The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1907-08-16
Yakima River
Will Irri9ate
/. 100000 Acres
co. JAYNE, Government Irrigation
Expert, Makes Highly Favor.
able Report on Valley

.roert having completed the invest
.at;ons in the Yakima Valley, pub
shes in Bulletin 1SS, the following
|raerestins paragraphs:
aThere is perhaps no other irri-
,.ted district in the west which is
nyored with more abundant sup
nv OF water than is the Yakima
ral]ey," says Mr. Jayne. 1.-The esti-
mated discharges OF the Yakima
1rer during the irrigation season
hom April l to November l. at kio-
M taken from the report of the U. S.
Geological survey for 1904, was
sNO5OO acre-feet. In the valley
,hOye during this period there was
irrigated from this same river or its
,arious tributaries approximately
YOoO acres OF land. : While
the water supply OF the valley is gen
saIy abundant, during parts of
August and September there has
ben in the last two or three years
more or less distress from lack of
water for the various canals, and
trouble between rival companies has
# times seemed imminent. The diff
Guilty is that although there is plenty
dwater it d oes not come down at
The right time. For insta nee, of the
u-off in 1904, 2,714, 700 acre-feet was
diGharged during the first four
months Of the irris ating season, and
The discharge during the last three,
when water was most needed, was
only $500 acre-feet. The water
comes from the melting snow, and ii
hot weather or prolonged rain comes
early in the spring there is liable to
ka shortage late in the season.
There is more OF the very best
land still unirrigated than there is
under cultivation in the Yakima val
ty, and Its development will depend
nainlyupon the feasibility OF storing
The water to be used during two or
two and one-half months when the
natural fow is insufficient.
Studies for the purpose of deter
mining tn. duty OF water in the
iasima valley should be of the III ost
vital interest to everyone who is in
ny way connected with irrigation
EK In this part OF the state or
Wy In any way concerned with
nei &c to the future development
ad welfare OF the Wiley There are
aousands OF acres of fertile land now
Fmg Idle and worthless which, If
sater were available for it's irriga-
Aaq would be among the most val
n0e IN the state of Washington.
lneextent to which these land re.
vdf1es may be developed will de
Fad almost entirely upon the degre,
ueeonomy with which the supply is
Rd.
Inc desire to attain the highest
x'elopment of these lands to make
aouies iOr thousands of families, and
AMis way increase the wealth and
H0note the best interests of the
"ac, should in itself be reason suffic-
CUT Tor careful use of that upon
'u'cn 80 much depends; but this is
:" Tue only argument for a high
aay OF water. The farmers in near
s'efy part of the Yakima valley
1aay are learning by bitter exper-
@e 'uat II they are to preserve in
ao'table condition the farms
acn nave already been improved
u Tue homes which they have es-
40''sied 1t will be by virtue of a
0'e economical nse OF water than
@s oeen customary. The question
Tue future should be--not how
''a water can we get, but how
1uca can We get along with and still
'ouuce profitable crops
~ Tue Yakima valley almost any
op can be grown that is known to
IN temperate zone, aud many OF the
II 'efer fruits, such as peaches, apri-
" ., grapes, etc, which require the
WI favorable climatic conditions.
eraiSed with entire SUCCESS and de-
"p To a state OF perfection unex-
"ed anywhere. Even the English
ahut may be grown with some
.eess. AS the natural out-growtb
Tue production of SO great va
v OF crops some other related in
s'rles, such as duirying. poultry
sing, bee keeping, etc, which, al
"they take Orhing DIRECTLY from
! soil, add immensely to the rev
sa- from tn. farmS.
Together with the ability to gre W
anrd aEt largr crops the markets
esuch as to make their production
casualty profitable. To the west,
RRVn Seattle Tacoma and other