The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1917-02-15
Reclamation Service to Deter
mine Best Means of UtiIiz-
ing Stored Waters
MAY Use SUNNYSIDE CANAL
The Completed Storage Will Furnish
Water fa 100000 Acres in
Excess of Present Demands

It is the belief of local men in close
touch with the irrigation situation in
the Columbia and Yakima Valleys that
by the end Of summer the u. S. re-
clamation service will have decided
upon definite plans for irrigating sew
eral thousands Of acres of land lying
above the present levels Of the Ken
newick and Richland projects. These
lands We're included in the Benton
Unit of the original Yakima Project
as they were also made part of the
proposed Northern Pacific High Line.
Recently, however, engineers and re-
clamation officials have become con-
vinced that these lands could be more
economically irrigated from an ex-
tension of the Sunnyside canal.
To definitely determine which Of the
two plans is the more desirable as well
as to decide what disposition is to be
made of the storage water Of the Yak
ina project, survey was started this
week by the reclamation service, with
Fred Bonstedt in charge Of the work.
In explaining the purposes Of the sur
vey r. X. Tiffany, project manager Of Z
the reclamation service, says:
"The survey is only preliminary.
We are making a study Of the possi-
bilities for utilizing the storage de-
veloped on the Yakima project, and
when the time comes we will be in a
position to say which is The best and
most economic scheme, using the re-
mainder of the storage water not al
ready appropriated.
"Over and above any demands that
can now be made upon storage we will
have water to reclaim 100000 acres
when present storage plans are COM
pleted. The question arises as to what
is the best and economical way to util-
ize this surplus. The Northern Pa
cific highline has been surveyed, and
that data is available. The Pomona
Wenas people have made some pre-
liminary surveys and we have their
data. They will probably do some
additional work during the present
year, but we have in mind a new high
line which will utilize the storage de-
veloped on the Tieton at McAllister
Meadows, and will spend the summer
in preliminary investigation Of this
plan.
eff the line we are now projecting
proves to be the most economical, it
will be the only one constructed.
Neither the Northern Pacific nor the
Pomona Wenas line will be built, If
this line is run. But the Pomona
Wenas and Northern Pacific might
both be built if this one is not found
feasible. We are gathering data to
make choice between these two al
ternatives.
eve will then plan to take ditch
out of the Tieton at some point above
its mouth, high enough to cover most
Of the lands in the Wenas, Selah, East
Selah and Mckee, covered by the Po-
mona-Wenas survey, and will extend
it into the lower valley below Parker,
watering lands above the Sunnyside
canal.
eff this ditch is built the water in
storage at Keechelus, Clealum and
Kachess will be released into the Yali-
ma river and conveyed by the Sun
nyside canal into the lower valley, and
extensions made to cover lands in the
Cold Creek and Kennewick districts.
The Reclamation service wants to be
in a position when the time comes, to
say which plan is the best for utiliz-
ing storage not yet appropriated"