KING HILL PROJECT1 IDAHO The act of June 12, 1917 (40 Stat. 105, 148), appropriated the sum of $200,000 for construction of the King Hill project provided the Secretary determined the project practicable in accordance with the Reclamation Act of 1902. The Secretary so determined on July 2, 1917. UNITED STATES RECLAMATION SERVICE, From: Board of Engineers To: Chief of Construction, Denver, Colorado 1. Instructions. In accordance with instructions of the Director and Chief Engineer, May 13, 1916, and supplementary instructions from Chief of Construction, the undersigned Board of Engineers has examined the King's Hill Project, and submits the following report: 2. Location and description. The project is situated in southcentral Idaho, in Gooding, Twin Falls, Owyhee and Elmore counties, upon bench lands lying along both sides of Snake River in the vicinity of the towns of Bliss, King Hill, Glenns Ferry and Hammett, the town of King Hill being near the geographical center and Glenns Ferry, with a population of about 1,200, being the largest town within the project, and an operating division station on the Oregon Short Line Railway system. The tract comprises about 16,000 acres, extending in a narrow strip on either side of Snake River from near the mouth of the Malad River to Bennett Creek, a distance of 45 miles. The lands of the project have proved to be very fertile and productive, but 1 The King Hill Project was difficult and costly to operate. In 1929 a committee which made an economic survey of certain reclamation projects concluded that the King Hill Project was an insolvent enterprise and recommended that no further expenditures be made. The Act of June 18, 1934, 48 Stat. 980, authorized the Secretary to enter into a contract with the King Hill Irrigation District, by which the district and the United States would rescind previous agreements and be released from all obligations. The United States entered into such a contract on September 28, 1934. the surface is broken by a number of deep ravines, which, together with the necessity of four separate crossings of Snake River to reach different parts of the tract, and the great length of the tract compared with its small acreage, makes the irrigation system an expensive one. The character of the country is such that an unusual amount of flume and pipe construction is necessary, and the formation of much of the country crossed by flumes is such that the unavoidable leakage from the timber flumes used in the original construction caused extensive slides and other disturbances of the surface. 3. Water supply. The water supply is obtained from the Malad River, the point of diversion being about one mile above its confluence with the Snake River. This stream is fed by springs, starting at a point about three miles from the mouth of the river and aggregating about 1,100 second-feet at the point of diversion. The flow is the same winter and summer except when it is increased by surface waters. The supply of 1,100 second-feet was originally owned by the King Hill project, but was conveyed to the Beaver River Power Company in consideration of an agreement by the latter company to build and maintain the diversion dam on the Malad and the conduit leading from it to the head of the pressure pipe carrying the project water across Snake River, at which point it is obligated to deliver 300 second-feet to the project. The water supply appears to be unquestioned as to title, unfailing in its source, and ample in amount for the available project lands. 4. Project status.-This is a Carey Act project under segregation dated March 7, 1904, for 17,667 acres, and October 6, 1909, for 9,455 acres. The original project, built by the King's Hill Irrigation and Power Company, included only the lands on the south side of Snake River, but one-third of the water right was conveyed to the King's Hill Extension Irrigation Company, which was organized to cover the lands on the north side of the river in the vicinity of King Hill, Glens Ferry and Hammett. For the purpose of this report, the original King's Hill project and the King's Hill Extension project are considered as one enterprise. The irrigation works were completed in accordance with the original plans, and water was first used on the original segregation in 1910 and on the Extension in 1911, since which time delivery has been made during each irrigation season. 12. Suggested plan of reconstruction.—The present works have been in use from six to seven years, in which time all the weak spots have been developed and some have been cured. We feel that an estimate of reconstruction upon the present location will be reasonably safe and that modifications can be made when careful study shows that they will effect a saving. In the proposed reconstruction all timber flumes are to be replaced. In a few unimportant cases, short flumes will be replaced by earth sections, and in all other cases they will be replaced by steel flumes with concrete approaches and concrete footings. The trestles will be replaced with new timber trestles resting on concrete pedestals. The wood stave pressure pipes will be retained, with some repairs, but they will be supplied with concrete supports, and with concrete pressure boxes where the present boxes are of timber. The earth canals are in good condition and will only need to have their banks raised in places and to have the present wooden tap boxes replaced with concrete. Concrete lining has been estimated upon to fill short gaps between sections of lining now in place, and in places where necessary to insure against breaks. An allowance has been made for repairs and extension of the lateral system, and a new telephone line has been included. 