The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-11-05
WATER POWER DECISION.

TOR OF the appilcation VI lle oiiAih ha
noon Power Company and others fol
uOrmssion to utilize and develop wa.
i"r mower sites upon the Similkameer
Wv sror is too long to be reproduced
.0re containing some $500 words, but
.sa substance of the whole with the
anal summary is given below.
The decision recites the early at
,omnt of the Similkameen Power com.
many to develop power, commencing
srst in 1902, and completing its pres
ant plant in 1906, thereby furnishing
,,sht and power to the towns Of Oro-
riIle and Nighthawk, and power foI
mines and irrigation. This company
houeyer. failed to acquire title to the
lands on which its plant is built un-
dor its mineral locations, the depart
ment holding the lands to be non
mineral in character. The company
thereupon offered scrip filing on the
land but this in turn was rejected on
tho ground that the land had been in
rluded in power site Withdrawals, and
was not subject to entry OF any kind
Application was then made by the
Similkameen Power company for a
hermit to develop the water power OF
the stream under the regulations OF
the department, and the OkanOgan
Power company, about the same time,
made a similar application BY this
time the local irrigation district was
in the field, first for water for irriga-
ton purposes only, and later for a
permit to develop power.
In conclusion the decision reads as
follows:
ut may be here stated that there is
no conflict between the claims of the
irrigation district and the two power
companies with respect to the water
used BY the former for irrigation, 1t
being so expressly, stipulated at the
hearing.
AS already stated it might be pos
sible to make a development OF the
power at this point in the Similka-
meen river through two plants, |. e.
the existing small plant of the Simil-
kameen Power company and an addi-
tonal plant such as that tentatively
suggested by the OkanOgan Power
company However, it Is generally
conceded, and this department Is con-
vinced, that this sort Of development
would not be feasible from the stand
point of commercial enterprise; nor
would it be conducive to the best in
terests of the locality. One plant maxi
ing the maximum development neces-
sary for supplying the vicinity with
power wOufd be more economical and
would secure in the most business
like way the logical and full develop
ment Of the power possibilities; while
to divide the possibilities among two
or more companies or individuals
would increase the expense Of con-
struction and operation and inciden-
tally the charges to consumers, and
would not in the opinion of this de-
partment, be proper or advisable
disposition of the site in question. In
this connection it should be born in
mind that the matter of rates and SER
vice Of such corporations is controlled
by the Public Service commission of
the state of Washington.
The only existing plant upon this
portion of the Similkameen river Is
that of the Similkameen Power COM
pGIy. The Okanogan Valley Power
company has a power plant generat-
Ing about 500 horse power on the Me-
thow river, and is supplying power
for irrigation, also for lighting, to the
towns of Omak, Pateros, Brewster
and Okanogan. 1t has made no con-
sructio1 upon or in the vicinity OF
the Similkameen and made no expen-
dltures except in the matter OF pre-
lminary surveys. The West Okanog-
an Valley Irrigation district has con-
3 sTucted gravity canals for the irrl-
cation of approximately 10000 acres
, OF land in the Okanogan Valley, but
mas installed no works, and so far as
shown by the record, expended no
money in connection with electrical
development upon the Similkameen
river.
While the plant of the Similka-
meen Power company was construct
ed upon public lands to which the
company was unable to secure title
Dy the methods at first adopted, 1t is
nevertheless true that a large expend.
lure of money was made in good
ialtn in the construction Of the plant
and that for the past nine years the
company has been supplying the
mines and irrigators of the vicinity
as we'll as the towns of Oroville anC
Nlgnthawk, with such power and l1gh'
as was required. While the maximum
output of the existing plant has no
oeen maintained, it was due, at leas
until recently, to a lack Of demand
N this particular, therefore, the equi
ues Of the Similkameen Power com
pany are superior to those OF thu
okanogan Power company and the ir
Iigatlon district, which have made NJ
Development and have expended NJ
money in construction. Furthermore
: u Is believed by this department tina
tne Similkameen company is prior II
ume and right to the other applicants
although the Okanogan company wal
prior in time with respect to initia
uon OF surveys and the filing OF tn
aappncations for power permits nov
pelore the department.
The regulations of March l, 1913
paragraph 3, provide that priority o
appncation shall be based upon TN
Urder % of filing complete applications
rms regulation, as is evident from 1t
language, contemplated only the dc
termination of priorities between TN
rival applicants for permission to IN
vesugate and utilize public lands 10
.ae construction of power plants, an
Nid not undertake to make dispositlo
VI cases where actual development