Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-08-08
OIL. WALLER DISCUSSES
IRRIGATION PROJECT
Gives Some Interesting Facts Re
garding the Survey of the Column.
bia Basin Protect

NNS bpObdHe cnam Der
ol commerce Prof. Waller is sec
rotary of the commission which is
investigating the feasibility of +be
Columbia basin irrigation project.
The territory covered by the
Columbia basin irrigation proiect Is
part of the ancient John Day lake
bottom. Practically the entire area
is first class soil, comparing fav-
orably with the better laud in the
Yakima and the Wenatchee valleys.
all of which were laid down in the
bottom of the same prehistoric lake
system.
When the prehistoric Columbia
river broke through the mountain
range at the Grand Dalles, this an
Gent lake was drained, and in fol-
lowing geological time this lake bot
tom became bunchgrass plain.
ILls was particularly true in the
eastern part, where the rainfall was
sufficient to support the bunchgrass
In the central and drier areas the
old dry lake bottom was eventually
covered with sage brush In geolog-
zeal terms this Estates briefly the
history of the land included in this
irrigation project
At the last session of the leeisla-
ture of Washington, an appropria-
tion of 100000 was made to carry
OIL a preliminary survey to de-
termine the feasibility of putting a
large acreage of this land under ir-
rigation. Responsibility for carry
in out this survey was vested in an
appointed commission The COM
mission appointed by Acting Govern
o., Hart consisted of Marvin Chase,
state hydraulic engineer, chairman
OF the commission; Peter McGregor.
farmer and stock raiser and director
in the Federal Reserve bank: Ar
thur d. Jones, land owner and in
weston, Spokane, Wash; E F. Ben
son, state commissioner of agricul-
ture; 0. L. Waller, vice president and
head of the department of civil en-
gineering, State College of Washing
ton, secretary of the commission.
Since its appointment the COM
mission has vigorously carried for
ward the surveys to determine the
feasibility Of bringing water from
the Pend Oreille river and putting
Il onto the Columbia basin lands.
Thus far, the surveys have shown
that the water supply is ample, that
no unsurmountabIe difficulties will
be encountered in bringing the water
from the river to the Columbia basin
plains and that the lands, generally,
are Of good quality.
The important question, however
is as to whether the lands will car
ry the cost of the irrigation canals
and other structures and still allow
a reasonable price for the lands
themselves. In other words, if the
commission finally concludes that
the project is feasible, the lands to
be watered must be sold at about
what they are now worth as wheat
fields
When watered they must yield a
revenue which will not only pay for
the lands themselves and water
right, but give a reasonable return
to the farmer for his investment be-
sides wages for himself and his fam
lily. Irrigated lands similar in char
acter to the Columbia basin lands
are now being sold in Washington
and in Idaho for from two hundred
to three hundred dollars per acre.
About two-thirds of the land
which will come under this project
is farmed by a summer falloW sys-
tenn; that is, wheat is raised one
year and the next year the land lies
fallow. When the season IS good
the crop is fair When the season
II dry the crop is small No doubt
when these lands are irrigated they
will produce profitable crops eacn
year, which means an annual crop
output from them several times more
than they now produce.
A large part of this land is under
cultivation and will require little lev
cling to prepare it to receive water
and when water is made ayahaDie
will produce a most excellent GER
cal crop. right from the start -
general the topography OF the LANDS
| is very satisfactory and will offei
no serious. difficulty in designing
distributing system.
About 100000 acres are lnciuu
el in this project and this means