East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-01-20

TAFT are inclined to appOrtion FUNDS
for the construction Of the West
Umatilla irrigation project in East
ern Oregon, they need no stronger
justification for making a liberal al
lctment than Is to be found in the re-
port of the Board Of Army Engineers
says a Washington special to a Port
land paper.
Every comment of the board on
this project is favorable; the project
is found to be feasible, practical and
economical. AS a matter of fact, the
report of the board is strong enough
to justify an allotment to this project
OF s4,000,000, which, 1t is estimated,
will cover the entire cost of complet-
ing the West Side project to a point
where 1t will irrigate 10000 acres of
land.
1t is true that the board did not
recommend such an allotment, but it's
failure to so recommend was not bas-
cd upon any lack Of merit or any
question as to its feasibility. The
board merely said
THE proposed West Eextension be-
ing entirely distinct, should be post
poned for the present on account Of
the large amount of money needed
for the completion Of other projects
to which the United States is COM
mitted by the large expenditures al
ready made"
Board Reports Upon Project.
Below Is quoted In full exactly what |
the board had to say with regard to |
the West Umatilla project:
THE neople NJ Hermiston and Vi |
ntpitu
government extend this project to the |
west side Of the Umatilla river, where
the reclamation of from 40. 900 to CO.,
600 arces Of land by a gravity system
In proposed This extension was the
main subject discussed at the public
hearing. The development, while be-
ing properly an extension Of the
Umatilla project, inasmuch as II
would receive its water from the |
same source and lie contiguous to the |
areas at present being irrigated, yet |
is In the nature of new work as it's |
development bears in no way upon |
the completion of the present unit OF
the project. The extension would re-
Quire the construction of a reservoir |
of a capacity of about $4,000 acre
feet by building a dam in the UNA
tilla river near the mouth of Butter
creek. The water surface would be |
raised about 20 feet. and the supply |
would then be distributed over the
land by a gravity system. This grav
ity plan could be supplemented to |
cover about 10000 acres more by ell !
ectric pumping, should this further |
extension be deemed desirable. Res |
ervations on the Des Chutes river for |
n dam site with which to develop |
power have been made, the power to |
be used in pumping water from the |
gravity canals or from the Columbia |
river to the areas not irrigable by
any gravity system, II the water sup
ply is sufficient the total area OF the |
proposed extensions can be expanded |
to about 100. 900 acres, including the
pumping project.
Experience on the Umatilla pro-
ject and on private projects at Irri-
gon and Kennewick indicate that the !
soil is abundantly able to produce
fruits and alfalfa as well as vegetab-
les and berries. The climate is suit
able thereto. and although the are g
are swept by strong winds throughout |
the spring of each year the soil can |
be protected by cultlvating wind |
breaks OF the area under the pro-
posed gravity system there are but
1900 acres of public land. The
remaining land belongs either to the
Northern Pacific railroad or is now
in private ownership through home
stead and desert land entries. or thro
purchase from the railroad. Hydro
graphs for l2 consecutive years in
,Ttl No nf |
over 100000 acre-feet, making al
lowances for private rights and the
requirements for the main Umat.lla
project.
Water Assured for $4,000 Acres
allowing five feet evaporation on
the average area OF the proposed re-
servoir-3200 acres-and loss of
5000 acre-feet for per cent loss
in the distribution, total loss of 21,-
600 acre-feet OF storage water is to be
provided for. The use of concrete
lined dstributaries is proposed by
the reclamation service, which 1t is
expected will reduce the losses from
seepage to the low amount stated.
BY using flood water direct II Is cal
culated from the records by the re-
clamaton engineers that a surplus
OF % acre-incheS only VIII need 10 pe
stored, which gives a total of 10000
acre-feet of stored water to be car
ried over II the reservoir were filled.
1t thus appears from these assump-
tlons that the water supply will be
sufficient for $4,000 acers If the pro-
posed reservoir be built.
1.-THE cost Of this extension, exclu-
sive of the pumping system, but in
cluding the dam across the Umatilla
river with its accessories, estimated
at about s1O00,O 900, amounts in all
to nearly s4,0O0,OO0. This is approx
imateiy $50 per acre for an area Of
$4,000 acres"
The boards comment in the East
Umatilla project is ,Ilso very favor
able, and so strongly is this uni. COM
mended that it is somewhat remark
able that the board failed to recon-
mened any allotment for continuing
construction on the west side Of the
Umatilla river. or the original Uma-
tilIa project, the boards report in
part says:
kt,A In