The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1916-01-21
IRRIGATION RESULTS
IN EASTERN OREGON

About eve years ago the first elec-
trio pumping plant was installed IL
Malheur county. Eastern oregon.
Since that time not less than 100
plants have been put in operation
within s5 miles OF Ontario. Malhelr
county. and there is az least $4,000
acres now being watered by pumping
plants using electric power. There is
still about $4,000 acres OF land in the
same district that is under the i25
foot lift that IS expected TO be water
ed within the next few years by pump
ing.
Three rivers flow through the east
ern part OF Malheur county. the
Snake, owyhee and Malheur. and all
OF these streams are used for pump
ing. At low water the Snake river
furnishes some 5000 second feet az
Ontario. and practically 1000 second
feet is now going 10 waste so far as
irrigation OF lands is concerned. so
that a great abundance OF water is
found here for future use for pump
ing. There are electric power lines
all through this valley and with the
power plants now under construction
$4,000 horsepower can be generated.
For an irrigation season OF six months
the price OF power is from SIS TO s25
per horse power, owing TO the amount
used.
one OF the largest pumping plants
using electricity in this section is the
Ontario-Nyssa Irrigation Company
plant. This Is a cooperative system.
only land owners holding stock. and
6.io0 acres are now being wa,ered
by this company. The water Is pump
ed from Snake river through a fye-
foot pipe line 500 feet 10 a point
i0S feet above the river. thence IL
flows by gravity for % miles. water
ing the land along the canal for the
entire distance The Ontar.o-Nyssa
Company uses l,i00 horsepower and
furnishes three acre feet OF water
per season for each acre under the
system This plant was installed In
1912. az which time every acre OF the
$500 was In sagebrush. Today prac-
ticaily all OF this land is now in cul.
tivation and producing crops OF al
falfa, fruit. corn and grain. The
cost OF putting in this irrigation sys-
TEN was Sic per acre.
In addition 20 the lands watered
by the pumping method. there are
about $4,000 acres within % miles OF
Ontario watered by gravity. The
charge under the gravity
bitches is usually 81 per acre for a
season OF six 10 seven months. The
usual amount OF water given is one
miners inch per acre, which is about
double the water necessary, but as
these bitches were built twenty wears
ago. when the average irriga,or
thought he could not do with less this
amount IL was incorporated in the
stock that they were 10 have one inch
OF water and they sim get this A.
mount although much OF II is allowed
TO go 10 waste.
The Snake River Valley az Ontario
about 2.l0O feet above sea level and
almost any crop grown in the temper-
ATE zone can be found here. There
are peach apricot, pear, apple. prune
'rehards here. In this immediate
vicinity there are probably 2O.OOo
acres In orchards. the most profitable
ana greatest acreage being in apples
and prunes.
A sO-acre prune orchard has been
netting the owners about $3.50 Der
acre for the last four years. These
'runes are shipped green to New
fory City and il is claimed by some
n the fruit men there that green
'runes from this section hold up bet.
er than any prune received on the
market.
Corn is another big crop raised here
nd probably 10000 acres are planted |
o this crop this year. Last year 20 |
nen In two districts in this valley en- |
cred into a corn contest. They ay-
ragged IL acres OF corn to the man
nd nine raised from l02 10 I2l bush
ls' This year there is five times as
iuch corn planted as last season
Hos are going up on many farms
nd 10 to 20 tons to the acre can he
lised for clio purposes.
Alfalfa is another big crop raised
ere There are probably so, 600 ac-
Is In this crop in the district around
atario. An average crop here is
ON o to 8 tons from three cuttings.
rom ll5 acres ]. w. lessee. who