The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-02-13

ina river, just below Union Gap.
This land is now under the canal of
the Union Gap Irrigation company.
Surveys made by the reclamation
service show that practically 100000
acre-feet of water can be economi-
cally stored on the headwaters Of the
Yakima river, and II necessary an
additional 100000 acre-feet can be
obtained by utilizing the smaller
lakes. Five big reservoirs are con-
templated Gle Elum, Lake
Kaches, Lake Keechelus, Dumping
Lake and McAllister Meadows. Sat-
isfactory foundation has been found
for dams at the outlet Of all these
reservoirs except McAllister Mead
ows, but even this site will ultimately
be utilized in connection with the
| Tieton sub-project.
The Yakima project as a whole
will add 100000 acres to the irri-
gated area of the Yakima valley, and
with improved economy in the use Of
water, and with the possibility of
some additional storage in the Gle
Elum basin, it is believed that 4OO,-
600 will ultimately be brought un-
der irrigation. 1t will not be neces-
sery in the immediate future to con-
struct the larger storage reservoirs,
though temporary dams will be built
at the outlet of Lakes Keechelus and
Gle Elum in order to guard against
/ any shortage of water during the
late summer months.
In time, when the government un-
dertakes the construction of the
Dumping Lake dam, it will be neces-
sary to repair the wagon road ex-
tending up the Matches river about
forty miles, and to extend 1t about
twenty miles up to Dumping Lake.
Most of this expense will be borne
by the state and county, the govern
ment contributing $4,000 towards the
work. In like manner it will be
necessary to improve the road in
Tieton canyon and to extend it nine
miles up stream to facilitate the con-
struction of the canyon division of
the Tieton canal.
| The secretary of the interior al
lotted $1,250,000 for the construc-
ton of the Tieton sub-project. In
March, 1906, the Tieton Water Us.
ers' association was formed and four
months later $4,000 acres had been
subscribed. Much Of the land, how.
ever, is non-irrigable, and only a.
] 600 acres can be brought under
water.
The soil on the Teton project is
in great part sandy loan of basaltic
origin and ranges in depth from a
few inches to many feet. The climate
is particularly adapted to fruit grow
ing. The lands are generally rolling
and especially qualified for orchards
and for growing hops, vines, grain,
alfalfa, timothy, root and tuber
crops. Even though the district be
adapted to fruit growing, there will
always be diversity of crops. The
| peculiar climate and soil conditions
make the raising of potatoes for the
manufacture of alcohol an industry
that would far eclipse the growing of
fruit.
The Sunnyside project contem-
plates the irrigation of about 10000
acres Of land included in the old pro-
ject, which the government has pur-
chased, and an additional $4,000
acres through its extension. The
total allotment for the project is ST.
100000. The Sunnyside Water Us
ers' association, which was formed in
March, worked steadily to bring in
sufficient acreage to warrant pro-
ceeding with the work, but up to the
close of the fiscal year, July l, only
about So per cent Of the lands that
would come under the first develop
ment had been subscribed. The re-
port says that the conditions at Sun
nyside are unusual, in that a consid-
cradle acreage in small individual
holdings is owned by non-residents
outside Of the state. but unquestion-
ably these lands will eventually be
subscribed. Another unusual condi-
ton is that with complete develop
ment about one-half the lands will
own water rights obtained from the
Washington Irrigation company,
which by the terms of their contract
would need be operated in a manner
somewhat different from the new
lands. Effort has been made to In
duce the old water right lands to
join the water users association so
as to effect uniform and harmoni