The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-10-25
TO RECLAIM A VALLEY
Details of Irrigation Project at
Klamath Falls, Ore.

william L. Curtis Tells How 100000
Acres of Land viii Be Redeemed.
Lakes to BE Drained. Canals Dug
and "a Railway Built-NaturaI Re
sources Science VIII Make Avail
able.
klamath Falls is one of the oldest
places in the state of Oregon. There
has been a town there for half a cen
fury, and a great deal of money has
been made raising sheep and cattle,
but owing to its lack of transportation
facilities and inacceSsibility the town
has not made much Roadway. Its iso-
lation has been broken in upon, how
ever. and klamath Falls is bound to
become a place of great Importance
soon because of an extensive irriga-
ton project which the federal govern
ment has undertaken there under the
reclamation act. 1t is proposed to re-
deem 100000 acres of land at a cost Of
about S4,O00,000 This will require a
large force of Iaborers and an immense
amount of material, which will give
temporary population and activity to
the town, while not less than $4,000
people will ultimately take up farms
upon the reclaimed land, says William
q. Curtis, the Chicago Record Herald
correspondent, writing from klamath
Falls.
On both sides Of the boundary line
between California and Oregon about
midway between San Francisco and
Portland and about $50 miles east of
the Pacific coast, between the Cascade
and the main range of the Rocky
mountains, lies the klamath basin, an
extensive tract embracing some half
a million acres of land, all OF which is
now practically worthless except for
cattle ranges But by drainage and
Irrigation it can be made worth from
$50 to $3.50 an acre. About two-thirds
of this land is in Oregon and one-third
in California The valley has a mean
elevation of AGO feet From north
to south it is about thirty miles in
length and varies in width from one to
twenty five miles About 10000 acres
are now under cultivation. The re-
mainder is used for pasturage.
About one-half of the Klamath basin
is occupied by a string of lakes, the
largest of which are known as Upper
klamath. Lower klamath, Tule, Clear
and Goose lakes, with several other
bodies of water of lesser Importance.
1t is proposed to drain Lower klamath
lake, which has an area of 10000 acres,
an average depth of eight feet and an
elevation of 4, 142 feet, and Tule lake,
which has an area of 10000 acres, va
ries from FIVE to twenty-five feet and
has an elevation of 4,6S4 feet Several
smaller lakes and swamps which sur
round them viii also be drained and
reclaimed. The bottoms of these lakes
are known to be of fertile soil. At one
time, according to the traditions of the
Indians, both of them were dry, or at
least were very much smaller than
they are now. The main trail used by
the Indians going north and south i'll
the klamath country used to cross
what is now Lower klamath lake.
Upper klamath lake ana Clear lake
are to be made permanent reservoirs to
receive and store the drainage of the
surrounding mountains for irrigation
purposes, and a system of canals will
be dug to carry away the surplus wa
ter into the klamath river, which flows
through the valley sluggishly from
north to south for a distance of twelve
miles, then turns abruptly to the west
and dashes through picturesque can
yOn to the Pacific. To drain the two
lakes mentioned a canal fifteen miles
long, with a grade of 200 to 300 feet,
will be dug from them to the river,
which will carry off all the water.