The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-07-14
Eminent Engineer Reports Watering of Big Area Is Perfectly
Practicable
ENOUGH WATER TO RRIGATE 475,OOO ACRES
$50 OOOO 900 Pnd--aAe and Dam of Huge Undertaking Will Be
Located Twelve Miles From leavnwOrh MI Require Eight
to Ten Years to Complete

For the past three years the resi-
dents of the Quincy fats, section OF
country east of the Columbia river in
Grant county, some half million acres
in extent, have failed to make crops on
account OF the insufficiency OF rainfall.
The land is as rich and productive
as any in the state of Washington, but
lacking in sufficient moisture vast
body OF land lies practically fallow.
Three years ago the residents organized
the Quincy Water Users Association
and engaged surveyors to make an es-
innate OF the cost of irrigating this vast
body of valuable land that required
only water to make it as productive as
any acre OF land in the state of Wash
ington.
Joseph Jacobs, an eminent irrigation
engineer, formerly connected with the
u. S. reclamation service, is the con-
sulting engineer. Four methods OF
bringing water to these lands were con-
sidered: one from the Spokane river,
from the San Poll river, from the Co
lumbia river and from Wenatchee lake.
From data made by the different en-
gineering parties, Mr.. Jacobs recon-
mended Wenatchee lake as furnishing
the surest and most feasible supply OF
water The present surface OF We
natchee lake is 1870 feet above sea
level. The project contemplates dam
ing the Wenatchee river, the outlet OF
the lake, at a point some twelve miles
north of Leavenworth and raising the
level of the lake approximately $50
feet, making the lake 80 miles long
and creating an immense storage basin.
In the White river valley and sur
rounding the lake is some two thou
sand acres of very fine and productive
land, much OF which is in. cultivation
and the settlers in that region, not
knowing when work may begin on the
project. are much disturbed. Within
the past two weeks applications Tor
patents in the vicinity Of the lake have
been rejected. This is in line with
notice issued from the Interior depart
ment in February that the lands within
the lake basin would be withdrawn
from entry.
That work on this project will begin
within a year or two now seems GER
tain. 1t is only a question OF time.
The estimated cost of irrigating this
large body of land is in the neighbor-
hood of $40 per acre. 1t is too large,
productive and valuable to lie out Of
use long.
Consulting Engineer Jacobs passed
through here short time ago on his
way to the lake to consult with the en-
gineer in charge Of the surveying party
camped on the Wenatchee river since
early in the spring. ,
The following dispatch from Quincy
appeared in the Post-Intelligencer OF
last Sunday:
THE Quincy Commercial Club and
the Quincy Valley Water Users Asso-
citation held a joint meeting Friday
afternoon. 1t was the largest and best
attended in the history Of the city and
was held in large tent.
The purpose was to give those inter
ested an idea of the progress made to-
ward the completion Of the surveys to
determine the practicability of gravity
system OF irrigation from Lake We
natchee.
An additional filing has been made
for a reservoir site close to the lake,
and it was reported that there is every
indication that the water supply will