The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1909-07-09
PROJECT|SPOSS|BLE
Government Men at Work on Scheme
for Reclamation of Land
West of HermistOn.

Through some work that is icing
done by the reclamation service in the
vicinity of the mouth of Butter creek
rumors have become rife that the gov
ernment is intending to take up an
irrigation project on the west side of
the Umatilla and covering large SEQ
tion of the now desert land of Umatil-
la and Morrow counties. says the East
Oregonian.
For number of weeks past a crew
OF men under Mr. Copeland, one of
the reclamation engineers, has been at
work on test pits near the mouth OF
Butter creek. These pits are being
sunk for the purpose of ascertainiug
| the water retaining powers of the land
in that locality. Though no informa-
tion has heen given out by the reclaim
alton men it is generally believed by
parties familiar with the locality that
the land is such that it may be used
for reservoir purposes.
According to rumors that are now
in circulation the government is in
vestigating the proposition of water
ing land on the west side of the river
with water to be stored in reservoir
at the mouth of Butter creek. II
found feasible the Umatilla will be
damned below the mouth of Butter
creek and lake formed extending as
far UP the stream as Stanfeld. Lower
Butter creek would be converted into
lake.
Should it be possible to store suffi-
cient water by such a proceeding it is
argued that the project could be car
ried out very economically through
the fact that no feed canal would be
needed. However the land icing con-
sidered for reservoir site is valuable
and to secure it by purchase or con-
demnation would mean q heavy ex-
| pense.
West Of the Umatilla river there
lies great arid plain embracing in
the neighborhood of 10000 acres ly-
ing in Umatilla and Morrow counties.
This is land which came under the
original Umatilla project. For time
the reclamation men considered plans
for a reservoir in the vicinity of Tub
springs but the plans were not carried
out but given up temporarily in order
to permit of the reclamation of the
present Umatilla project. During the
past few years the land on the west
side Of the river has been known as
being under the "John Day project.
Under this scheme water would be
taken from the John Day river above
the mouth Of Thirty Mile creek and
carried across Gillian county to the
thirsty desert. To carry out the John
Day scheme would take many millions.
Since the reclamation men have
been busy with the test pits at the
mouth of Butter creek much specula-
tion has arisen as to the purpose of
the movement. 1t is regarded az en-
tirely probable that the government
will abandon the John Day project for
the less expensive plan of damming
the Umatilla at Butter cleek. AS to
how much land will be reclaimed by
the latter scheme little is known.
However it is the general belief that
upwards of $4,000 acres may be wat
cred.
Should the government proceed with
the establishment of project west of
the Umatilla river 1t will be by far
the largest project in this county and
the reclamation of the desert land
would work untold benefit to tho coun-
ty and especially to the west end.