Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-06-09
IRRIGATION OF VALLEY
FIRST PROJECT NOW in CON-
sTRUCTIoN AT WEST STATION.
State Engineer Says Day Is Near
When Entire District win
Use Water.

When Entire District VIII
Use Water.
The follwing is an address recent,
delivered before the students of tn
Oregon Agricultural College at Cor
Wallis by John H. Lewis, state en-
gineer:
Actual construction work is now il
! progress on the first irrigation pro
| ject of any magnitude to be undertak
en- in the Willamette Valley, at Yves
Stayton, and the day is not far distan
when each stream which enters thi
valley will be diverted for irrigation
purposes.
That irrigation is necessary ant
will pay, has been demonstrated be
yond any possibility of doubt, and tn,
/ fear that the soil will bake and re.
fuse to yield readily under the new
treatment is rapidly disappearing.
"There is approximately eight mil
lion acres in the Willamette Valley
watershed and three million acres in
the floor of the valley, including ada
cent low foothills. To say that one
million acres in this valley will be
is not an extravagant statement. The
project under construction contem-
plates the irrigation of 10000 acres
in Marion County, and there are five
other projects in contemplation which
will be undertaken if the first attempt
is successful. Knowing many of the
men behind the enterprise, and being
acquainted with the lands, I have no
fear as to a successful outcome.
Plenty of Water.
THE Willamette Valley is better
supplied with water for irrigation
purposes than any other valley in
Oregon, and there are practically no
natural obstacles to overcome in the
diversion of this water. Where stor-
age is not required, land favorably
situated should be irrigated at a cost
ranging from SIS to $25 per acre, or
with storage from IS to $40 in addi-
tion.
1T will not be necessary for the
farmer to await the construction of a
large project to supply water by grav-
ity flow, for 1t is believed that an
abundance of water can be had by
sinking a bored well to an under
ground water stratum, which has
been tapped in places ranging from
100 to $50 feet below the surface.
This water is said to be under suffi-
cient pressure to bring 1t within 10 to
25 feet of the surface.
Drainage Necessary.
Drainage in some districts should
go hand in hand with irrigation. The
quick removal of excessive spring
moisture would prevent waterlogging
of the ground, and increase by several
weeks the length of the growing sea-
son. In other districts the drainage
through the porous, grave1ly subsoil
is so perfect that the lands are con-
sidered of but little value under pres
rlgated, will become the most valua
BILE.
For many years grain growing has
been the leading industry of the val
ley, all of which is in private owner
ship. The average farm is probably
320 acres in extent, the tendency be-
ing to increase rather than to dimin
ish such area, because of the decreas-
ed yield, due to constant cropping.
Diversified farming has been urged of
late as a remedy, but this is possible
only on selected lands which are re-
tentive of moisture, or those which
receive moisture through sub-irriga- |
tion. 1t is not contended that irriga- |
ton is necessary for all crops, for
deep rooted plants, such as orchards, |
are not affected by the long. dry sum-
mer. But for truck garden, alfalfa,
clover, small fruits and vegetables,
irrigation in reasonable quantities is
absolutely necessary for the highest
yield.
Dairying Important.
"Dairying is destined to become
he leading industry, because of the
mild, open winters. The most serious
obstacle. however. is the long, dry
summer, when 1t is necessary to carry
he herd on dry feed, the same as
Turing the winter months in the East,
This condition. however can easily
,e remedied through the artificial APP
,llcation of water. 1t has been con-
luslvely proved that three full crops
4 clover, together with fall pasture,
an be produced with irrigation.
where only one crop, with pasture. is
vailabTe under present conditions.
Ilso. four crops of alfalfa. with pas
ure. can likewise be produced.
Less than per cent of the total
reeipitation in the willamette VAL
~ falls during the summer months.
'uring this same period in an irrlgat-
country the equivalent of the entire
nnual precipitation is applied to the
rowing crops. 1t may be surprising
, know that the summer precipita-
on at Denver, Colorado, is "a inch
:; at Cheyenne. Wyoming, inches;
nd at Santa Fe, New Mexico, 6.2
lches. as compared with 2.25 inches
Eugene. The summer conditions.
lerefore. are more arid in the Will
mette Valley than in these arid d
ates. During the spring seed germ I
Iating period. which is the most de-
,ient period for the irrlgator, nature
Ipplies and distributes the moisture
/ Milan, Italy. where irrigation has
ached a high state Of development =
I'd has been practiced for many =
'ars, the summer precipitation Is
- inches. as compared with &c '
ches at Eugene. II Is believed that =
ese comparisons conclusively dem
istrate deficiency OF summer pre-
pitatlon. y
Irrigation Pays. !.
That irrigation pays appears 10 be "
by the figures published G.
the Oregon Countryman by w. L.
'wers. OF the Oregon Agricultural
llege. These figures are from care
experiments. the water being fur al
shed by gasoline engine pumping tr
nm underground sources. the llft be-