The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1910-11-26
INVESTIGATING THE slLvlHs PROJECT.
fngineers Make Surveys Of Various Sites
Aud Obtain Valuable Data.

MeSSrS. II. ID. cooper ana nj.
". Dodge, the engineers who
have spent the past summer in
surveying the irrigation project
on Silvies River, accompanied by
their wives who have been in
camp with them, moved to Burns
last week for the winter.
C. B. Mcconnell who is in
charge of the work makes re-
port of progress as follows; Our
investigations and active field
work on the Silvies River pre-
ject was commenced early last
spring. The engineers, with full
crews, have been making sur
veys of various reservoir sites
and taking the topography of the
river and its watershed contin-
uously since the middle of June.
"As is well known, the reser-
voir site in northern part Of this
and southern part Of Grant coun-
ties, heretofore withdrawn by
the Federal Reclamation Service,
is a most remarkable one so far
as its storage capacity is con-
cerned. While we have made q
complete survey of this site. it
has been our endeavor TO find an
other site or sites farther down
on the river with capacity TO
store the flood waters of the large
water shed lying below this ORR
ginal site. A number have been
investigated and run out and the
engineers are now making maps
and preparing their estimates
and comparisons on the data so
secured.
lone of the serious difficulties
to be overcome in launching this
irrigation project is to prove that
there is water sufficient to justify
the expenditure necessary for
its storage and distribution. The
government secured q very COM
plete record of the runof for the
year 1904, but since that time
the data has been incomplete and
more or less inaccurate. The
branch of the United States Geo
logical Survey which has charge
Of the water resources has given
good service but has been handi-
capped by lack of funds to do
those things necessary to obtain
a complete record. We have just
made final arrangements where
by we are to cooperate with this
department, and stations are to
be maintained and complete and
accurate record of the runoif
from December first to the mid
die of next summer be taken at
at least three places of Silvies
River and two on Silver Creek.
In addition to securing the
necessary record as to amount of
water we shall. during the COM
ing winter, collect all data and
records possible looking TO the
adjustment Of the ownership Of
water rights of the present land
owners in the Harvey valley. In
doing this work we want it dis
tinctly understood from the first
that we are not endeavoring to
nor is it within our power to take
away any rights heretofore pro-
perly acquired by anyone. The
installation of an irrigation pro-
ject conserving the vast quanti-
ties of water which each spring
causes so much damage and in
convenience as they rush down.
ward into the lakes, and later
during the dry season distribut-
ing this water so stored over the
wide expanse of fertile lands in
Harney valley will thus work a
two fold benefit to ever acre of
land and will far more than
double its present market value.
We want and will seek the CO.
operation and moral support of
every citizen, the capital will
necessarily have to come from
the large money centers. "