The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-01-06
Reclamation Progress Is
Reported By Department
IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN WEST
Progress Is Representatives, on the
Minidoka, Idaho.


Snake river. near the station OF Min
idoka. Idaho. About 10000 acres
on each side of the river will be irri-
gated under the present plans, and
the canal systems for this have been
practically completed. A portion Of
the lands on the north side and most
of those on the south side lie about
the gravity canals and will be served
by pumping, abe power being devel-
oped at the diversion dam, which is
about so feet high. The gravity sys-
TEN of this project is practically COM
pleted and the pumping system is
about 40 per cent completed.
Payette-BOise Project, Idaho.
! The Payett-Boise project provides
for the storage of waters on both
Payette and Boise rivers, with stor-
age reservoirs on each stream. A
diversion dam about 40 feet high has
been completed in Boise river, which
diverts water into a large canal lead
ing to a storage reservoir which has
been constructed a few miles west OF
Nampa known as the Deer Flat res
ervoir." Two large earthen embank-
ments were required to form ttis
basin and have been completed. The
large canal was in service during the
last irrigating season in an incou-
plete state. but it is now nearing COM
pletion. II serves a large area be-
tween the diversion point and the
Deer fiat reservoir and will be use;
during the nonirrigating months 70"
filing the reservoir
UmatilIa Project, Oregon.
| The Umatilla project diverts the
water from Umatilla river and con
ducts il by means of long conduit
to a reservoir recently construttc'.
near Cold Springs. This reservoir
is formed by building an earthcn
dam about 100 feet high across a d"y
ravine This dam was completed IL
the early part of 1908. The res"r-
voir thus formed has a capacity of
about 90. 900 acre-feet. The outlet
canal and distribution sysaem were
built mainly by contract, and about
1000 acres were placed under wate"
in 1908. A larger area will he avail
able in 1909, probably about 1900"
acres. The project contemplates the
reclamation of about 10000 acres.
! Okanogan Project, Washington.
The Okanogan project, in northern
Washington, provides for the stor-
age of water on Salmon river and is
diversion al a point lower down tC
cover bench land lying between Al
ma and Riverside. on the bench west
of Okanogan river. The Conconully
reservoir. on Salmon river, is being
constructed by force account. the
earth and gravel being placed by
sluicing methods similar TO those
used in hydraulic mining About
one-third of the entire amount of
material required for this dam has
been placed The Okanogan project
as a whole is SO per cent comp'oicd.
Sunnyside Project, Washington.
The Sunnyside canal system of the
Washington Irrigation company,
which was purchased by the reclq
nation service. has been enlarged
and improved for the better service
of the larger area of land. \ perTa-
nent dam of concrete and headworhs
of the same material have replaced
the former structures and were i'll
use during the last season. Az eX-
tension of the system has been COM
pleted and water will be delivered
the coming year and water viii be
delivered the coming year to lands in
, the vicinity of Mabton, on the south
side of the Yakima river A large
wasteway below Zillah has beet ,om-
pleted and greatly increases the safe
ty and efficiency of tht system. Stor-
age has been provided also on Lakes
Kachess. kichelus and Gle Elum,
which will be replaced by larger per-
manent dams below.
Tieton Project, Washington.
The Tieton project diyerts water
from Tieton river on the right hank
in the Tieton canyon and carries II
along the canyon wall and over the
divide into the Cowiche basin, where
IN area of about 10000 acres can be
watered. The work in the canyon
is largely in rock and difficult 90 ac-
cess. and involves large amount of
tunneling. The excavation of the
tunnels has been nearly completed
and the lining or the same is now in
progress. The open canal. which will
be lined with concrete, has boon more
than half cnmnlefed and these wo la