The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-04-30
WILL BUILD BIG ditch
Idaho Capitalists are Preparing
to put in an Irrigation Sys-
tenn for Hood River VAL
lev at the Cost of $i25, 900.

to put IN an irrigation oyS-
tenn for Hood River VAL
ley at the Cost of $i25, 900.
Hood River is to have new irrigating
ditch. The recently Incorporated Hood
River Irrigating company, backed by
Idaho capitalists, is here to construct an
irrigation system which will supply the
valley with $1,000 inches of water 1t
is proposed by this system to have
water enough to irrigate about 10000
acres on the West Side and nearly 5000
acres on the East Side. The cost OF
their project when completed is esti-
mated at $l25, 900, and by this time next
year, so say the officials of the company,
water will be on the ground for use by
farmers of both sides of the valley.
The preceding statements were as
certained by che Glacier last Monday
in an interview with the resident Off
cials of the Hood River Irrigating COM
pany. ave have secured sufficient
rights OF way to assure the building of our
ditch, said F. G. Bryant, vice president
and general manager of the company, in
response to question as to what pro-
gress his company was making Sand
Just as soon as all matters of rights of
way are properly adjusted, we shall
begin the work of construction. II
is first necessary to slash and
clear off the timber on the
canal route, when most of the excavat-
ing will be let out to contract. You can
say that the ditch will be completed and
the farmers will have their irrigating
water by this time next year."
The company proposes to tap the East
Fork Of Hood River at point about
mile above Winans. From here the
main canal will extend in northeast
erly direction for 51a miles to point
above the northern end of the Dawes
Divers place, now the Prather farm.
Here the main canal will be divided
into two branches-one to cross the can
yon by means of syphon to the E. E.
Lyons place, the other continuing around
to the loot hills OF the East Side. From
Lyons place the ditch branches in all
directions so as to cover the West Side,
including land as high as the Charles
Chandler place. These branches will
be known as main and sub-laterals. 1t
is the intention OF the company to let
the farmers decide on the location OF
these laterals, and if they care to, to build
them, the company standing all the ex-
pense of getting the water to the farmers
lands.
A feature of the whole system is to
be the almost total absence of fumes,
save for the crossing of few ravines
The width of the main canal is to be l6
feet at the bottom, 27 feet at the water
line and to have depth of51 feet. The
grade is IA inches to the mile, giving
vilocity OF 2.5. A substantial head gate
will be built and placed in masonry,
which one man can easily operate.
Waste-gates of ample capacity to protect
the canal will be placed in the fumes at
the rate of one for each mileo Of canal
All side-hill work will have the lower
bank raised to an elevation of two feet
above the maximum height of the water,
and have top width OF six feet.
The syphon, which is to carry the ca
nal to the west side Of the river, will have
a capacity of 5000 inches. The syphon
to be constructed OF A-inch steel pipe
will be 800 feet long with diameter
of four feet The steel pipe for the
syphon is estimated to cost $4,000,
while the bridge and masonry work will
amount to an additional $4,000.
The incorporated members OF the
Hood River Irrigating company consist
of Fred G. Bryant, Herbert M. Abbott,
Oliver G. Dean and Theodore f. Shepler
of Hood River and John Kincaid OF
Boise, Idaho. The officers of the cor
poration are John Kincaid, president;
+. G. Bryant, vice president and general
manager; o. G. Dean, secretary; II. NJ
Abbott, treasurer; E. M. Swain, assistant
secretary. The capital stock of the
company is 5000, ,0O0, ,one half of which
is subscribed.
The company members are men OF
energy, enterprise and capital, and are
pleasing gentlemen to meet. Mr.. Bry-
ant first saw the possibilities of an ex-
tensive irrigating system for Hood River
valley while on a visit here last August,
but did not perceive the immediate need
for larger water supply until second
visit later in the summer. "We are not
here to rob anybody else of their legiti-
innate business" said Mr.. Bryant, "but
Hood River fruit growers must have
more water than the present irrigating
bitches are capable Of supplying, and
we mean to meet this need"
d. A. Utter of Weiser, Idaho, the
civil engineer who made the surveys
and estimates for the company, in his
report completed April Is, 1908, has the
following to say of the soil of Hood River
valley:
"The soil is composed OF a volcanic
ash, thoroughly impregnated with iron,
and on the west side of the river we
find large percentage of decomposed
sandstone, mixed and distributed with
the ash and iron until with plenty OF
water for irrigation the soil is nearly
perfect for most of the fruits and grains
raised in the temperate zone. On the
east or right bank of the river the soil is
heavier, requiring less water and while
possibly not so early as the lighter soil
with its production, yet it win require
less fertilization and it has already dem |
onstrated its ability to raise the finest |
apples in the world The fiber of the
fruit in this valley is strengthened by |
the ash and colored by the iron to such
an extent that they stand to be shipped |
long distances and hold their form and |
color when shown on the market"
Other bitches Make Improvements.
The report that outside capital is to
put an irrigating system into Hood River
valley hasn't kept back improvements
N, tho M ~ nf tho Drasauf ,litch o,pnnor