, 1890-05-22
RECLAIMING LANDS.
Possibilities of Washington
and Idaho.
REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE
A Region of National Fame for
Its Unrivaled Fruits and
Vegetables.

The report of Senator Stewart,
from the select committee on lrrlga-
tlon aud reclamation OF arid lands,
has Just been printed. The REVIEW
makes tho following extracts there
| from:
The states ofWashington and Ore
gon present most interesting topo-
graphic and photographic features
In entering the first named state by
the Northern Pacific Railroad. your
committee Lad the opportunity OF
seeing the effect, on an area well
within tho arid region, OF the eStcn-
sive mountain lakes found In North
western Montana and Northwestern
Washington, ms also ON IA considera-
BILE section Of Northern Idaho. The
regional aridity Is subdued to u con-
siderable degree. The eStrems East
ern quarter or third of Washington
from north to south may properly
be classified as sub-humid, while
the central portion clear to the cast
ern foothills of the Cascades ap-
proachcs norenearlyto a general arid
character. Washington, from ll7'
10 lSlS oil west iohgituuei or io"r ue-
grecs, win be found n section In
which the storage and distribution
of water, while not mt all times and
places therein ain absolutely neces-
sity, will always need such facilities
aud find them To greatly enhance
1, tsIst.tFttnl
ils h,ha N"iues anu ihu"7''' P''s
rcss
Entaripg midway Of the western
i9 ~. .,t,., p,,tG,
pounualy \" uic Nor'iiei" i"S'"o
railroad gives the traveller occasion
for seeing the character of IA great
W. b ,,.,''',i.' ro,,,,i,.od
"'u "".''7' """'v =,
which the mesa or tabie-anu oi thc
Columbia river valley and its great
tributnrI.s nresents. Tie Great
pini,,s MI tba rol1mhi, river To the
'.,''. a'a ~ ~ -. ,.''ii.,'.,d ,y,Ii nrnh.
no.thWe-t VI me ruiuoau wn P'oo
nbly require LOT thelr hfi.uie use nh
extended series oi hyurogfupiiic
works. That they can be so re-
cluimpd vns teslifisd to- from many
so,Ircas Ono o.tImnto was made Of
. I'M, ano aoraa auntLa, of 4 . 0OO OpO
't' III ao,ss' ','nr, -, Rri,,nd ier
.fcvoiui"B " ,7'fp,i
teherai Jonh pippols' Ch'.su
States army, commanding the ue-
partment OF Colunbia:
Irrigation by private parties or com.
pen,fs has "Ien s"sJisss'".HS xin,n,b ~"
river valley, both in Oregon and North
ern California; the Boise river valley,
Idaho, idaho' a ans 1haho ihano river yer Univ IL r,ysr
valley. Washington; and, i understand,
In the Rogue river valley. Oregon. The
rivers OF this region are large. ana
would lhrni7n ehonsh water 70 supply
sys,,ens %, ,ls"' Lrias"ut ",V .,nros,e ra.er-
0I voirs n ~ nsc...ary ar Sbsn tho tlemands
Increase.
The region around Walla Walla Is
rich and productive, and north of this Is
the area called the Great Plains OF the
Solumnia whlon, altlough not 80 WI
nnoNns ,hn s p.o",,oth nr nniysd With
water M least dtIr,nS tha summer
months. Iho topography OF this sec
tion il 40 lmperiectly ly known that il is
I impossible To determine, without sur
yeys the practieability OF irrgatlng by
ditches, or whetn.r ~ "ou'u 20 heee
sas ~ PTi'a 80 riy.r abovs
is,yiston has fails and raniis and thus
NAV afford an optortunity of running
irrigation bitches to the lower lands
below
All OF the great bodies OF water
named by Genemi Gibbons present,
In the mountain sections at least.
,he ,,s,,al ch,rac,,,ristlc. of ,be arid
,,a,an" M "daa,,I,,orodado ohnnnoI. In.
'oeio" oP'9 o''" ~"
narrow Vaiieys' hpruptiy riSihs
bench-iands, opening widely on Que
or the other side of the river, but
seldom on both sides, and then
again arising into griss-clnd table
or plateau lands. Your committee,
mt It's North Yakima and EIlens-
burgh sessions, had the opportunity
diect of viewing the results oil irriga-
ton on an extensive soalc. The
Moxie ranch at the first named
place Illustrated, In it's 1000 acres
irrigated from the Yakima river at
an average cost of ~ per acre, what
may be accompl yhed by private en-
terprlse backed by capital, while at
Eliensburgh, the Kittltas valley Of
feled Al sDicudid evidence of neigh
,iauer,,y nm al self-,lenentlcn,e
,rha y.Li,r,, ,,,li,,,. n,,,,r, ono nno
III r..
acres ol Vot'oih tnns ioI reciu'hst-
ton, ana hs iedst "a million more ~
available bench lands. IN" mlilmll
Of the region Is also sufficient to Sc