With one of the largest bodies of irrigable land in the West to be reclaimed, a system of canals has been laid out and extended from time to time, with capacities entirely inadequate to supply the demands of the land. Oceans of water have been going to waste during nearly every high stage of the river, while under some of the canals the hot season has been entered with much of the land suffering from want of water.

The canal capacity has for a long time been measured by the lowwater flow of the river, the result being that the right to use the comparatively limited supply of water at this stage has been dedicated through such use to a comparatively limited acreage of land and no effort has ever been made to attain a high duty for this water, nor has a voluntary effort, as a rule, been made by the irrigators to even use it without waste. So the work of further development, if ever undertaken on a large scale, will probably be done with more or less sacrificing of misapplied energy of the past, and conceding of rights based upon wasteful practices. But if such work should ever be undertaken in a small way there is great danger that some of the most serious mistakes made by the early promoters will be repeated.

SUMMARY.

The following is a brief summary of what could be accomplished in the Boise Valley through the utilization of such natural resources and facilities as are now at hand, and by coordinating the plans for similar development along Payette River.

(1) By constructing a large canal as has been described, on the south side of Boise River, and utilizing such storage facilities as could be easily developed, an early supply of water could be distributed to about 180,000 acres, and a late supply provided for about 100,000 acres more than are receiving water at the present time.

(2) By constructing a canal from the north side of Boise River, and a reservoir at the head of Sand Hollow, 40,000 acres of desert land could be reclaimed on the north side of the Boise Valley.

(3) By constructing a dam in Payette River, and running diverting canals from the same, 20,000 acres of land could be irrigated on the north side of Payette River, and 20,000 acres on the south side, while an enormous water power could be developed, which could be used as a means of supplementing the water supply for the late irrigation of 72,000 acres of land in the Boise Valley. The present irrigated area in the Boise Valley could be increased from 80,000 to 334,000 acres, while 40,000 acres could be added to the irrigable area in the Payette Valley.

Referring again to the diagram (Pl. XXXIX), it will be noted that the mean flood discharge occurs during the month of May, continuing almost late enough for the early irrigation of the entire area of irrigable land of the valley, only a comparatively small amount of water

having to be supplied by storage. The watershed of Boise River consists of very steep mountain slopes over nearly its entire area. A large part of this watershed is now timbered. How long it will be allowed to remain in that state is a question of great importance to the irrigator, for if the average period of this discharge occur but two weeks earlier in the season, it should be easily seen that, having practically no facilities for storage on the headwaters, and but meager ones at best in the valley, the opportunity to produce early crops on a vast area of land would be lost, and a great surplus of water would flow uselessly to the sea. These timbered mountain slopes and gulches are not agricultural lands, but are the only mountain lands upon which timber will grow. The people of the valley will always require timber, and these lands should always supply that demand, but if all the merchantable timber should be removed in a wholesale way, as the merchantable timber in other sections is being cut, the fortunes of this community may be greatly affected thereby. In the first place, the supply of timber which should be theirs to use for all time will no longer exist, and with it will be removed, under the conditions which prevail, the only protection that can ever be afforded the water supply, the only regulator of its flow. If it is desired, therefore, to have the irrigation resources of this valley developed, steps should be taken at once for the creation of a forest reserve for the protection of these timbered areas.

. CONCLUSION AND GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

Investigations made by the reclamation service in Idaho during the last season indicate that it would be feasible to reclaim 200,000 acres of land in the upper Snake River Valley, from 120,000 to 150,000 acres in the lower Snake River Valley, and more than 300,000 acres in the Boise and Payette valleys, or a total of more than 600,000 acres; that these lands are all excellent in quality and capable of supporting a very dense population; that the cost of these works would be comparatively reasonable, the outlay being fully justified by the high value which the lands would have after their reclamation; and that any or all three of these projects would be considered feasible under the provisions of the reclamation act. It is believed that the development of these resources would increase the wealth of the State by from $60,000,000 to $100,000,000 and provide for the support of half a million people.

Payette-Boise project.-Owing to the conditions which exist in the Boise Valley-its vast area of unimproved land, its abundant water supply for early irrigation, and the impossibility of fully developing these resources through so-called "private enterprise," or even through community effort, by reason of the great expense involved (they would probably never be completely utilized if developed piece by piece)— great benefit would undoubtedly result should the construction of

works for the utilization of these resources be undertaken by the Government. Fully 20,000 people would be immediately benefited, while homes for many times that number would be provided in the Boise and Payette valleys.

But in order to carry to completion a comprehensive plan for the full development of these valleys, many interests which are now opposed would have to be consolidated. Should the landowners of the Payette Valley desire to have the Government build the works which are necessary for the complete irrigation of the lands of that section, and should they succeed in removing the difficulties which now stand in the way of the consummation of such an undertaking, it would be feasible and proper, in my judgment, to at once begin the construction of the necessary dam on the Payette River and the canals, which would divert therefrom as parts of a general system of irrigation for the development of the resources of the two valleys. I would suggest that this undertaking is worthy of first place in the consideration of feasible irrigation projects in this State. It probably presents more difficulties of a business nature than any other, but such difficulties can perhaps be solved by the landowners themselves.

