The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-08-21
New Irrigation Project Planned

Frank Terry, of Tacoma, who
owns lands northeast of Grandview,
was in town this week for the pur-
pose OF securing the aid of our citiz-
enf a movement now on foot to
interest the U. S. Government in
the construction of a highline ditch
to furnish water to large areas of
land for which no irrigation has, as
yet, been undertaken. 1t is the de-
sire to unite the people of the en-
tire valley from Kennewick to North
Yakima in the effort to bring about
this great project.
At a called meeting of the Conn
mercial Club, on Monday evening,
Mr.. Terry outlined the project,
which is, to begin at point on the
Yakima river above North Yakima,
and following more or less closely
the route formerly surveyed for the
high-line ditch, swing around the
head Of the Mckee valley tunnel
through the Rattlesnake ridge, and
follow along the south side of that
ridge to point above Kiona. From
there large laterals would conduct
water to the end of Rattlesnake
ridge. The main canal, however,
would turn to the right and be
brought to bluff on the Yakima
river, siphoned to the south side,
and from there conducted to the
bench lands back of Kennewick,
thus carrying out the Benton and
Ledbitter projects.
Mr.. Lerry drew attention to what
he called "a crying need for more
land" In years back this nation
had vast areas of public lands suit
able for tillage witheaatt irrigation
where the landless could 60 and ac-
quire homes. That time is past
such lands are practically all taken
up. Now the landless must 20 to
the desert. Added to this the in
crease of population is simply
stupendous. 1t has been estimated
that at the end Of the present CEN
tury the United States will contain
aD, 1000, 900 people.
Room must be provided for this
terrible increase. The desert must
be reclaimed. Already great strides
have been made in that direction by
private enterprise. In 1902 the
work was taken up by the U. S. Re-
cimation' service which by the end
Of the first ten years will have re-
claimed 100000 acres and the
work is going forward with great
rapidity and we may expect greater
results during the next years than
any decade that is past. The
engineering feats Of the future in
this field will eclipse those of the
present just as those of the present
eclipse those Of the past.
The project for which Mr.. Larry
il working will reclaim from 300
600 to 500, 600 of the best land in
valley and he has full faith that
this fact will commend the project
to the favorable consideration of the
government. He has no doubt that
ample funds for the project will be
found in some way. As for water
he believes that enough can be
stored in lakes Keechelus, Kachess,
Clealhim and other sources of the
river to water the entire valley. If
not, then he suggests tunneing the
mountain and bringing the water
from the other side, as is being
done in Colorado where the govern
ment drove tunnel four miles
through the mountain to carry the
water of the Gunnison river out
upon the Uncompahgre plateau The
people of the White river valley near
Seattle would be very glad to have
some of the water of that river
brought to this side and put to good
use instead of drowning them out
as it does every year or so.
A petition to the Department of
Interior to include the high line
project in the irrigation scheme of
the valley received a large number
OF signatures.
Good Whoat