The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-07-31
ONLY WATER IS NEEDED.
Irrigation Is Applied to the Arid Lands
Of Washington.
Engineer smIth's Able PaPcr--SmaII
idea 81 what Capital Way Ae-
eomPllsh In Five Years.

W NNauAAbgoug wa tu0 buDJoCs u y
paper prepared by G. R. Smith, engineer
In charge Of the Yakima IrTigating and
Improvement cOmpany's works at Kiona,
WASH, and read at the monthly meeting
Of the Society Of Engineers and Archi-
tects recently at the society rooms in the
Northern Pacific headquarters building,
Tacoma. This paper was to have been
read several months ago, but Mr.. Smith
has not heretofore been able to prepare
and forward It. The paper deals with
the bunch grass plains or table lands
which form the wheat belts, known as
the Big Bend, Palouse and Walla Walla
districts, which, Mr.. Smith says, have an
elevation Of 1000 feet above the sea, and
produce from 80 TO 60 bushels Of wheat
and 70 bushels Of oats to the acre, and
corresponding amounts Of FAX and bar
ley.
The low lying sage brush regions con-
tiguous 10 the streams, and which in a
state Of nature become barren wastes Of
arid deserts each year during the sum-
mer months, are treated at great length
by Mr.. Smith. The Columbia and Snake
rivers in Washington, he says, have no
alluvial bottom lands. such as are found
along the Mississippi, Missouri and other
like rivers, but run mostly through
deep gOrges and canyons, with bluff, pre-
cipitohs sides. Both rivers are fed by
numerous small tributaries, bringing to
them the melted SHOWS from the neigh
boring mountains. A
These latter, at their junction with the
larger streams, have formed little deltas
Of made lands, composed Of q light,
sandy loan, having a disintegated vol
canie ash base, everything bars Of washed
gravel, said bars being sometimes
cemented with clay or hard pan. These
are the only irrigating tracts along the
larger rivers proper, but each Of these
smaller streams has its own tributary,
valleys and feeders, and it is in these
that the bulk Of the irrigable lands lie.
OF this class Of lands Kittitas county has
probably some 100000 acres, over three
fouFths Of which lie in one body in the
beautiful mountain valley Of the same
name.
Yakima valley has 100000 acres,
though at least half Of it Is yet unavail-
able, being within the boundaries Of the
simooe Indian reservation. Walla Walla
county, along the river Of the same name,
has 5000 acres that il Is necessary to irri-
gate, while along the Snake river in
Walla Walla, Columbia, Asotin and Gar
field counties there is an aggregate Of
about 1000 acres, strung along on de-
taehed bars and plats, ranging in size
from 100 to 400 acres each. There Is also
. small irrigation district at Columbus,
in Kiekitat county, Of say 1000 to 1900
acres. Franklin county, although pos
sessing no land low enough to probably
irTigate from gravity bitches, has re-
Gently formed, under our new state law,
known as the Cleman bill, an irrigation
district Of 1900 acres, surrounding Pasco,
and lying between the Columbia and
Snake rivers, at their junction, which il
Is proposed to cover with water pumped
from the Snake river to an elevation Of
no teet. Also, there is along the bank oil
the Columbia river, between the Snake
and the Walla Walla rivers, an add
tional strip Of some 5000 acres, which can
readily be redeemed in the same way.
OF the !, 250, 900 acres Of irrigable lands
referred to by Mr.. Smith, he says not "a
exceed Isl, 900 acres have been redeemed
: at present. Probably there Is in actual
cultivation not more than 5000 acres.
The estimated 10000 now under water
and susceptible Of cultivation, Mr.. Smith
divides thus:
Kittitas valley, $1,000 acres, with an
average elevation Of 1900 to 1900 feet above
sea level. Products mostly grain, yeye.
tables and hay, and possessing a few fine
apple orchards.
wenatchie valley, 5000 acres, altitude
600 10 800 feet. Grapes, peaches and
corn are grown in abundance.
Yakima valley proper, together with
lie various prolOngations, the Cowychee
Natcheez, Mckee, etc., $1,000 acres, Al
from 900 to 1900 feet above the sea, wher,
are raised hops, grapes, peaches, swee,
potatoes, Indian corn, broom corn, sor
ghum, tobacco, all the various grains
grasses and vegetables.
Walla Walla valley, 5000 acres, will