The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-06-06
CAMAS DITCH
NEARLY DONE
LARGE FERTILE AREA RECLAIMED
VISITS OF Men from Adjoining Districts
Lead to Investments Canals Used
by CanOeiStS for Pleasure.

'tn ceptlohally good mountain
roads leading into the district from
white Salmon and Godeudale, the Ca
mas Prairie district of the rortheast
part OF klickitat county, has for a
number of years been the goal Of fish
I ermen, who have journeyed TO the
! hllckitat river, running at its north
most edge, TO angle for the large lrain-
/ bow trout found there in abundance
1 The men who have made these exeur-
slons during vacation periods, have
been impressed with agricultural on
I portuulues of the Camas REGION and
the visits have led TO number OF in
vestments.
While good many Americans.
I searching for the best opportunities on
/ the frontier, settled there in early davs
The earlier settlers are predominated
/ 10y colony of Dutch who found the
region to be their hearts desire almost
half a century ago Indeed. one of the
/ visitors who accompanied Burnetfe
/ Duncan to the Camas district last Sat
urday remarked, after beholdng the
canals, the completion of which will
form drainage system to carry off
the waters Of Conboy Lake, that it
ought to be called, Little Holland. "
The residents wouldn't mind for they
even greet you now with a cultural.
'Gutten Morgen.
Until this year the Camas region.
5000 acres IN extent, has never Welded
a true return to the owners With the
exception, heretofore, of a few months
OF the summer, the lake, formed bv
the spreading. over the great fiat sur
lace, OF waters of three creeks flowing
down from Mount Adams, has covered
the entire area, and the farmers have
neeo able to harvest only crops of the
wlld hay that has grown uxurantly
wheh the water receded. However.
last year the people realizing the bene-
hts to be derived by drainage. a bond
district was established by an election
OF the property owners, and by the end
OF The sumner the drainage canal will
have been completed
Wo big dredges are now at work
nnlshlng the last division of the big
ditch, the entire length of which will
be about 10 miles. The work that has
already been done on he project has
caused the water TO recede except for
slight area in the center Of the large
level tract, and the farmers are seed
ing the fertile sui with hay and grain
seed. The big tract of land formerly
the lake bottom has been built up for
years by the decayng vegetation and
sllt brought down by the streams. For
ages THIS soil has been forming. Its
fertility is equal to that of the noted
beaver dam land Of The Northwest.
Because Of the acG of transportation
facilities, the dairying industry is and
VIII continue the chief one of the dis
trlct. Until about three years apo
cheese factories were operated in the
aistrict. However, the farmers found
that 1t was more profitable to shin
Their cream directly to Portland and the
factories have been abandoned. The
surplus hay Of the community finds
ready sale IN the neighboring fruit dis
trict of White Salmon.
The building of the drainage district
has aroused a renewed interest among
the rarchers. whose conversation now
takes the trend of discussing improve
ments. The property owners are plan
nlng ON calling an election in the near
iuture to vote a bonded irrigation dis
lflct, for the purpose Of placing under
dltch the fifteen or twenty thousand
acres of upland surrounding the lake
bottom. The waters of Cougar and
Hell Roaring creeks have already been
lled ON. According to estimates made
ne entire system, main bitches and
aterals, may be built to cover the en-
IRE system at an assessment of SIS per
iere. This makes one Of the cheapest
irrigation projects in the United
States.
One of the slogans of the ranchers is
hat OF better transportation facilities.
we are going ahead with our plans
or Improvement, and some of the rail
cad lines, five of which have already
made surveys, will see that it is to
helr interest to pierce the valley,
hey will tell you. They are repairing
he old roads and building new and
etter ones.
1t is interesting to see the canoes
lying on the.new canals. Some of the
wan OF the community have rigged
p canoes with sails and take their
weethearts sailing on Sunday after
oons. A number Of the Weather
anclers, many Of whom already own
utomobiles, declare that they will put
lulof DOhts on the canal and thus be
Bile to visit the neighboring homes
yer the little water way.
The Camas valley is beautiful spot
iount Adams towers above it and at
vening looks down upol the commun-
", its peak crowned with a glow of
olden sunset. The open settlement,
bout d miles loug and three miles
lde at IFS greatest width, is entirely
by forest of huge frs and
ines. Enterprising citizens have op-
rated small sawulls in the commun
les and turned out enough lumber for
zeal needs. box factory has recently
cen started in the district.
Those who made the trip Saturday
ith Mr., Duncan were Walter Dicker-
m, f. /. McLain Prof. E. E. Coad,
n. and Mrs Ralph Root and Prof.
ID Mrs. w. H, l. awrence. Prof and
RS. Lawrence accompanied Mr.. Root
his automobile and the rest of the
irty went with Mr.. Duncan. All were
ghly pleased with the land and i'm
seggGd with the opporttIpitiac oWor.J