East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-01-19


low embankment built along the Dor
der of each. Care should be used I,
obtain an even slope between the Dor
ders, so that the water which is ad
mitted through a box in the heat
ditch may flow in a thin sheet from
top to bottom OF each strip.
Value of Irrigation 10 State as Whole
Many people do not realize the val
ue of water in running streams whel
viewed from a commercial standpoint
1t has been estimated that the yearl.
income from all the water power il
this state will sometime exceed tn,
wealth produced by the mines ant
forests. The value OF irrigated lands
is based on the right to use the ne
cessary water, and such lands in.
crease from practically nothing to a.
much as $1,000 per acre.
1t is generally known that the mos
productive and highest priced land.
are in those portions of the wes
where irrigation is practiced. Irriga.
ton bonds are in such great demand
and irrigation projects are being sc
eagerly sought for that new capital
and settlers are being continually
brought into the state.
1t is difficult to estimate what the
value of irrigation will be to the
state, as it is now a practically new
undertaking, but the results already
evident give us an inkling of what
| wonderful undeveloped resources the
| state possesses in this regard. The
| vast territory that now lies idle, sup
porting all told but few thousand
people, may be transformed into a
wonderfully productive country
thickly populated with desirable, pro-
gressive citizens.
There is perhaps no state in the
west in which the natural resources
are so undeveloped as in Oregon. This
may be accounted for by the lack of
railroads, and consequently the coun-
try has not been settled as 1t would
otherwise have been,
Inc development of irrigation has
been retarded not only by deficiency
of capital on the part of most of the
country on the part of those who pos
sessed the capital. oregon has not
knowledge of the conditions of the
settlers, but also by the lack of
received her just proportion of the
reclamation fund, 1t having been ex-
pended in other states. This was
caused to some extent by the lack OF
harmony on the part of the land
holders on certain areas capable of
reclamation, particularly in the NAL
heur district.
Practically all the waters that are
used for irrigation are drawn from
the flowing streams. Although por-
ton of the water in the streams is ia
ken up by evaporation and also vast
ed by floods, a large quantity rushes
on to the sea, and its usefulness Is
lost.
The amount Of water precipitated
in the form of rain, snow and fog, up
on the watershed may be said to be
used in three different ways. as it
were, namely: For evaporation and
plant life; for seepage into the earth
and then collecting into surface
streams, subterranean streams and
gravel beds; for storm run-off and
run-off during the irrigation season.
The amount of water which is ta-
ken up by evaporation and also as
nutriment necessary to sustain plant
life varies with the conditions of the
watershed and atmosphere.
1t is impossible to estimate the
amount of water which seeps into the
ground and finds its way into under
ground channels that saturate the
gravel beds of the valleys and fill the
strata that carries the artesian sup
ply.
The storm run-off is the water
which flows from the surface of the
watershed after the upper crust Of
earth has been saturated and no more
water can be absorbed by 1t. The sat-
uration depends upon the amount of
rainfall and character of the water
shed. If the rainfall Is heavy the sur
face will soon become saturated and
the runoff will be much greater than
II portion of it was allowed to seep
into the ground. Also It may be seen
that on a watershed denuded of plant
life the storm run-off will be much
larger than whess the underbrush
forms q Resistance to and retains the
water longer upon the surface, CIV
ing it more time to penetrate into the
pores Of the earth and subsequently
into the underground channels and
reservoirs which retain the water and
give it up gradually during the sum-
mef into the streams.
The more water we are able to save
from the storm run-off and to turn
into reservoirs, the more we increase
the amount that may be used in irri-
CATION. Therefore in order that irri-
CATION may be developed further some
means must be provided to store suf-
| ficent water.
! How far are the principles and
methods Of irrigation as practiced in
| the arid portions of the state applica-
| BILE to the Willamette valley and other
so-called humid portions of the state
and the difficulties peculiar to these
sections severally:
The Willamette valley at the pres
ent time is the most undeveloped
section of oregon when its natural
advantages are compared with those
Of the other sections. 1t has the long
est growing season of any section OF
the state; rich and deep soil; no Ions
and severe winter; access to the loca
markets and is convenient to railway
and water transportation.