Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-09-25
Meets at Two O'clock at
Commercial Club.
AN IMPORTANT GATHERING
Facts and Figures Showing Cost
OF Irrigation Under Gov
ernment Projects.

There are SONS interesting facts
regarding the irrigation of this part
of the Rogue River Valley and it Is
we'll to note that II will be. to large
extent, pumping proposition, as not
more than 5000 acres on each side of
the river can be reached by gravity
bitches. This would leave 30, 900
acres under the high line canal which
must be furnished with water by a
pumping proposition. A few years
ago, the pumping Of water for irri-
cation would have been considered
hardly practical bat the United States
Reclamation Service has proven that
II can be done most satisfactorily. In
North Dakota there are three pump
ing projects all located on the Mis-.
souri, river. 1t is o we'll known fact
that the Missouri IL uncertain as to
its channel aud IL often happens that
q new one Is ma 10 during a spring
freshet. This makes 1t impossible TO
construct dam that will be Of per-
msnent service and the result is that
1t has been found necessary to pump
the water into the bitches. Quoting
from the National Geographic Maya.
zine on this subject, we find the fol-
lowing:
Fortunately great beds of Ignite
| 1tanauaxaA In ha y,n
public land. and the engineers pro-
posed that the government should turn
coal miner, mining its own coal and
developing power therefrom. A large
power house was erected at the mine
and power Ia now conveyed electri-
cally to the river An exceedingly
unique plan was devised to overcome
the eocentricities of the Missouri.
The pumps are placed on floating
barges, which will accommodate them
selves TO changes in the river channel
and on the water level. The water is
delivered through pipes with flexible
joints into reservoirs, aud from these
basins Is pumped into the canals.
These reservoirs serve TO settle the silt,
large quantities OF which are carried
in solution by the Missouri River.
The central plant, near Williston,
supplies power TO two Of these pro-
jects. p"
Down in Southwestern Kansas they
have another and different PROPOSE
tion. There was only 5000 acres Of
land and to irrigate these 1t was found
necessary TO sink wells. Three hun.
dred of these were sunk and they are
in groups Of IL each and they vary
from IL 10 10 inches In diameter.
Each group will be operated by its
own pumping plant aud all pumps
will be operated by electricity gen.
Grated In central power station.
The water from the wells will be
lifted into concrete lined conduit,
which discharges into the main canal.
During the irrigation season this
leyiathsn pumping plant will lift
80, 900 acre feet, or about II, 600, 600.
600 gallons.
The value of land in this part OF
Kansas. 10 its natural condition,
varies froc 80 to tl5 per acre. When
reclaimed by irrigation 1t Is easily
worth from 800 TO $3.50 per acre. The
principal crops are sugar. beets and
alfalfa, considerable quantities Of
which are already under cultivation.
Apples ana melons are especially
profitable crops when irrigated.
Both the North Dakota and South
western kansas propositions were
complete and supplied water to the
settlers this year. We regret that we
are unable 10 furnish the figures
which tbs reclamation service fixed
for water rights but as the govern.
Dent charges from $50 to $50 an acre
generally, 1t Is safe to say that the
charge In the two cases is somewhere
between these two figures.
The subject Of irrigation In this
part Of Oregon should be taken up
along educational lines IL We would
arrive at practical results.
Continued on last rare)