The lands in the Payette Division are situated two miles west of Star, Idaho, nestled between the Boise and Payette Rivers and extending westward to the Snake River. This region is divided into the first and second units, each with a rich Payette Division history.
The first unit, known as Notus, was established in 1921 and encompasses 6,881 acres. Water is sourced from drains located south of the Boise River near Caldwell. From there, the water flows through the Notus Canal to the lands on the north side of the Boise River near Notus. Additionally, the first unit (Notus) features 3,280 acre-feet of storage capacity in Lake Lowell.
In the second unit, irrigation is provided by the Black Canyon Main Canal, which is diverted from the Payette River at Black Canyon Dam. The gravity-fed area of the second unit was completed in 1940 and spans 28,000 acres. The pump area, consisting of 25,200 acres, was finalized in 1949 and is supported by the 90-foot lift “C” Line Pumping Plant located on the Main Canal, approximately 20 miles downstream from the diversion point.
The Black Canyon Irrigation District supplies irrigation water to about 6,900 acres in the first unit and 53,200 acres in the second unit. Furthermore, the Black Canyon Main Canal also provides irrigation water to roughly 5,100 acres for the patrons of the Emmett Irrigation District, highlighting the interconnectedness of these water systems, including Cascade Dam, in supporting local agriculture.
Black Canyon Dam is situated five miles northeast of Emmett, Idaho, along the Payette River. This diversion type concrete structure stands at a structural height of 183 feet and is a significant part of the Payette Division history, alongside other notable structures like the Cascade Dam.
Cascade Dam, also known in some contexts as Black Canyon Dam, is situated near the town of Cascade, Idaho, along the North Fork of the Payette River. This earth and rock-filled structure boasts an active capacity of 653,000 acre-feet. Within the Cascade Reservoir, Black Canyon's Irrigation District holds 238,663 acre-feet of storage capacity, a crucial aspect of the Payette Division history.
Construction began on the first unit (Notus) canal in 1919, with the completion of the first unit distribution system occurring in 1921. The Black Canyon Irrigation District took over responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the irrigation facilities on February 1, 1922.
The next significant development in the Payette Division history was the construction of the Black Canyon Dam and Power Plant, which was completed in 1924. Following this, Deadwood Dam was finalized in 1931, and Cascade Dam was completed in 1948. These projects were constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation.
Work on the Black Canyon Main Canal commenced in 1936, and this was followed by the completion of the distribution system for the gravity area of the second unit in 1940. By 1949, the C-Line Pumping Plant and the distribution system for the pump area of the second unit were also completed.
After the construction of the second unit distribution system, the Bureau operated the facilities until January 1, 1955, when the responsibility was transferred to the Black Canyon Irrigation District. With this transfer, the District assumed operational responsibility for all facilities within the Payette Division, except for the Reserved Works, which remained under the Bureau's jurisdiction. The Reserved Works include the Black Canyon Dam and Power Plant, as well as Cascade Dam and Reservoir and Deadwood Dam and Reservoir.