Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-12-16
Irrigation Projects Under
Way.

The annual report of the Reclama
tion Service for the past fiscal yea
describes briefly work in Oregon up tt
June 80. 1909.
From the report it appears that the
Umatills project. as a whole. was 81
per cent completed at the close of the
fiscal year: the Hermiston unit COM
pleted in Its entirety. The Klamath
project on that date was a8 DER cent
completed During the past season
1900 acres were under irrigation on
the Umatilla project while 81 ,00C
acres of klamath land, practically
all in private ownership. was opened
to irrigation. '.S.
The irrigable area of the Umatilln
project, when fully completed
according to present plans. will be
20 .44O acres. of which 6823 acres is
embodied in the completed Hermiston
unit. Out of the entire project. 9852
acres is public land, 1900 acres are
held by the railroad company, and
1873 acres are in private ownership
The Government ar9ees to furnish
2.8-aore feet of water per annum to
all landowners. the water right cost
ing $50 per acre, with an additional
charge of $1.30 per acre per annum
maintenance charge.
Over the greater portion of the
Hermiston unit water service was
regularly maintained during the
season Of 1908 except for day or two
during and just after violent dust
storms. Thirty miles of main laterals
were in use. and l3.000-acre feet of
water had been turned into the dis
tributing system when service of
water was discontinued september II.
For the season of 1909 water was
first delivered the latter part of March.
and has since been maintained with
regularity. During the season just
closed 35 miles of main laterals were
in use.
Settlement on the Umatilla pro-
ieot is somewhat delayed" says the
report. ION account of the compara
tivelv large area held by desert land
-entrymen who. under the present rul-
ing. cannot obtain patent to their
lands until after full payment of the
building charges. Under these con-
ditions the subdivision and sale of
land is difficult. and the difficulty is
greatly increased because of the high
price at which unimproved land is
held.
Homesteads are in great demand
and are promptly filed upon. The
common price for REIMBURSEMENT
seems to be from $25 to $50 an acre
for new land. Excluding town lots
and acre tracts near Hermiston,
water right applications have been
made for 1865 holdings, agRregatiug
$500 acres
"Hermiston, located in the midst
of the irrigable lands. is a well-built
town Of 800 or 900 Inhabitants. Be-
tween 100 and 1900 people are living
on the project.
The report shows that thu total cost
of the Umatilla project. to June 20
last. was 81 .O46 ,085. Of this total.
1893. $50 WAS spent on storage works.
1888 .286 on the storage feed canal
$l93, 323 for the distributing system
and the balance for minor purposes.
The klamath project. when COM
pleted, will irrigate total Of 172 900 /
acres, 1856 900 acres in the lower pro-
iect, 81 900 in the upper. OF the
lands under this proejct, $4,000 acres
are in the hands of the Government I
and 300 90 acres in private ownership.
It is intended to furnish l.8-acrs feet
per acre to the lands of this project .
Although only $1,000 acres were ,
under irrigation last season. 80 600
acres were ready for water. practically
all in private ownership. The build 8
ing charge of this project is now fixed G
at $50 per acre. with an additional .
IS cents per acre per annum for main
tenance charge.