The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-09-19
WILL IMPROVE THE SYSTEM.
Land Owners Under the w. 0. v. L.
District will Vote an Additional
100000 for Reconstruction
Work ON Ditch.


oroville and Tonasket Friday last for
the purpose OF taking up and discuss
ing a proposition to bond the district
Tor an additional sum of money suffi-
Client 10 enlarge the main canal from
The intake on the Similkameen river to
he valley and to substitute cement and
metal for fumes and bitches in order
70 make the system permanent, con-
serve water that Is now wasted by
seepage and thus increase the amount
OF water for consumers. Greater unan-
unity OF sentiment by people invited
to Increase the acre cost to themselves
OF an Improvement was never before
under an irrigation sys-
tenn. Property owners realize what the
Introduction of water on the valley
lands has already accomplished In
making formerly almost worthless
and useless lands highly productive,
with the natural result Of giving the
property a value little dreamed of be-
fore the installation of the watering
system. They further realize that the
P'N III "ao hdotiy tOnotl uCltu
the contractors having a greater re-
gard for expedition and profit than a
consideration for durability. Possibly
the construction was all that could
have been expected for the money plus
n fair profit. and II certainly supplied
a great want. Besides the benefit that
has accrued through added valuation
TO land has already fully repaid the
cost of original construction, together
with the additional burden that the
land owners now propose to take up
on themselves. For II is not to be de-
MED that prior to the introduction Of
water the great bulk OF the 10000
acres under the system were practic-
ally worthless, and already some of
that same land, on account of the
presence of that system. has been
transferred from one owner to another
at figures representing several hun
dred dollars per acre. These facts
we're patent to every one in attend
ance at the meeting mentioned and
that knowledge was the reason for the
concerted endorsement of the propos-
ed increase of bond issue for the spe-
cific purpose of improving the means
for obtaining ample watey. and better
system for the distribution OF the
same. OF course the proposition to be
made legal had to be submitted to a
vote of the land owners within the dis
trict. That election has been called
for the near future, and II can be an
ticipated that the vote will be over
in the affirmative.
The prosposed increase of bond is
sue is not an excessive charge upon
the land to be reclaimed and already
reclaimed. The requirements for the
planned improvements calls for an
100000, which represents
a total cost of 800 per acre for the
land under the influence of the sys-
TEN. Even II the entire tract was
raw land with the knowledge of what
the addition of water means sin the
way of increased production and ad-
ded value, 800 per acre would be a
reasonable cost for an irrigation sys-
TEN, but in this case II per cent Of
the land is already under cultivation,
with a very material increased value,
and the additional water that the i'm
provement of the system will insure
is a very important contributory ele-
ment toward making the same land of
still greater value. But a permanent
system with an ample water supply is
cheap at 800 per acre. There is no
irrigation district in the state of the
same, greater or less magnitude, that
has been constructed at SO small an
acre expense, and so perfactly COM
pleted as the West Okanogan Valley
Irrigation system will be when the
money called for is applied to the
purposes for which the assessment is
made.
As mentioned IL Is proposed to vote
new, or additional. issue OF bonds to
the amount of 100000. This money
will be used from year to year between
irrigation periods In carrying out the
improvements found necessary. The
chief Improvement in contemplation,
flume constituting much of the main
canal with concrete bitches and the
substitution of metal In lieu Of wood
where bitches are impracticable, an
choring them in such manner that
danger OF breaks will be reduced to a
minimum. Then this canal is to be
considerably enlarged in order to car
ry greater volume OF water. The
main distributing bitches and fumes
on both sides of the river are to un
|dergo the same changes. thus insurinf
la large saving of water that Is now
lost from seepage and eliminating th'
danger of breaks. II Is calculated tina
with the changes in contemplation
|Iand owners will be assured OF at leas
-four and half acre feet Of watel
leach season, which is greatly in ex
Icess of the amount available unde
present conditions. Not but what thu
source Of supply is ample, for it is in
exhaustable, but on account or tn
Ipresent size of the main canal. tn
expenditure of the money will be di
rectly in the hands Of the director
of the district, all of them PERSONAL,
interested in securing the best result
at the least cost compatible with goo
workmanship. 1t is calculated tha
s55, 900 will be spent from the clos
of the present season to the openin
of the next, and the residue of tn
money secured through bonding viii
| be expended from year to year unit
the system is placed in permanen