The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-09-26
Work of The
Reclamation Service
in Washington and Oregon

A glance at the maps of the states of
Washington and Oregon shows that of
their total area of 10000 square miles.
two-athirds lie east of the Cascade
mountains. This vast stretch of ter
ritory, 400 miles long and 220 miles
wide, is deficient in rainfall, most of it
being arid and all requiring irrigation
for full production. 1t may be estima-
ted that at the present time nearly one
per cent of this area is under either par
tial or complete irrigation, which is
about one-fifth the proportion of the en-
tire arid west which is capable of ulti-
mate reclamation owing to the limita-
ton of water supply. Such limitation
exists to degree in the interior basin
of Central Oregon. but in the Klamath
basin, and especially in the Columbia riv-
er watershed, Washington and Oregon
possess supply unsurpassed anywhere
in arid regions.
The various branches and tributaries
of the Columbia river enter these states
with an aggregate run-off of $4,000
square miles from mostly mountainous
watershed. These waters all enter at
the eastern and northern borders, trav-
erse the entire arid sections of the
states, being swelled meanwhile by the
drainage from the Blue Mountains and
the interior plains, and finally break
through the Cascade mountains at The
Dalles in volume which varies from
$4,000 cubic feet per second during the
late summer to 100000 cubic feet per
second during the floor season. Two
days minimum flow from the Columbia
river produces more water than the to-
tai annual surface run-off of all streams
in the famous section of Southern CAL
ifornia in which lie Los Angeles, San
Bernardino and Sana Barbara.
With such quantities of water avail
able and the thirsty soil Immediately adj
joining, there exist at first sight i'm
mense possibilities for irrigation. Nor
is the land when water is placed upon it
of questionable value. Great bodies of
it far inland lie no higher than 1900
feet above the ocean and have the BEN
eft during the growing season not only
of almost perpetual sunshine, but owing
to their far northern latitude, of long
summer days.
Transportation facilities are generally
good, three transcontinental lines trav-
ersing this region from east to west.
The Columbia river itself also forms a
main artery upon which stern-wheel
steamers ply as far north as Brewster.
The extent to which irrigation in the
Columbia basin in these states may be
practiced is, therefore, not limited, as is
the case elsewhere, by lack of water
supply. 1t is, however, narrowed by the
position of the river system relative to
the irrigable lands.
The Columbia river in attaining a bal
ance from the ocean backward, has cut
its bed far below the adjoining lands,
rendering ordinary diversion by means
of gravity canals generally infeasible,
This unfavorable physical condition is
still further emphasized by very fiat
river grades due to the magnitude of the
stream itself.
It can hardly be doubted that in the
future large part of the flow of the
Columbia river will be lifted to adjoin-
ing lands by pumps operated by water
power, which can be obtained at various
points along the river either at rapids
or from side streams. This means of ir-
rigation, however, is relatively expen.
sive, and It is for this reason that pres
emit irrigation has been confined to the
use of tributaries of the Columbia river
such as have steep gradient and low
lands adjoining upon which to flow the
water.
Favorable conditions of this kind oh.
tain to the best advantage in the Yak
ina valley, where irrigation on large
scale has thus far reached its highest
development in the Northwest. On q
smaller scale similar conditions are
found on the Wenatchee, Umatilla and
Deschutes rivers.
The advantage of utilizing the water
from the Columbia river itself or from
some of its main tributaries, not YET
levied upon by private enterprise, ap
peared highly attractive because OF
avoiding all interference with established
eystems and overlapping water rights
Extensive surveys were commenced fol
the utilization of water from the Spo
kane river upon lands in the Big Bend
covering portions of Douglas, Franklin
and Adams counties, but it was soor
found that the acre cost of gravity di
version from this source, if undertaken
on the scale permitted by the limita
ton of the reclamation fund, was exces