East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-08-27
URGES A LAW FOR STORAGE Of WATER.

The Portland Oregonian Of Tues
day, August 25, contains the follow
ing article by Bert Huffman, editor
Of the East Oregonlan, on the neces-
sity Of law permitting the storing
and transportation of waste waters
Of Oregon for purposes of irrigation
Pendleton, Ore, Aug. 24.-(To the
Editor From time to time The
Oregonian makes editorial mention
of the need of a revision of the irri-
cation and water laws of Oregon.
1t seems that there is no needed
change or addition to the water code
Of Oregon which should be made by
the coming session of the legislature,
and which so far The Oregonian has
not mentioned. This is a provision
by which stored water and reservoir
systems might be utilized in reclaim
ing the arid lands which are situated
at some distance from the source Of
water supply.
AS II is, we have laws regulating
the turning Of the usual flow of wa
ter out Of streams, transporting 1t by
canals and ditches to the land, but
we have no law by which water may
be stored on the upper rivers and
transported down the channel to the
property OF those storing It. To illus
trate:
Storage System Explained.
Suppose A, B and own 1000 acres
of land at the mouth OF the Umatilla
river, but there is not enough water
in the ordinary flow of the river to re-
claim this. The entire amount Of
water in the river has been filed upon
by prior rights, and A. B and C cam
not secure an inch from the ordinary
flow OF the stream. The rsult is their
arid land remains arid; instead OF be-
ing worth from $500 to $1,000 per
acre as fruit land. II is worth moth
ing. adds nothing TO the taxable prop
erty Of the county and is a menace to
settlement, because 1t harbors weeds,
thistles, squirrels and other pests.
Suppose that Oregon had law al
lowing A, B and c to go to the head
waters OF the Umatilla river, where
hundreds of square miles OF noun.
tain surface sends down millions of
inches of water to waste each year,
and build a reservoir to hold water
for irrigating their 1000 acres 30
miles below.
Suppose they were permitted by
law TO measure the channel of the
Umatllla river 1000 inches, or 5000
or 10000 inches to be diverted by
them at their headgate 80 miles be-
low regardless of intervening water
rights, headgates or bitches.
They would simply use the channel
Of the river to transport their stored
water from the mountain reservoir
TO their land and would not interfere
with the ordinary flow Of the river
They would turn in 1000 inches and
allow say 10 per cent for evaporation,
seepage and waste, and would then
turn out 5000 inches as their own ,
80 miles away, where their
lrid land is situated.
Would Utilize Waste Water.
II Oregon had such a law, It
would reclaim hundreds OF thousands
" acres now lying idle. But as It is I
low every drop of water in the chan I
lel OF a stream belongs to the vested ,
lights on that stream. There is no :
provision for storing and transporting g
water through the channels of y
treams, Under the storage law, hun @
lreds OF reservoirs could be builded +
n the high mountains to catch the
waste water of winter and spring, i
nd then as this water was needed 7
" It's owners below, they could meas r
ire 1t out into the channel of the
tream, transport it 10, 20 or 80 \
niles to their headgate, and turn 1t .
n their land. This would not in =,
erfere with vested rights along the =
treams, but would be an actual bene- .
it to the adjacent lands by keeping q
flow of water in the stream at It's =
wv stages, when ordinarily 1t would ~
e almost dry. =,