The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-10-17
THE PAISLEY IRRl-
CATION PROJECT

In 1903 the Il. S. Reclamation Ser,
vice. realizing the great aiov, ~ vnIIaa
future of the Sumner Lake Vai'sy,
and being ANXIOUS to conserve the
lands for settlement. WI Sl'nulem ". ,,o near
homestead entry l2,VVO aetes te i., neH
Paisley, Oregon, which mlght ps amply
watered by impounding the l noou "asSls Tts
of the nearby Chewsuean RIVER. Inc
comparatively small tract OF iano tnus
segregated for irrigation hes IN the
very heart of the valley, shielded from
frost and wind on three sides by tne
rim rock" mountains, which rise,
sheer and precipitOus. from one "
three thousand feet above the moor OF
the valley.
These are the lands embraced by the
Paisley Project, which the Northwest
Townsite Company, through It's owner
ship of all of the capital stock ,oi the
Portland Irrigation Company, mas un-
dertaken to complete, under the law
known as the "Carey Act. "
When the Paisley lands were segre-
gated, it was the intention OF the U.
S. Reclamation Service to install the
works necessary to put water on the
land. But government reclamation
work proceeds slowly. In addition, the
Reclamation Service had already ex-
ceeded its resources in developing other
projects. Some years before, a law
had been passed known as 1.-THE Carey
Act, under which the federal govern
ment agreed to deed to the state OF
Oregon certain rrigabe Glands, ,fupon
condition that the state should reclaim
the land.
In 1907, the lands embraced by the
FALSELY Project were so conveyed to
the state of Oregon.
Under the provisions of the Carey
Act, the state must adopt a practical
engineering plan for each tract to be
irrigated. 1t may then contract with a
responsible company to construct the
works, under the supervision of the
state enigneer, and authorize the con-
strueting company to secure payment
for. Its work by'charging a certain sum
per acre for perpetual water rights.
Under this law, the Portland Irrigation
Company secured the contract to place
water upon the lands of the Paisley
segregation.
The sum fixed by the Desert Land
Board of Oregon in the case of the
Paisley Project, amounts to an average
of SAG for each acre of irrigable land.
There is no charge for the land. The
title to every acre of the Paisley Pro-
Ject land fremairs in the state: it can
not be bought at any price, but the land
will & be decided in tracts not larger
than 100 acres, free of cost, to individ-
uais who will comply with certain resi-
dence conditions, and cultivate part
of their claim, and who have previously
agreed TO pay the construction COM
pany the fixed sum for the water
which has been provided for them.
In order to protect the constructing
company the government will not is
sue patents to the settler until he has
paid the irrigation company in full for
the water on his land-the water right
being in effect mortgage-lien against
the land.
Settlers will be permitted, in case
OF the Paisley Project, to pay for the
water in easy installments, one-fifth
down and the balance in four equal an
nual payments. AS these water rights
cannot be sold until the water is actu-
ally ready for delivery, prospective
settlers may now acquire. on similar
terms, an interest in the whole project,
which may be exchanged for water
rights when the water is ready.
1t is the privilege, also, of the irri-
cation company to apportion the lien
for water right in accordance with the
value of the various tracts in the seq
thus making the cost of ac-
quiring a given tract proportionate
with the producing power of the soil,
desirabiliN as to location, etc. The
Paisley Project lands have been so
classified and the range of water-lien
is from SIS to SIS an acre. the total
lien against the $4,000 acres being
equal to an average of SAG an acre. as
fixed by the contract with the Desert
Land Board of Oregon.
Those who apply for Paisley Project
lands will have nothing to pay for. ex-
cept the water-right. Until they can
apply to the state for the land, they
may secure it by arrangement with the
irrigation company. See their ad in
another part of this issue.