The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-09-26

will be constructed during the 1907 sea
son.
The irrigable lands lie in an elongat
ed body directly west of the city of
North Yakima bordering upon lands
now under irrigation, which lands are
famous for their productiveness and
high value.
| All land will likely be sutlivided in
to forty acre pieces, except that the
present owners may be permitted to re-
tain eighty acres. Under favorable con-
ditions irrigation will be comemnced in
the 1908 season.
Sunnyside Unit-The Sunnyside pro-
iect lies principally on the east bank
of the Yakima river, the northern eN-
tremity being within six miles OF and
down stream from North Yakima from
where the irrigable lands extend for a
distance of forty miles down stream.
Some 10000 acres of this land are
at present under irrigation from the
Sunnyside canal, which has been pur-
chased by the government. Zillah and
Sunnyside are progressive towns with
in the area now irrigated. whose pros
perity is a reflex of that of the irirgat
ors in the vicinity.
The construction work vii, consist in
the reconstruction and enlargement of
the present structures, of the broaden
ing and extension of til, canal and o.
the construction of inverted symptoms
to carry a portion of the water across
the Yakima river to cover lands in the
vicinity of Mabton and Prosser. The
lands will he subdivided into tracts sim
liar to those mentioned under the Tieton
project.
The undertaking of the work described
is dependent upon the consent of the
land owners not yet fully obtained. As
soon as it becomes possible to proceed
the $l,lO0,00O now made available by
the secretary of the interior, less $780,
600 paid for the Sunnyside canal, will be
Expended, after which an additional al
lotment of about 100000 will be re-
quired to complete the project, which
will then provide for the irrigation of
10000 acres of land now dry.
Wapato Unit-On the opposite side of
the Yakima river from the Sunnyside
project lies a body of irrigable land over
100000 acres in extent, upon which wa
ter can be readily diverted because Of
its low elevation above the river. This
land is part of the Yakima Indian res
ervation, and through it passes the
Northern Pacific transcontinental rail
road, Wapato being one of the three
stations within the reservation.
All this land is now allotted in eighty
acre pieces to the Yakima Indians, one
piece for each man, woman and child.
The Indian Office has expended over
100000 for canals, and portion of the
land is now irrigated, most of which
however, receives water during the flood
season only. Generally speaking, the In
dian is the landlord and leases his land
to whites for short terms of years.
1t is due to the efforts of Congressman
w. l.. Jones that the possibility now eN-
lists of opening up this vast tract, sit
uated in the very heart of the Yakima
valley, to white settlers. During the last
term of Congress, legislation was enac-
ted permitting the Indians to dispose Of
three-fourths OF their respective hold
ings. The terms of this law are equally
favorable to the Indians and to the
whites, for which reason it is expected
that no serious trouble will be exper-
fenced in obtaining the required consent
of the Indians, in which case the APP
prevail of the Secretary of the Interior
will be asked for the complete reclaim
alton of this tract of land. Tentatively