Irrigation helped to expand Boise’s boundaries above the Boise Bench and into the western part of the valley. Having water available to elevations well above that of the Boise River allowed for growth into previously unproductive property. The canals and reservoirs provided water in even the driest of seasons and

New Deal water projects seeded the rural growth that expanded the city limits. Pictured: newly built barn, Ada County, 1936, by Arthur Rothstein. Library of Congress.

created small farming communities, many of which later became towns or were incorporated into the City of Boise. Irrigation of the hinterlands allowed farmers to settle further from the river, which in turn opened large tracts of riverside land for future urban development. Agriculture spurred the Boise Valley economy, attracted settlers, and provided an alternative occupation to the former mining related citizens still residing in the area. Contemporary maps illustrate that much of the valley’s subsequent growth took place west of the New York Canal, along the many canals and laterals extending from it.