remaining two-thirds is being carried on through three principal agencies: (1) by associations of land owners operating under the provisions of various state laws, the work consisting chiefly of enlarging and extending existing canal systems. In most cases the land owners do all the work of construction themselves, in this way securing the benefits at actual cost. Practically all of the systems which were constructed by private enterprise have recently been acquired by the land owners; (2) by the State under the provisions of the Carey Act. The actual work of construction is not, however, done by the State, but the contract for building the canal system is let to a corporation, the works with all rights attached thereto ultimately becoming the property of the land owners. The maximum price at which these works may be sold is fixed by the State. The company holding the franchise from the State usually contract with a construction company for the building of the works, but furnishes plans and does all engineering work itself; (3) by the United States under the provisions of the Reclamation Act which pro

vides that the water rights or works shall be turned over to the land owners at the actual cost of construction, payment to be made in not to exceed ten annual installments without interest.

It will thus be seen that all of these plans have in view the same end, i. e., the ownership by the land owners of the canal systems from which they take their water, the chief difference being in the means for accomplishing this end and the methods of doing the work. Through the first plan described works for the reclamation of about 800,000 acres have been constructed and acquired by the irrigators of Idaho. By the second, about 400,000 acres are in progress of reclamation; while the United States through the Reclamation Service has begun the actual work of reclaiming about 500,000 acres and has under consideration plans for the full reclamation of 200,000 acres more, and the construction of a reservoir system which will provide for an additional water supply for about 600,000 acres, making a total of 1,300,000 acres in this State which may ultimately be reclaimed and benefited through this agency.

carefully investigated by the Reclamation Service, only such projects as would

require the expenditure of very large sums or would likely involve serious engineering difficulties or human interests of a complex nature have received serious consideration or have been recommended to the Secretary of the Interior for approval.

The projects now under construction in Idaho by the United States are the Minidoka, situated in the central portion of the Snake River Valley, and the PayetteBoise in the valleys bearing these names, situated in the southwestern part of the State.

Minidoka Project-The Minidoka project contemplates the reclamation of about 80,000 acres by a gravity system of canals which will be completed during the present season, and from 50,000 to 70,000 acres of land situated above the gravity canals which it is proposed to reclaim at some future time by means of a pumping system. Water for irrigation of these lands will be diverted from the Snake River at a point six miles south of Minidoka. The diversion works consist of a rock-fill dam with a gravel and earth back filling from 56 to 80 feet high and 600 feet long between abutments; a masonry spillway 2500 feet in length over which the surplus water will flow, and a diversion channel excavated around one

end of the dam, closed by a masonry dam with five regulating gates, each gate 8x12 feet, through which the river has been discharging since its channel was closed by the rock-fill dam. Provision is made in the diversion channel for the installation of a power house, penstock openings being provided in the masonry structure. The water needed for the irrigation of the Twin Falls system will be available at this point for the development of power. When a full supply is provided for the irrigation of these lands, about 30,000 horse-power can be developed at this dam. The South Side Canal diverts at a point near the south end of the spillway, its present capacity being 100 second feet, and it will irrigate by gravity about 8000 acres. Provision has been made in its location and construction for the future enlargement of this canal to a capacity of 800 second feet. The North Side Canal diverts at a point about 100 feet north of the diversion channel. This canal has a capacity of 1200 second feet and will irrigate 72,000 acres of land situated on the north side of the Snake River. Both of these canals will be supplied with suitable headgates. The main canals and branches and distributaries have a total length of about 300 miles. The entire system referred to will be com

pleted during the present season. It will not be possible, however, to deliver water to the land for the irrigation of crops.

Work on the dam was begun in October, 1904, and on the canal system in July and August, 1905. This work was to have been finished June 1, 1906, but all contracts have been extended on account of the delay caused by the unusually long spell of cold weather last winter.

The land to be reclaimed was vacant and open to the public at the time the project was approved by the Secretary of the Interior, but has since been entered in farm units of 40 to 80 acres. Three townsites have been reserved, lots in two of which will be sold in the latter part of August, 1906. From 3000 to 4000 people are already living on the lands to be reclaimed. It is estimated that water rights will cost about $26 per acre. The soil is of fine quality and the land is well situated for irrigation and should be easily worth when reclaimed from $75 to $100 per acre.

Payette-Boise Project-The PayetteBoise project, which has been approved in its entirety, provides for the reclamation of 372,000 acres, mostly situated in the Boise Valley. Water will be taken from the Payette and Boise Rivers and storage systems will be constructed on the headwaters of these streams. The works for the first division of this project are now under construction; they include a

masonry dam in the Boise River and a main canal about 40 miles in length from the Boise River to the Deer Flat reservoir and two reservoir embankments. These works will provide for the reclamation of 120,000 to 150,000 acres on the south side of the Boise River; and are to be completed by March 1, 1908.

Other divisions of the project provide for the construction of storage reservoirs on the headwaters of the Boise River and enlarging and extending the main canal; the construction of a canal on the north side of the Boise Valley; a storage reservoir at Payette Lake; a dam in the Payette River and a canal leading from the same through a ridge into the Boise Valley. This system of canals will carry the early flood water for the irrigation of about 300,000 acres of land now in a desert condition, and the reservoirs will hold nearly enough for the late irrigation of practically all of this area. It is estimated that this system will cost about $11,000,000, which includes the credit allowance for present irrigation systems and the maintenance charges for ten years. About $7,800,000 will be required for the construction of the works described.

About three-fourths of the land under this project is in private ownership, the remainder belonging to the United States and State. It is all of good quality, and when reclaimed will have a market value of from $75 to $150 per acr

Of the 1,000,000 acres of irrigable land in the upper Snake River Valley, about 600,000 will receive water from storage reservoirs for late irrigation, while about 300,000 acres situated under the Minidoka and Twin Falls projects in the central valley will also be dependent upon this means when the river is low, or a total of about 900,000 acres. More than twenty reservoir basins on the headwaters of the Snake River have been surveyed by the Reclamation Service and the sites withdrawn from public entry. The most feasible of these have a combined capacity of more than 2,000,000 acre feet enough for the late irrigation of about 1,000,000 acres of land. The most available site is a system of lakes on the

South Fork of the Snake River near the head of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Regulating works are now being constructed at the outlet of Jackson Lake, the largest of these. The water to be stored at this place is to be used on the Minidoka lands. Quite a large supply will also be available for other lands in this valley.

In developing this elaborate system of storage, large human interests of a complex nature will be involved, also interstate questions will probably have to be solved. During years of ordinary water supply practically the entire annual runoff of Snake River will have to be utilized in the reclamation of the irrigable lands of the valley.