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O[}i)914 ~ , '" r'. ;; .. 33 - There are approximately 85 private ditches having decreed \.ater rights in the Little Snake Area. They have a total adjudicated ca- apcity of 285 second feet. Most of these ditches irrigate only one or tvo farms and have no head work" or structures, depending entirely on the height of the stream to govern their diversions. All, except a few located near the headwaters, normally suffer severe shortages during the summer months. Approximately 125 stock water reservoirs have be0n constructed by the Federal Government wi thin the basin since 1938. They arc located, in general, in the dry grazi~ country adjoining the river valley. Their size averages about 15 acre feet and their primary purpose is to furnish stock water, but they do have a limited use to cut down soil erosion. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIOnS - In 1935 the Bureau of Reclf'J11ntion classified all of the irrigable lands of Little Snake River Basin. The entire are". was mapped and irrigable and irrigated areas were segregated into meadow, cUltivated, or highly productive or average tillable land. THE STRUGGL~ FOR A LIVELIHOOD -- A splendid site for n reser- 'voir on tho Upper Savery Creek, tributa~J to the Little Snake River which finally enters the Colorado River, has been surveyed quite completely, and a dam could bo built at a comparatively low cost, which would enable land owners to increase their output of hay and grain on the thous~ds of acres that for a half century havs given these people light reward for their painstaking effortw. Two or three "Waterings" after July 1st would add thous"nds of dollars with- out any anpreciable cost in labor. All reports show clearly an ample supply of storage water. As n land owner for a great many years, I am deeply appreciative of the government I S interest in small reservoir projects. I CRn ~C'''-' ceive no need so manifest as additional water for such reservoirb C districts where each yefU' the .shortage of water now availab:!.e rel'''..c' the crop output a third of one-half or more. I am especially in- terested in the Little Snake River Valley. For thirty to fifty y,~rs the splendid citizens of this valley have had 0. fror water suppl~r only about one ye;>.r out of five, fU1d the,r are in R constant struggle for a decent livlng. A Ii ttle over a yenr ago I was with a very representRtive bud:- of men and women at Baggs, Wyoming, land owners on eRch side of thG State line, and they authorized and requested me to nct in their oe- half and in behalf of hundreds of other like-minded men !\r.d women in that valley. It seemed to me that they were intensoly interosted en their pleas for govarnment help. They nre not asking for water fo~ new land, but for re~ervoir s~ornge of high water now lORt, for th~ fertile valley land that they hRve clutivated for decades ~ith most discouraging results. Long since, I satisfied myself thRt engineering reports showeQ conclusively that ample water for storage was available and that cOso of construction would be relatively. moderate. Hence, in my cont,,-ct'.