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

design contemplating q low concrete
overflow weir instead Of the movable
dam now in place.
Drainage will be an important fac
tor in connection with the Sunnyside
project, and some study has been
made of the situation. In the vicini-
ty of Sunnyside drainage is an abso-
Lutte necessity. The community
there found 1t necessary for the pro.
lection of lands to organize drainage
districts under the state law, and
more than $4,000 has been expend.
ed for the development Of drainage
systems. The people have suggested
that these systems be taken over by
the reclamation service and made a
part of the general scheme Of drain
age to be worked out and maintained
by the government, but the report
does not show whether that sugges-
ton has been approved.
The Wapato sub-project contem-
plates the irrigation of about $780,.
900 acres on the Yakima Indian res
ervation south of the Ahtanum ridge
and along the right bank Of the Yak
ina river. This is an excellent pro-
ject, according to the engineers, as
the lands lie we'll for easy control,
the soil is fertile, transportation ia
cilities are good, and the unit cost
per acre for development will be
low.
At the present time there are sew.
eral canals in operation, embracing
1900 acres. The old and the new
reservation canals were constructed
with tribal funds, and are maintain
ed by the government, and 1t Is pro-
posed to utilize the new canal by
enlarging and extending it. The
lower lands, particularly those along
the lower stretches of Toppenish
creek, will in all probability require
drainage. Any scheme worked out
would attempt to absorb all the old
canals, would install drainage Of some
character and would utilize Topper
ish and Status creeks as far as posi-
BILE to augment the summer water
supply for the bitches.
The water supply for the reserva-
tion at the present time is ample
during the flood flow Of the Yakima
river, but during the low-water pc
Rod is limited to about $50 second.
feet. which is insufficient for lands
even now under irrigation. This
low-water period is of from eight to
ten weeks duration, and storage
would therefore be required. To
safely provide for summer irrigation
of lands now under ditch, about 49,.
900 acre-feet of storage is required
and for the complete project about
100000 acre-feet Is needed.
The report indicates that the acl
of March Z last may be insufficient
to bring about complete control Of
the irrigation works by the reclama.
ton service. BY that act authority
was granted for disposing of sur
plus and allotted lands. To do this
however, the consent of the individ-
ual allottee is required, and 1t Is
uncertain whether this can be readi-
ly secured.
1t is now proposed to make a
more careful study Of the project
with a view to making definite pro
posal to the Indians as to the disposal
of their lands and as to the cost per
acre for irrigating the lands retain
ed. This act also requires that il
the reclamation service adopt an In.
dian reservation project, 1t should
also provide summer water supply
for the lands now under ditch. To
meet this contingency and to pro-
vide necessary funds for the investi.
cation of this project an allotment Of
100000 was made last June.
Surveys for the Kittitas project
which contemplates the irrigation Of
about 10000 acres in the vicinity Of
Ellensburg, were never carried be
yond a preliminary stage. A report
made in 1905 indicated that THU
project, on account of the expense In
volved. could not be undertaken q
the present time. Four canal route;
were investigated, but the result Of
the preliminary investigation was t.
indicate that whatever the route Sc
lected, the cost per acre for the sys
tenn would be relatively high.
The report indorses the Benton
project as one that could economical
ly reclaim about 10000 acres, d
which about 10000 acres could b.