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Show New Reservoirl Work Delayed Necessary Change Of Highway Affects Federal Route (Idaho News Bureau) National priority rulings, metal shortages, and extra time required for the state highway department to secure federal approval on rerouting re-routing of an important road, are major factors that will cause likely like-ly delay on construction of an $S0,000 reservoir in Franklin county. coun-ty. ' New plans and specifications have been approved by the Idaho department of reclamation in the office of Commissioner E. V. Berg for the construction of a 3400-acre foot reservoir about three and a half miles northeast of Preston. "Since our stockholders authorized author-ized an expenditure of $80,000 to make an additional reservoir," commented President Hans Nelson following a meeting of the board of directors of the Preston-Whitney Irrigation company Monday, ',we have been at work constantly and are pushing ahead as rapidly as it is possible to do so." Mr. Nelson explained that the company has filings on an excellent site and that surveys are being conducted preliminary to obtaining right-of-way to private lands. Funds are all arranged for. The new resrvoir, wrhich will be an addition to the 6400-acre-foot container at Glendale a mile farther far-ther east,, will cover about 200 acres in the small valleys between Preston and Riverdale on the highway. The extra water will be received from over-flow of the (Continued on page 8) RESERVOIR (Continued from page 1) present unit through a connecting canal and will serve present acreages acre-ages as well as make way for development de-velopment of new areas for cultivation. culti-vation. In a special communication to w the Southern Idaho News Bureau, S. E. Johnson, director of high- ways in Idaho, made this statement; state-ment; "We agreed to reroute that portion of the highway which would conflict with the proposed reservoir. reser-voir. The time would depend, of course, upon the construction of the dam. Since the road is on a federal route, it is our plan to ask for federal aid on this reconstruc-Of reconstruc-Of course ... it takes time to survey sur-vey and prepare plans, secure right right of way, and secure approval ap-proval of the Public Roads Administration." Admin-istration." It is impossible for the irriga- (, tion company officials to proceed with actual construction activity, obviously, until the much-used road is rerouted, although they are going ahead with surveys and are taking necessary legal steps preparatory pre-paratory to tlie project. Due to priorities, it is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain outlet pipe or reinforcement steel for the concrete work. Wilih present high cost of materials mater-ials and labor it is also possible, Mr. Nelson said, that construction of the reservoir built on the basis of present approved plans would entail expenditures in excess of the allotted $80,000. o o |
