The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-01-04
TO RECLAIM 4 VALLEY
Details Of Irrigation Project at
Klamath Falls, Ore.
VAST GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKING

william e. Curtis Tells How 25o, 900
Acres OF Land VIII BE Redeemed.
Lakes TO Be Drained. Canals Dug
and q Railway Built-Natural 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
tury, and a great deal Of money has
been made raising sheep and cattle,
but owing to its lack Of transportation
facilities and inaccessibiliU the town
has not made much headway. 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 extenstye hriga-
don project which the federal govern
ment has undertaken there under the
reclamation act. It Is proposed to re-
deem 10000 acres Of land at cost Of
about 100000. This Will require a
large force Of laborers and an immense
amount of material, which viii give
temporary population and activity to
the town, while not less than $1,000
people Will ultimately take up farms
upon the reclaimed land, says William
3. Curtis. the Chicago Record-He
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 150 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
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 4,1o0 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-
maiuder ts used for pasturage.
About one-haH Of the klamath basin
Is occupied by 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.
It 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 Ave to twenty-five feet and
has an elevation Of 1854 feet Several
smaller lakes and swamps which sur
round 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
ate to be made permanent reservoirs to
receive and store the drainage Of the
surrounding mountains for irrigation
purposes, and system Of canals Will
be dug to carry away the surplus wa
ter into the klamath river, which flows
through the valley slugg1shly 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
iakes mentioned q canal fifteen miles
long, with a grade Of 200 to 800 feet
will be dug from them to the river,
which will carry of all the water.
When the lakes are drained and their
bottoms become dry irrigation viii be
necessary for their cultivation as well
as upon the uplands, but in Upper Kla-
math lake nature has not only provid-
ed an ample reservoir and all the wa
ter that can possibly be needed, but has
formed the topography so as to make
its use simple and convenient The
main canal, which, will distribute the
water throughout the west part Of the
Klamath basin, will be forty miles
long, with fifty miles Of laterals and
waste canals. It will have slope Of
one foot to the mile. In order to reach
parallel valleys tunnels are being bored
through intervening ridges. The east
side Of klamath valley will be sup
piled with water from Clear lake,
which will be made reservoir large