Summary of Oneida County report.

[Compiled from reports of D. W. Standrod, H. R. Evans, and Frank Campbell.]

Has a reservoir 300 feet long, 15 feet high-cost
$2,000 and it increases farming area from
1,200 acres to 4,000 acres.

Small streams; capable by means of reservoirs
of irrigating three times as much.
Both have much water; good sites for reser-
voirs, and much good land thus made irrigable.
Capable of treble its present capacity by means
of storage.

A small strip on south side of river; overflowed.
Main supply is from a spring. Can not be im-
proved by reservoirs, as the floods are uncer-
tain. Some 20,000 acres might be irrigated by
a canal from Eagle Rock.

27,600 38, 760

62, 000

108, 000

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

Total area of Oneida County 2,600 square miles, exclusive of the reservation. In general, this county is now irrigated in so far as it can be without resort to storage reservoirs on its small tributary streams, and the construction of a canal from a point on Bear River, in Bingham County.

Both methods seem to be advisable. In some localities, reservoirs will be cheapest, and on some large tracts, notably T. 14 and 15 S., R. 38 E., a canal from Bear River is the only available method.

These lands are so excellent that it is the interest of that populous neighborhood and of the Territory of Idaho that they should be reclaimed, and thus help to bear the burdens of the State.

In the report of Messrs. D. W. Standrod and H. R. Evans they say that an eastern syndicate are about to monopolize all Bear River and conduct it into Utah, against which they strongly protest.

ACRES AND DITCHES, THEIR AREA AND LENGTH.

OWYHEE COUNTY.

REPORT BY FRANKLIN W. HULETT.

359

SILVER CITY, July 8, 1889.

SIR: In reply to your circular letter of June 8, 1889, I herewith submit the following:

NOTE.-Length of time each year-average three months. There is sufficient water to irrigate its irrigable lands.

By Snake River Canal.

+ Not known.

During the months of February, March, and April of each year, average, there is sufficient water in all the streams mentioned to irrigate all the lands of value just at the time when irrigation is not necessary. Usually irrigation is commenced about the middle of May, and is continued (if there is sufficient water) until about the 1st of October. There are large tracts of fine land lying westerly from Bruneau Valley, extending as far as Birch Creek. There is a practicable route for a canal, beginning at a point near the south boundary of T. 7 S., R. 6 E., on Bruneau River; thence in a westerly direction to the last-mentioned creek.

Respectfully,

JOSEPH C. STRAUGHAN,

FRANKLIN W. HULETT,

United States Deputy Mineral Surveyor.

United States Surveyor-General for Idaho.

REPORT FROM S. J. PRITCHARD.

Robertson's Fork of Bruneau.-Extent of irrigation, 7 by 1 miles; practicable, 10 miles square; furnishes sufficient water about three months yearly; has five ditches, average 1 mile; good site for reservoir.

Three Creek.-Extent irrigated, 3 by three-fourths miles; practicable, 6 by threefourths miles; furnishes sufficient water about three months yearly; good site for reservoir; has three ditches 14 miles long.

Bruneau River.-Extent irrigated, 12 by 14 miles; ten ditches from 1 to 8 miles long; furnishes water about six months. There is an excellent site for storage of water, and the water from this stream can be made to cover thirty sections of good agricultural land.

Shoo-Fly Creek.-Extent of irrigation, 3 by 1 miles; practicable, 8 by 1 miles; three ditches from 1 to 3 miles; furnishes sufficient water about two months yearly; excellent site for reservoir.

Birch Creek.-Practicable for 9 miles long and from one-half to 2 miles wide; excellent site for storage of water; sufficient water for about two months yearly, with a small stream the greater part of the year.

Castle Creek.-Irrigated for 8 by one-half miles; practicable fifteen sections; furnishes water until about 1st of May; thirteen ditches; one-half to 3 miles long: excellent site for reservoir.

Catherine Creek.-Irrigated for 7 by three-fourths mile: ten ditches, 1 to 2 miles. Excellent sites for reservoir.

Pickett Creek.-Irrigated 4 by one-half mile; seven ditches, from 1 to 2 miles. Excellent site for reservoir. These last two streams join, and with water stored could be made to cover about fifteen sections of good fertile land.