13. Estimated costs.-Reconstruction of the present system as above outlined, to enable it to supply the net irrigable area of 16,000 acres, is estimated to cost as follows: These figures include an allowance of 15% to cover engineering and overhead costs, and a small contingent margin. In view of the fact that the system has been tried out for years and all weak spots ascertained by experience, there is small likelihood of unforeseen construction difficulties of magnitude. In addition it may be stated that the unit prices used are in themselves sufficiently liberal to establish a substantial margin of safety; moreover, in all cases of doubt the estimates have included provision for new structures with no allowance for salvage on present structures. PROVISIONS OF SUNDRY CIVIL EXPENSES [Extract from] An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, and for other purposes. (Act of June 12, 1917, 40 Stat. 105, 148, Public Law 21, 65th Cong., 1st sess.) * That_the_following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, namely: King Hill project, Idaho: For beginning construction, maintenance, operation, and incidental operations, $200,000: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall be expended until the Secretary of the Interior shall have determined that the said King Hill project is practicable, as provided by Section four of the act approved June seventeenth, nineteen hundred and two, known as the Reclamation Act, and shall have adopted the said project under and subject to the provisions and conditions of the said Reclamation Act. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: Provision has been made in the Civil Sundry Bill for an expenditure of $200,000 for the King Hill Project, Idaho, upon which it is proposed to spend the sum of $800,000. An irrigation district has been formed for the purpose of contracting with the United States for the work, and there is handed you herewith a draft of contract. This contract form contains one improvement over the contract with the organized water users of any project heretofore undertaken, namely, a plan whereby those who cultivate their lands will be favored in the character of the instalment plan, under which reimbursement may be made to the United States through the irrigation district. This plan is embodied in paragraph 8 and provides for the repayment to the United States in five equal annual instalments, with provision that if a certain reclamation program be carried out by the individual land owners they shall have 20 years in which to make repayment through the district. If, however, the program is only carried out to a specified extent, the land owners have 10 years in which to make repayment through the district. Provision which I believe sufficient for the carrying out of such a program on the part of the irrigation district is made in the Idaho Irrigation District Law as follows: Whenever any amount of money shall have been advanced by the United States for the construction of irrigation works, contemplated under the provisions of this title, by the authority of said Act of Congress, the taxing powers of the district, as provided in this title, shall be used to repay into the Treasury of the United States the amount of money so advanced in the manner contemplated in this title, and as may be provided in such contract between the Directors of said district and the United States; and such levies and assessments shall be made each year under the authority of the district as will return to the Treasury of the United States the amount or proportion of such money advanced as may have been agreed to in such contract. (Section 2398 of Idaho Revised Codes as amended, Laws of 1915, page 304.) This plan, if adopted, will unquestionably be efficacious in bringing the lands under immediate cultivation and will, as regards this project at least, do away with the long period of partial cultivation which has held back several of our reclamation projects. Our reports from field officers of the Service, indicate that the Directors of the irrigation district are strongly for this feature. The lands of the project were largely segregated under the Carey Act and there has been a long period of struggle and illsuccess; the lands of the district have been partially under cultivation for a number of years through a make-shift system. While lands segregated in favor of the State under the Carey Act are not expressly referred to in the Act of August 11, 1916, commonly known as the Smith Act, the intention of the Statute to confer upon irrigation districts the power of taxation over all public lands of the United States where the project is approved by the Department of the Interior, is evident. It is quite probable that the lands can be patented prior to the payment date of the first instalment in December 1919, with due diligence in our construction program, and under the contract terms requiring cultivation above outlined. It is recommended that the draft of contract be approved and that the Commission be authorized to negotiate the making of contract in substantially the form approved. Respectfully, (Signed) W. R. KING, Acting Director and Chief Counsel. Recommendation approved July 2, 1917. (Signed) FRANKLIN K. LANE, Secretary. |