The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-10-29
PUT WATER ON
100000 ACRES
A Vast Irrigation Project That Is
Now Being Surveyed In
This State.

| SUPPLEMENTARY 1000 900 acres of
land in central Washington, forming
a gigantic loop through the Big Bend
country from the north end of Doug
las county to Pasco and circling up
1.-THE Snake valley towards Spokane
and the Palouse, are likely to have the
immense benefits of irrigation. Over
three-fourths of this vast territory,
about 100000 acres, will get its water
supply from the Spokane river, a few
miles above this city. The feasibility
of this vast project is what over a
dozen of Uncle Sans engineers are
now Investigating in this region.
Cost of this tremendous reclama
| ton is to be betrayed by the govern
ment, under the national irrigation
act passed by the last session of con-
gress. The funds came from the ma
| tional reclamation fund, in which
there is now s16,991 900, consisting Of
the receipts from the sale of irrigable
public lands in the states proposed
to be benefited by the great irrigation
schemes. Washington's contribution
to this fund amounts to $1,S94,069,
and is increasing at the rate of ST.
100000 a year.
Under the policy adopted by the
| interior department, following out
| the provisions Of the irrigation law,
81 per cent of the contribution from
each state is to be expended within
that state in the next 10 years and
40 per cent goes into the general
fund. to be utilized in Arizona, New
Mexico Nevada and other states and
territories badly in need of irrigation
but contributing little As the cost
of each irrigating project is recover
ed ultimately from the land benefited,
the fund constantly increases, mil
lions upon millions, assuring an I'M
limited amount which can be drawn
upon to carry into execution any pro-
ject which is pronounced feasible. no
matter how vast.
Corps Now at Lake.
This great irrigation project out
lined for central Washington has been
given the name of the Big Bend pro-
ject,' and the engineers who are on
the work firmly believe it is feasible
The corps now in the field, with head
quarters at the Peyton block, in Spo-
kane, is headed by T. A. Noble, who,
with his party, is making surveys Of
Occur d'Alene lake, which is planned
to be the great reservoir from which
the millions and millions of cubic
feet needed will be taken. Some of
the engineers working under Mr. No
BILE are H. A. Bliss, c. c. Baxter, H.
NJ. MeEoy, Howard Hip and j. E.
Rose. All of the surveys being made
are with the view Of disturbing no
existing water rights, such as thel
water power at Spokane falls or Post
falls, or the irrigation flow now beingl
brought into the Spokane and Column
bfa valleys by private enterprise. As
the Big Bend project" is one of the
first upon which actual surveys havel
been made, it will, if found feasible, |
be one of the first upon which actual
work will be done.
Tremendous engineering obstacles |
will have to be overcome to get the
waters Of the Spokane river over the
high ridge dividing this valley from
the Big Bend region. Miles and miles
of canal will have to be cut through
rock, great fumes will have to be con-
structed across gulches and canyons
and a tunnel several thousand feet
70 ho.
take years as we'll as millions to &C
complish this. undertaking.
The part of the Big Bend marked
off as irrgable by the waters sup
posed to be available from Occur d.
Alene lake is chiefly in Douglas coun-
ty. Part of it is plateau land and part
is in the couleest and valleys leading
to the Columbia river. The average
altitude Of the plateau which can be
reached is 1900 feet, low enough to
give a fall of about 400 feet from the
point where the Spokane river will be
tapped if the project is approved as
feasible.
Once executed, this project will
make a fertile garden out of stretch
of country as large as a New England
state and now given over to wheat
growing and stockraising In spite of
the dryness of the region, crops are
now being raised on it's fertile soil
which an eastern farmer would re-
gard as prodigious. The soil is the
richest in the world, over 200 feet
deep in places. It's productivity under
irrigation would be astounding. Gil
matte conditions are ideal for fruit,
vegetables, corn, alfalfa and nearly
everything raised north of the tropics
| if water can be conveyed there.