Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-04
TO RECLAIM A VALLEY
Details of the Klamath Falls
Irrigation Project.
A GREAT UNDERTAKING
PROPOSED TO REDEEM $50, 900
ACRES OF LAND.
Lakes to Be Drained, Channels to Be
Dug and Railway to Be Built
Owners Object to Conditions.
WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
- Record Herald
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore, September %
This is one of the oldest places in the
state of Oregon. There has been a town
here for half a century, and a great deal
of money has been made raising sheep and
cattle, but, owing to its lack of transporta-
ton facilities and naccessibility, the town
has not made much Roadway. Its isolation
has been broken in upon, however, and
klamath Falls is bound to become place
OF Importance soon, because of an extern
sive irrigation project which the federal
government has undertaken here under the
reclamation act. 1t Is proposed to redeem
$50 600 acres of land at a cost of about
four million dollars. This will require a
large force of laborers and an immense
amount of material, which will give tenn
porary population and activity to the town,
while not less than $1,000 people will uIti-
mately take up farms upon the reclaimed
land
On both sides of the boundary line be-
tween California and Oregon, about mid
way 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, embrac-
lIS SOiIe NAH d acres OI idHu, dii
of which is now practically worthless ex-
cept 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 eleva-
ton of 4, 100 feet From north to south 1T
Is about thirty miles in length and varies
in width from one to twenty-five miles.
About coco acres under cultiva-
ton. The remainder Is used for pastur-
age.
Lakes to Be Drained.
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 less 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 Alp feet, and Tule
lake, which has an area OF $4,000 acres,
varies from five to twenty-five feet in depth
and has an elevation of 1884 feet Several
smaller lakes and swamps which surround
them will 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
in the klamath country used to cross what
is now Lower klamath lake.
Upper klamath lake and 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 water into the Klamath river,
which flows through the valley sluggishly
| from north TO south for distance of
twelve miles, then turns abruptly to the
west and dashes through a picturesque can
| yon to the Pacific.
To drain the two lakes mentioned canal
s1c
| three hundred feet, win be dug from them
to the river, which will carry off all of the
water.
Plans for Irrigation.
When the lakes are drained and their
| bottoms become dry. Irrigation will be nee