Sinker Creek.-Six miles by one-half miles.

Reynold's Creek.-Irrigated, 12 miles long, land one-half mile wide. Practicable about fifteen sections. Excellent storage site. Furnishes sufficient water about two months yearly.

Cow Creek.-Irrigated 3 by one-half mile.

Jordan Creek.-Irrigated 8 by 1 miles. Sufficient water the entire year.

There has been some land located and irrigated, and water-rights located upon and water diverted from all the following streams: Dead Wood, Brown's, Squaw, Jump, Trout, Williams, South Mountain, Boulder, Lone Tree, and Cherry Creeks.

In nearly all these streams in this county there is a great body of water for several months in the spring, so that where reservoirs could be constructed there would be sufficient waste water during these periods of high water to fill the various reservoirs.

There are about one hundred irrigation ditches, averaging about 2 miles long. There are about 12 ditches used for mills and mining averaging about 34 miles long. These streams generally have their sources in the mountains, and are fed by springs (usually formed from the rains and melted snows incident to mountains), and from the melted snow and rains.

At least one-half of the settlers of Owyhee County are settled upon unsurveyed lands.

The average value of crops per acre is about $40. If Snake River were diverted, i could be made to cover 60 square miles of good agricultural land in one body ir Owyhee County.

Respectfully submitted.

Localities.

SUMMARY OF OWYHEE COUNTY REPORTS.

Lands.

Ditches.

Irrigated. Irrigable. No. Length.

S. J. PRITCHARD.

Remarks.

KOOTENAI, PEND D'OREILLE, AND SPOKANE RIVERS. 361

KOOTENAI COUNTY.

REPORT BY GEORGE A. MANNING.

SIR: In reply to the questions in your circular of June 15, in regard to irrigation in Kootenai County, I would in answer say first: That owing to the formation of the country, it being generally mountainous, it is not possible to irrigate any considerable amount of land in the county, and would further state I do not know of any land in the county being irrigated at the present time, and further it is not considered necessary to irrigate in order to raise fair crops of cereals, vegetables, or fruits. There are three considerable rivers running through parts of Kootenai County.

The most northerly, the Kootenai River, runs through the northeast corner of the county, the country being mountainous, with some very fine bottoms along the river which mostly overflow during the spring and early summer, caused by the melting snows in the mountains. After the water recedes from these bottoms grasses of good quality quickly spring up, and the cut of hay from them will average 2 or 3 tons to the acre; on the higher parts of the bottoms fine vegetables grow. About the middle of September last year I saw corn, pototoes, squash, pumpkins, and tomatoes thoroughly matured and ripened on the ranch of Mr. Long, about 2 miles above Bon ner's Ferry.

The Pend d'Oreille River, after leaving the lake of the same name, runs about 25 miles through Idaho. The character of the country is about the same as Kootenai River, with much the same kinds of bottom-lands.

The Spokane River runs through the county a distance of about 13 miles, from the foot of Coeur d'Alene Lake to the Washington line. The lake and river being so much lower than the surrounding lands, it would be impossible to take the water out for irrigating purposes, and the only lands that could be benefited by irrigation is thus deprived of it.

The land that I refer to extends from the Washington line east for about 12 miles and a distance of about 25 miles north from the Spokane River; is mostly open prairie, with occasional small groves of pine. The soil is gravelly loam, and it produces fair crops of grain and vegetables. It stands the drought well, but is absolutely without water, with the exception of two lakes, as marked on the plat (Hayden Lake and Fish Lake). Hayden Lake is much below the surface of the prairie, consequently irrigation from that source is practically impossible. There is no outlet to the lake and no streams of any consequence running into it. Its principal supply is from the melting snow on the surrounding mountains.

Fish Lake is a body of water about 5 miles long, with an average width of about 1 mile, during the spring rains and melting of the snows in the spring. A small stream issues from it, but it runs along the base of the hills on much lower ground than the surrounding prairie and sinks in the gravelly soil after running a few miles. The prairie is nearly all claimed and fast being brought under cultivation. The great drawback is the want of water for domestic purposes, farmers having to haul their water from 1 to 6 miles. Three wells have already been sunk, one on the ranch of E. R. Childs near Post Falls, about 2 miles north of Spokane River. He found water at a depth of about 172 feet, which he proposes to raise by a windmill. About 4 miles north of Mr. Childs's place Mr. Eisch found water at a depth of 225 feet. He has a windmill in successful operation, but the amount of water raised is small; still he has enough for domestic uses. About 4 miles northeast of the last well Mr. Henry Reiniger sank 311 feet, finding a supply of water at that depth, which he proposes to raise by windmill.

