The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-03-28
SURVEYS BY us.
GOVERNMENT
GEOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT BUSY
Bureau Tells of Interesting Discov-
cries and Measurements
i'm This State.

WASHINGTON, March 24.-The
work done by the United States geo.
logical survey in the state of Wash
ington during the last fiscal year.
July 1, 1904, to July /, 1905-is
given in the twenty-siNth annual re-
port of the director which has re-
Gently come from the press.
In Washington 211 square miles
of new area were mapped, 70 miles
of levels were run, and six bench
marks established. In addition 800
square miles of forest reserve were
surveyed. One party was engaged
in topographic work in the Pullman
quadrangle for publication on the
scale of 1:125,000 with a contour
interval of fifty feet. In addition,
during the latter part of the season,
enc party ran a check line of levels
over small portion of the Okano-
gan quadrangle. Another party was
engaged in completing topographic
work in the Mount Adams quad
rangle, which is part of the Mount
Rainier forest reserve, for publica-
ton on tie scale of 1:125,000, with
a contour interval of 100 feet
Topographic atlas sheets of five
Washington areas were engraved and
printed during the year. These in
cluded maps of the Okanogan,
Mount AK, Osoyoos, Skykomish and
Stehekin quadrangle.
The Snoqualmie folio prepared
under the joint authorship of Messrs.
George Otis Smith and F. G. Calkins,
was completed during the year. Prof.
c. X. Keith made preliminary ex-
animation of the iron ores at sew
eral localities in northeastern Wash
ington, and on Vancouver and Tex
ada islands, tributary to the Port
Townsend furnace, in pursuance of
the plan to prepare detailed eco
nomic report OF the iron ores of
western United States.
Steam-gaging stations were main
tanned by the photographic branch
OF the survey at Asotin, Yakima,
Ravensdale, Roslyn, Lake Chelan,
Julia, Pasco. Keystone, Zindel. Te-
koa, Poole's Ranch. Easton, Spokane,
Pateros, Nile, North Yakima, Alber-
ton, Hooper, st. John, Malott Aft
Ind 1r,,i
Cashmere, Kiona, Lake Keechelus,
Union Gap and Selah Gap
A report on the underground wa
tiers of Washington, by Mr. Henry
Lands, was published by the sur
vey and also one on the geology and
water resources of a portion of east
central Washington by Mr.. Frank c.
Calkins.
In this state systematic stream
measurements have been made for
several years on Yakima river and
its tributaries, Spokane and Palouse
rivers, and considerable reconnais-
sance work has been done in To-
eating reservoir sites and examining
various projects. On the passage OF
the reclamation law this work was
extended to cover the whole of the
arid region of the state. A number
of projects were investigated in
preliminary way. Those found
worthy of further study are the Pal
ouse project, the Okanogan project
and the Yakima project.
A grade line was run from Priest
Rapids, on Columbia river, to de-
termine the amount of land which
can be irrigated by gravity system
from Columbia river. Sufficient
hand cannot be irrigated to warrant.
at this time, the large expenditure
necessary.
A survey of the Palouse project,
which contemplates the irrigation OF.
about 100000 acres from Palouse
river, was undertaken to determine
the practicability of the scheme. A
board of engineers examined the
project in detail in April, 1905, and
made a careful estimate Of the cost.
which proved to aggregate over SIX
million dollars. In the present
state Of the reclamation fund this
could not be undertaken with any
prospect Of completion for many
years. Surveys are therefore being
pushed In okanogan and Yakima
valleys to develop a more feasible
project.
The irrigable lands included with