East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-10-25
ABOUT WATER RIGHTS.

:. lle EulloF.
note with interest some of the re-
Gently published articles relative to
the west extension of the Umatilla
project, possible complications in the
adjudication Of water rights by rea-
son Of claims Of water for Indian
lands, etc. etc.
Being myself interested in the wa
,or supply Of the UmaJilla river and
having resided upon and used the
.vaters Of that noble stream for more
than a quarter of a century. I think.
am entitled to cite a few facts rela-
i've thereto and tell the readers of
your valuable paper few tn ngs that
will happen il the west extension goes
through.
First, the ESQ - more litgants
over water rights are going to spend
from $3.50 to $1,000 each in getting
their claims adjudicated in order that
he reclamation service may ascer-
tain what surplus waters, if any. re-
main available for filling the reser-
v5ir of the west extension
About SI50O,OO of tax-paying
property at Echo and Stanfield will
be rendered Valueless and stricken
from the tax rolls of Umatilla county.
Pendleton will lose the business it
now gets from the productive mea-
doWs il the vicinity of Echo and
anf!eld. It's greater loss. however,
$ the possibility of irrigation of lands
IN the immediate vicinity of Pendle-
ton.
There are about 100000 acres of
seTi-ari lands in Umatlla county,
all Of which is tributary TO Pendleton
and a goodly portion Of which could
be made vastly more productive by
the application of tFe present surplus
,lood waters Of the river and its trib-
utaries. After every available inch of
cGis surplus is appropriated and stor-
ed for the development Of Morrow
county lands the natural hope of
Cmatilla county for the improvement
Of her own semi-arid lands is forever
lost.
\ good sized city VIII spring up at
the junction of the cutoff with the
main line Of the O.-W. r. & n near
Coyote On the Columbia river and
rrOm PendletOn, Echo, StanL!eld Her
niston and UmatiIla in this county,
Valuable lands IN the proposed res
eryoir site which are now occupied
| by wealth producers with prosperous
and comfortable homes Will be con
Jemned and bought out at prices be-
| Jw their actual value for the Dene-
It OF unocCupied land IN private
ownership where no settler resides and
! which are held purely for speculat yC
| purposes. Two thirds Of the lands
proposed to be irrigated BY the west
| extension are in private ownership
! and that ownership IS practically lin
| ted to two concerns, namely, the y
! r. r r. and the L2dd Interests.
After the approval Of the East
! CmatilIa project without protest from
The reclamat.3z service, the y. P
! lands therein which had formerly
! been selling as low as 81 per acre
were Immediately appraised as higf
rs S75 per acre and sold at that price
! with the $50 water wight Of the gov
! ernment attached. Assuming that the
! lands in private holdings, about 4O.'
! 900 acres, have a present intrinsic
| value Of 81 per acre and can be SOLD
| at $75 per acre with the west exten
| sion water right attached, profit o.
| STA per acre or the enormous granC
clean up Of 81 100000 will accrue t.
these same private holders. Wha
| profit will the settlers in the reser
voir site make out Of this deal?
The policy at present Of the recla
| nation service on the east side pro
| iect is first to fill the reservoir anC
4 then continue the operation Of tn
| reed canal during the irrigation season
| in order to get water for use in addi
| lion TO the reservoir supply. New
| bitches, If any hereafter built, coulC
My draw from the excess of reservoir
and ditch capacity, thereby limiting
| their possible period of operation Il
iess than 40 and probably not NOR
than 20 days at the highest flooc
tage Of the river.
The present East Umatllla projec
| reservoir has a capacity Of $4,000 acr,
| feet on or about the 18th day o
March. 1911, this reservoir was full
and backed up in the main feed ca
nal distance Of three miles. There
after the main feed canal was KEEP
running at about its full capacity un