to acres tn In the Boise calloW A diverting dam on the tho Boise river and andone andone andone one or more mo canals and storage reset reser reservoirs res r will distribute water to acres of land on the south side of Boise valley y while a canal capal 1 on the north side will wUl Irrigate acres acre Storage re cr r on the headwaters hea of the Boise river will furnish water for the late ir of about acres of land lanel along alon the line lIn of the upper canal The complete utilization of Succor creek on the south side of Snake river sup supplemented supplemented supplemented by b a pumping system from the Jatter latter stream will supply 2500 acres Millions For Water The estimated cost of the entire system tern tem is or an average cost not notto notto notto to exceed 30 per acre for the land which has no facilities at present for irrigation This amount includes main maintenance maintenance for ten years also the value of existing works which h would be but which would not pot nove to be paid for forby forby forby by the government and the purchase of rights of way vay which will have to be provided from the reclamation fund I The state of ot Idaho by the recent act of legislature and und through its state land board has provided for Cor cooperation cooperation cooperation tion with the reclamation service so at the present time the following lands amounting to acres about 90 per percent percent percent cent of the total area are either direct directly ly or indirectly bound to the project Acres cres I Land in private ownership Public lands subject to entry un under und der dr d r the conditions of oC tike the reclamation reclamation mation act State lands Total OO I As the major portion of the reclamation reclamation tion Hon fund has 11 as been appropriated al already already already ready for various projects in the sev several several several eral arid states and territories the en entire entire entire tire allotment required for the Payette Boise project could not be Tae made at this time It was therefore decided to select a portion of the project which though only an integer of f the whole would yet et be a complete project in it itself itself itself self and by beginning which would serve to hold the w whole hole scheme together er and direct dl ct development alone com corn comprehensive pr lines The division of the project which has been recommended for immediate construction consists of the portion of or orthe the irrigable area situated on the south southside southside southside side of the Boise valley vaIley This part has been selected because here the largest area can be benefited by the expendi expenditure expenditure ture tare of the smallest amount of money available and because by construct constructing ing a large reservoir a connecting link will be formed between the more im un important Important irrigation divisions now ex existing exIsting existing on this side of the river It is believed beHoved that by beginning the work in inthe Inthe Inthe the manner outlined the maximum ben benefits benefits benefits will result with a limited amount of money that the construction work can be carried forward without any un nfl unnecessary unnecessary necessary delay delar and that a total area of acres would at once begin the payment back into the fund of the Ule cost costo o of reclamation as all of this land would immediately be benefited The Boise and Payette Fayette valleys constitute constitute constitute tute one of the most attractive sections of the west In the past post few years they have undergone a transformation that thatis is less than marvellous The progress In agriculture is reflected in inthe inthe inthe the splendid growth of the towns ad adjacent adjacent adjacent jacent and the whole basin presents an alluring picture to the visitor and furnishes an excellent example of the result of irrigation It requires no par particular particular particular acumen to see that these val vat valleys valleys leys have entered upon an area of sub substantial substantial development which is destined to unite them in one of the most dense dOnse densely d nse ly b populated as well as one on of the rich richest richest richest est agricultural communities on this continent The full fuU utilization of the water supply in Boise and Payette rivers will win make possible the complete reclamation of nearly acres which divided into farm units of eighty acres will mean I farms a rural population of and a population p in towns and villages of double that number The agricultural agricultural tural wealth of the valley estimated on the basis of the last census would be approximately irrigated land farm buildings implements ments meats and machinery live livestock livestock stock 00 canals and reservoirs total In 1900 1000 the value v lue of or farm property for or the whole state of Idaho was 6 2 It seems safe to assume that with the comple completion completion tion of or the th project the farm property in this section would have a value equal to 50 per cent of or that I for the whole state |