IDAHO.

MINIDOKA PROJECT.

GENERAL STATEMENT.

The general features of the Minidoka project are summarized below:

Summary of principal data relating to Minidoka project.

Railway connections: Minidoka and Southwestern Railroad connecting with Oregon Short Line.

Principal markets: Rupert, Heyburn, Burley, and local mines.

Land office for district: Hailey.

Average elevation: 4,200 feet.

Character of soil: Sandy loam.

Range of temperature: Maximum, 96°; minimum, 12°; mean, 45°.

Average rainfall: 15 to 19 inches.

Total area of irrigable lands in gravity section of project: State lands, 6,602; public lands, 77,687; private lands, 286.

Size of farm units: 40 to 80 acres.

Value of irrigated lands: $50 to $100 per acre.

Principal products: Alfalfa (two to three crops), sugar beets, cereals, vegetables, etc.

Duty of water: Estimated average, 4 acre-feet per annum, measured at point of diversion.

Watershed area: 17,900 square miles.

Average discharge: 9,500 second-feet.

Storage reservoir: Area, 30,000 acres; capacity, 900,000 acre-feet.

Storage dams: Number, 1; temporary type, rock-filled crib; dimensions, 15 feet high, 150 feet long.

Diversion dams: Number, 1; type, earth and rock fill; dimensions, 600 feet long, 52 feet high.

Length of main canals: 130 miles.

Length of laterals: 190 miles.

Power developed: 15,000 to 30,000 horsepower.

Power transmission lines: Length, 13 to 20 miles.

Pumping stations: Number, 3; capacity, 300 to 500 second-feet each.

HISTORY OF PROJECT.

Investigations of storage possibilities on Snake River were begun in July, 1902. The canal surveys were first made in March, 1903. A report by a board of engineers recommending the project for the approval of the Secretary was made March 21, 1904. The estimated cost of a water right was at that time placed at $26 per acre. The project was approved by the Secretary April 23, 1904, and the immediate construction of the gravity portion authorized.

A con

tract for the construction of the dam, spillway, etc., was let September 17, 1904, which provided for completion December 17, 1905. Contracts for the construction of the canal system were let in July and August, 1905. All canal contracts were to be completed June 1, 1908. Nearly all of these contracts were, however, extended from one to five months.

COMPLETION OF CONTRACT WORK.

All work on this project, with the exception of a portion of the farm-unit laterals, lateral headgates, and a few minor structures in the main and branch canals, was done by contract. The following is a list of contractors, the portion of the work done by each, the estimated total value of the same, and the date of the completion of each contract:

The dam and spillway were completed in September, 1906. The gates in the diversion channel were lowered during October and the backwater slowly raised until it reached the top of the spillway on November 21. This gave a depth of water of 10 feet in front of the head gates of the main north side canal. The testing disclosed a slight leak around the head gates, so the gates in the diversion channel were raised and the backwater drawn below the bottom grade of the canal. A row of sheet piling was driven along the north side of the forebay, and the north cut-off wall of the head gate was extended a distance of about 40 feet. When the water was again raised there was no sign of seepage and the structure is now considered safe against any probable head of water. The testing of the head gates was finished in February, 1907.

The main north and south side canals (Orman & Crook, contractors) were completed during the month of September, 1906, but owing to the long delay in beginning the construction of the canal structures (schedule 7) work under this contract was not completed until July, 1907. The delay in completing these structures seriously interfered with the operation of the canals and caused a delay of at least one month in delivering water through some of the main branches, resulting in considerable loss to many of the settlers.

The portion of the distributing system lying south of the railroad (Hubbard & Carlson, contractors) was completed early in July, 1906, the delay being only a few days. Work on the portion of the distributing system lying north of the railroad (Monarch & Porter, contractors) was not completed until December, 1906.

FORCE ACCOUNT WORK.