Minidoka project. This project is apparently free from complications of a serious nature, but obstacles are almost certain to arise if its development should be deferred for any great length of time, owing to the efforts which are being made to establish rights to the use of the waters of Snake River for other purposes than irrigation. I therefore urge that the construction of the works in connection with this project be undertaken at once, to be carried forward in the following manner: First, the construction of a dam in Snake River according to plan No. 2, and the north-side canal system complete; then the construction of the first 12 miles of the south-side canal system.

I do not recommend that plans for the immediate construction of any more of this work be made for the present, but recommend that as soon as the landowners of the Payette Valley shall have removed the obstacles which stand in the way of immediate action by the Government in that locality, the work of constructing a dam on Payette River and canals for the irrigation of the lands in that vicinity be undertaken instead, making this work a part of a general system of irrigation for the complete development of the Boise and Payette valleys.

Dubois project. I recommend that investigations looking to the construction of works for the reclamation of the Dubois lands be prosecuted vigorously, with a view to beginning such work as soon as the Minidoka construction shall have been completed, provided the landowners of the Boise and Payette valleys shall not, in the meantime, have made such arrangements as would render feasible the construction in those sections of the work referred to.

INVESTIGATIONS IN KANSAS.

By W. G. RUSSELL.

RECONNAISSANCE IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS AND PARTS OF COLORADO, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, AND TEXAS.

In company with C. O. Sparks, forester of the Department of Agriculture, W. G. Russell, hydrographer, left Russell, Kans., April 13, 1903, for a reconnaissance to investigate possible reservoir sites in southwestern Kansas and adjacent portions of Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

KOEN RESERVOIR.

At Hoisington, Kans., is the north boundary of the Cheyenne Bottoms or Koen reservoir. The work on the ditch leading into this reservoir has been under way for a number of years and a small amount of water has been turned into it. The reservior site is well fenced in and is being farmed, pastured, and cultivated like other land in this vicinity.

This land will no doubt hold water without puddling, as there have been many small lakes on the different parts of it for years, and the water does not seem to sink, the only loss being by evaporation.

The water for this reservoir is taken out of Arkansas River, near Dundee, several miles west of Great Bend; thence it is conveyed in a northeasterly direction by means of a ditch into Walnut Creek. Some distance below the water is directed by a dam, and thence runs northeasterly to the reservoir.

There is plenty of very fine land under this ditch, and it would seem that enough water might be taken to pay the costs of the undertaking and yield a fair revenue besides; this, however, is not the case, because this section is in the wheat belt, and, there being enough rain to raise part of a crop nearly every year, the people do not care to irrigate, though the yield might thus be doubled.

PAWNEE RIVER.

Pawnee River comes from the west and flows into the Arkansas just below Larned. On this stream, near Burdett, about 25 miles above Larned, an abandoned mill was found, the dam having been washed

326

out. This seems to be a good location for a water mill, but other power than water would probably be needed.

The land along this bottom is very fine, and a dam put in here for irrigation by private parties would no doubt prove a paying investment. The bottom is about 40 feet above the bed of the stream, and a dam 30 feet high would be about 300 feet long on top.

When visited, Pawnee River at Larned had a flow of 20 second-feet.

SAW LOG CREEK.

Southwest of Burdett for several miles up Saw Log Creek, there is a good agricultural country, but no suitable reservoir sites were seen.

INGALLS DITCHES.

Between Spearville and Dodge are the adandoned ditches of the Ingalls system. This company owning these ditches failed to get sufficient water out of Arkansas River and finally the enterprise was abandoned. There is some water flowing in the upper part of the ditch at times, and some irrigating is done, but there is no water in the lower part.

CROOKED CREEK.

On Crooked Creek near Meade, Kans., the county seat of Meade County, is the artesian-well belt. There is artesian water here, but the amount is small and the pressure light, the sinking of a second or third well in the immediate vicinity lessening the flow or stopping it entirely. It is said that water has risen to a height of 22 feet above the surface, but only in one or two instances. Considerable alfalfa is grown along Crooked Creek, but a larger crop could be raised if the land were irrigated.

CIMARRON RIVER VALLEY.

Along Cimarron River are good sandy-bottom lands which are owned and have been fenced by private parties. The bottoms are only a few feet above the water, and are flooded at times. The river was measured at the railroad bridge at Arkalon and found to have a discharge of 25 second-feet. Considerable land along this stream could be irrigated without a large outlay. The soil in the vicinity of Arkalon, especially to the west, is very sandy and is covered with sagebrush.

At the railroad tank is a 6-inch well, 100 feet deep, which furnishes a full supply of water for the engines. This water is very clear, but forms a heavy scale in boilers. The engineers call it a "gyp" water. About 14 miles northwest of Hugoton the Cimarron River is very sluggish and dirty, with little flowing water, but having in its bed