Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1910-02-24
DRAIN 5000 ACRES.
CoquiIIe Land Owners Cooperate to
Reclaim Marshes.

Coquille Land owners cooperate 10
Reclaim Marshes.
Coquille-Five thousand acres of
rich Coquille valley land is being re-
claimed by drainage systems through
the cooperative efforts of farmers
owning the land. This work has now
been under way for over IL months,
though the actual work has been going
on for a far less period of time. At
the present four reclamation projects
are under way.
The first and Oldest is the Beaver
Slough drainage project. The first
move in this plan for the reclamation
of the bottom land of the Coquille val
ley was begun, by petition, over five
years ago. However, the first petition
was killed by the opposition of cold
footed property owners in the proposed
district. After district was formed
which cut off the greater portion of
these dissenters and the petition car
ried and the project was launched.
The Beaver Slough drainage district
includes 1740 acres of bottom land,
which will be draiend, and the cost of
the complete project will be about
SIT, 1000. The complete project will in
clude over eight miles of drainage
canals, the main canal being so feet
wide and the lateral canals over 20 feet
in width. In connection with the main
canals lateral bitches will be dug
through the land, and these will be
extended through their private holdings
by the individuals so far as they see
fit.
At the point where the main canals
flow into the river tide gates will be
installed which will allow the water to
drain from the land freely, but will pre-
vent the tides from overfiowing over
the lowlands, as has formerly been the
case. These lateral canals are about
80 feet in width and extend from the
main canal to the foothills east.
The second of the projects is the Fat
Elk drainage district, which is located
on the south side of the river and
which extends two or three miles above
the city. 1t will entail the dredging
for about miles of canals and several
miles of lateral bitches. This project
embraces 2,273 acres of bottom land
and will make of the section of the
river directly across from this city a
veritable paradise in the way of dairy
land. About four miles of canals are
complete and it is thought that without
further delay the work will not occupy
more than two months longer. The
main canal follows the channel of what
is supposed to have been the old river
and will be fitted with the usual tide
gates. Including the last assessment,
this project has cost s28, 423, and the
end is not yet.
The third, the Harlocker project, is
practically private plan of increasing
the value and productiveness of pro-
gressive farmers land. 1t was started
by L. Harlocker, of this city, for the
purpose of draining his farm about
five miles below town. He was joined
by several neighbors, who have agreed
to stand portion of the expense.
This project embraces 651 acres of
land and has cost $4,000. The cost of
digging lateral bitches from the main
canal through the land will perhaps ag-
gregate 81, 900 more. the entire system
cost about $1,000. There will be about
one mile of lateral bitches when the
project is complete.