In March, 1906, grading equipment was purchased by the Reclamation Service with a view to immediately beginning the construction of portions of the sublateral system. The contractors, who were resuming work at this time on their grading contracts, were experiencing considerable difficulty in maintaining an adequate force. Fears were expressed by both contractors and settlers that if the Reclamation Service should begin work at this time the forces of some of the contractors who were already far behind on their work might be reduced to such an extent that it would be impossible to finish the construction of the main canals during 1906, so in view of such a possibility it was decided to defer this work until work on the distributing system had advanced to a point where its completion during 1906 would be assured. In September the construction of the sublaterals was begun by the Reclamation Service, and was prosecuted during the greater part of the winter of 1906-7 and completed in June, 1907.

Work preparatory to the construction of concrete head gates for the laterals was done during the winter months, and these gates were constructed as soon as water could be conducted through the canals. An effort was made to install head gates where they would first be needed. In most cases the Service succeeded in constructing head gates before the settler was ready for the water. The scarcity of labor contributed very largely toward delay, it being almost impossible at times to maintain concrete and carpenter crews enough for the purpose. In order to expedite the delivery of water Orman & Crook, contractors, were relieved of five concrete structures, which were to have been placed in some of the branch canals, and timber ones substituted, the work being done by the Reclamation Service. At other points cuts were made around the structures on which the contractors were at work and the water carried by for delivery to the irrigators at points below on the system.

From the beginning of April until June 30 the construction work just described was in progress, while water was delivered between times. By the end of June, 1907, water was available for 980 out of 1,211 farm units on the project.

The canals and branches constructed by contract are capable of conducting water to within one to one and one-half miles of practically every farm unit on the project. The material entering into the construction of these canals is all earth and very easily handled. It was decided that the Reclamation Service should construct the more difficult portions of the sublaterals, and that the settlers should construct the remainder. All of these laterals were surveyed and all portions of the ditches in fills were constructed by the Reclamation Service. The work was done in this manner on sublateral systems containing 190 miles, amounting to 436,000 yards; the remainder left to be done by the settlers averaged less than 5 yards per acre. An effort was made to equalize this work as much as possible.

Many of the claims under the project are held purely for speculation, the holders having made no attempt to prepare the land for cultivation and absolutely refusing to contribute either labor or money toward the construction of the ditches which they will be obliged to use in common with their neighbors; consequently the

bona fide settler who was desirous of using water this season was obliged to do more than his share of ditch building. As a result of this unequal division of the work of lateral building many laterals were built too small and must be enlarged in the near future.

JACKSON LAKE DAM.

Work on the structure at the outlet of Jackson Lake was resumed in June and completed in October, 1907. About 350,000 acre-feet of water will be stored. It is believed this will afford a sufficient regulation of the river's flow for the next five years, at which time it is hoped work can be begun on permanent works at this point. These works will impound from 800,000 to 1,000,000 acre-feet. Offers to cooperate with the United States in the construction of these works have been received from the North and South Side Twin Falls Land and Water companies, the American Falls Canal and Power Company, all Carey Act projects, representing about 275,000 acres, besides several smaller irrigation associations in the Upper Snake River Valley. The works, when completed, will supply water for the late irrigation of from 600,000 to 700,000 acres in the Snake River Valley.

WATER RIGHT PAYMENTS.

Under date of March 9, 1907, the following announcement was made, relating to the time when water would be delivered from this system, the cost of a water right, the time when the first payment would be due, and the charge for maintenance and operation:

In pursuance of the provisions of section 4 of the reclamation act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. L., 388), notice is hereby given that water will be furnished from the Minidoka project in Idaho under the provisions of the reclamation act at the opening of the irrigating season of 1907 for the irrigable lands shown upon farm unit plats of townships 9 and 10 south, range 22 east, Boise meridian; townships 9 and 10 south, range 23 east; townships 8, 9, and 10 south, range 24 east; townships 8 and 9 south, range 25 east, approved by the Secretary of the Interior and on file in the local land office at Hailey, Idaho.