With a supply of water for domestic purposes and for watering stock the prairie referred to above can be successfully cultivated, which would add materially to the wealth of the county and Territory. It is generally thought that artesian wells could be bored on the prairie that would furnish an abundant supply of water, but as the cost would be considerable, no one feels able to take the risk of a failure; but could the fact be demonstrated by sinking a well the farmers could club together and sink others, thereby securing an ample supply for all their wants.

I am, very respectfully, yours,

JOSEPH C. STRAUGHAN,

GEO. A. MANNING.

United States Surveyor-General for Idaho.

REPORT BY WM. ASHLEY, JR., COUNTY SURVEYOR,

KOOTENAL, IDAHO, July 15, 1889. DEAR SIR: Your favor of 22d ultimo and map received, but was sent to Murray and I did not get it until the 27th, as my post-office is Kootenai.

There is very little irrigating done in Kootenai County. In the northern part there is abundance of water to irrigate all irrigable lands, but in the southern portion water is scarce and the land is very gravelly, so that it is hard to dig ditches. I would suggest that artesian wells will be more practicable than irrigation ditches or canals.

The Kootenai River, Pack River, Clark's Fork, and the Pend d'Oreille Rivers afford abundance of water for all the land irrigable, but the bottom-lands generally overflow during high water.

Yours, very respectfully,

JOSEPH C. Straughan,

WM. ASHLEY, JR.,

County Surveyor.

Surveyor-General.

WASHINGTON COUNTY.

REPORT BY THOMAS C. GALLOWAY.

WEISER, IDAHO, July 2, 1889.

SIR: Water has been appropriated in two hundred and seventy ditches, from the Weiser River and its twenty-five tributaries.

Most of the ditches are small and short, and are only intended for private use along the alluvial bottom-lands.

The Pence ditch, from the Payette River, intended to cover about 10,000 acres of rich, level sage-brush land on Snake River, above the mouth of the Weiser, is 12 miles long.

The Mill ditch, on the north side of the Weiser, is 5 miles long, and has a capacity of about 1,000 inches. The Weiser canal is 17 miles long, and is intended to irrigate 16,000 acres on the north side of the Weiser River and on Snake River below Weiser City.

Owing to four successive dry years, and no means of storing and holding back from the very abundant spring supply, many of the smaller ditches are dry, and the larger ones have not sufficient head to maintain a full and uniform flow, which is necessary. With but comparatively little expense water could be stored on any of the small streams in great abundance, or dams could be easily, cheaply, and safely built in the narrow cañons between the different valleys on the main Weiser. Water stored anywhere above would benefit all below.

The price charged, where water is sold, is $1 per miner's inch, a very indefinite quantity, but expected to be enough to irrigate 1 acre. The irrigable land in Washington County is about 500,000 acres. The water-shed is in the shape of a horseshoe, 30 miles across and 100 miles in length.

Land, where the supply of water is certain, is worth from $15 to $20 per acre; land without water is worthless.

Unless means are devised for holding back and a better way established for distributing and using water in this county, the larger and longer ditches will be abandoned, while the smaller ones will become sources of local strife and litigation.

Very respectfully, yours,

JOSEPH C. STRAUGHAN,

THOS. C. GALLOWAY.

United States Surveyor-General for Idaho.

WEISER, August 11, 1889.

DEAR SIR: Yours of the 5th instant, with map inclosed, at hand to day. It is impossible to designate the numerous ditches on the map in this county.

I have marked one Pence ditch from Payette River, which I consider very important, as the large body of land, at least 10,000 acres, is No. 1, and without water. No. 2, Mill ditch. No. 3, Weiser canal. No. 4, Middle Valley.

There are fourteen ditches on Manns Creek, now all dry. No water in Pence ditch. The Weiser canal takes all the water in the river and only affords at this time a small quantity, probably enough to water stock, orchards, and gardens.