The limit of area per entry representing the acreage which, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior, may be reasonably required for the support of a family on the lands in question is fixed for the lands entered subject to the provisions of the reclamation act in general at 40 acres within 1 miles of the towns and 80 acres elsewhere, subject to the variations required by the physical conditions, the amounts being shown upon the plats for the several farm units. The limit for which water-right application may be made for lands in private ownership snall be 160 acres of irrigable land for each landowner.

The charges which shall be made per acre upon the said entries and upon lands in private ownership which can be irrigated by the waters of the said irrigation project are in two parts, as follows:

(1) The building of the irrigation system, $22 per acre, payable in not less than five nor more than ten annual installments, each not less than $2.20 per

acre.

(2) For operation and maintenance, which will, as soon as the data are available, be fixed in proportion to the amount of water used, with a minimum charge per acre whether water is used thereon or not. The operation and maintenance charges for the irrigation season of 1907 will be 40 cents per acre of irrigable land.

The first installment of said charges for all irrigable areas shown on these plats, whether or not water-right application is made therefor or water is used thereon, shall be due and payable on or before December 1, 1907, at the local land office at Hailey, Idaho, the total payment for 1907 being not less than $2.60 per acre. The building charge for subsequent years shall be due and payable at the same place on or before December 1, and the operation and maintenance charge shall become due and be of the amount as announced by the Secretary of the Interior each year.

Under the terms of this announcement, payment of installments will be the same on all land classed as irrigable. Scattered throughout the area constituting the gravity division of this project are small tracts of land lying 1 or more feet above the water surface in the gravity canals. In some of the farm units the area of these high tracts is comparatively small, while in others it is considerable. These tracts can, in some instances, be graded and brought into the range of gravity distribution at comparatively small expense, while in other cases it may be necessary to install individual pumping plants.

After a careful investigation of all conditions it was decided that all applicants should make water-right applications for the entire irrigable area within their farm units, whether above or below the water grade, and that the charges should be due and payable for the entire area. It was thought by many of the settlers that the payment of the installments on these high areas before they could be graded off, or other means provided for their irrigation, would work a hardship, and a recommendation was made by the Service that the time of beginning the payment of charges for high lands be postponed for a period of three years unless the Government should install pumping facilities before that time, in which case the payment of such charges should begin at the time when the pumping facilities may become available for irrigation purposes. This recommendation was approved and the following order issued, modifying the announcement referred to:

In view of the fact that certain areas within the Minidoka project, Idaho, are above the grade of the gravity distribution of the water supply, it is hereby ordered that wherever any farm unit contains an area in excess of 3 acres above the grade of gravity distribution, the time for the beginning of payment of the building charges and the operation and maintenance charges for such high areas is hereby fixed for the irrigation season of 1910, the same becoming due and payable in the same manner as other charges under the project on or before December 1, 1910; provided, that if the United States shall install facilities for pumping water from the canals to the higher lands at any time prior to the irrigation season of 1910, the payments of the charges for building, operation, and maintenance shall begin at such time as these pumping facilities shall be available for raising water for irrigation purposes, as hereafter announced.

An appropriate charge for building, operation, and maintenance for these high areas will be made in addition to the charges under the project for the gravity system, except for such areas as by grading are made available for irrigation by gravity.

The acreage subject to the charges under the gravity system, as announced by departmental order of March 9, 1907, will be determined by the officers of the Reclamation Service and will be announced prior to December 1, 1907.

The order of March 9, 1907, as to the payment of charges shall be effective as to the areas under the gravity distribution system as heretofore announced.

DELIVERY OF WATER FOR IRRIGATION.

It was impossible to begin the delivery of water promptly at the beginning of the irrigating season, which, under the laws of Idaho, is April 15. No one, however, would have applied water had it been available at this date. It was not needed, owing to the condition of the soil, which favorable condition continued, with the help of rains, well into June. As fast as the work could be completed, however, water was turned into the canals, in many cases before the settlers were ready to use it. By the end of June nearly 700 second-feet were diverted into the main north-side canal and beneficially applied to