East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-12-08
RECLAMATION IDEA CONCEIVED
Z YEARS AGO WILL BE SHOWN.
CONTINUED from Page -

Continued from Page II
per acre net after deducting all losses
by seepage and evaporation. The main
canal. and tunnel were designed to
carry $50. second-feet of water, the
main canal being rs feet wide on the
bottom with a grade of IS inches per
mile and carrying 5 feet of water. The
tunnel through the divide is 1854
feet long, s feet wide and feet high
and is graded s feet in each 1000 feet
The main canal extends 13 miles
across Camas Prairie and 1-2 miles
iof flume Is required to get the water
tout of the Camas creek canyon to the
level of the main canal. The acreage
cost for the full stream flow will be
about $50 per acre and if reservoir
construction becomes necessary the
additional cost for storage will be
about $50 per acre.
First Bond Issue in 1913.
In 1913 the district voted $1,000, 900
bonds and purchased the water rights
of o. d. Teel and the Teel Ditch COM
pany for 100000. These rights con-
sist of early appropriations of the wa
! ters OF Camas creek. No conflict ap-
pears with other rights on the John
Day river because all existing irrigat-
ed farms are amply supplied from the
main forks of the river coming in be-
low tho points of diversion for the
Teel irrigation district.
The territory drained by the streams
consists of $50 square miles of tim
bered country in the Blue mountains
at an elevation of from $500 to $500
feet above sea level and having an an
nual run-off precipitation of 9 inches. !
The lightest stream flow for any year |
under
feet giving full acre feet per acre |
after allowing from so to 40 per cent |
for seepage and evaporation. This is
not probable on account of the heavy /
clay soil and bed rock bottom along |
the line of transit.
No Reservoir Necessary.
1t is believed by most observers
that no storage reservoirs will ever be
necessary to take care of the lands
now in the district. The reservoir
site of the district is on Bowman
meadows about four miles above the
main line diversion on Camas creek.
1t covers about 500 acres of land and
is designed to store with 9o-foot
dam S0,00f0 acre feet of water.
In the spring of 1914 the district
was financed and agreement made for
the purchase of the bonds in New
York. The outbreak of war in Eu-
rope indefinitely postponed negotia-
lions. Efforts We're renewed in 1916
and again delayed by the capital is
sues committee of the government
the financial resources of
he country for strictly war purposes.
After the armistice in November. 1918,
he district made another effort and
ucceeded in contracting the sale of its
'onds conditioned upon the ability of
he district to qualify under the pro-
'isions of the state law forcertifica-
ion of its bonds by the Secretary of
tate.
Bonds Certified.
On July 5, 1919, the commission
ecommended bonds in the sum of
9S0,00o to build the main line, feed
rs and tunnel Provision was also
1ade for the main line of the distri-
ution system. on the date of the
ertification the directors contracted r
18th the Warren CONSTRUCTION Com
any to build the tunnel and main l
ne and feeders for S7s0,00o. backed
v a surety bond of 100000 to guar
ntee the completion of the work for
lie sum named in the contract The 1
strict holds back 10 per cent of the =
>ntract price as an additional guar
ltee and in reserve, Is per cent of
lie total certific8tion for its own en-
neeriug and contingencies. II is es- III
mated that sufficient surplus will
main to pay for the main lines of Al
e distribution system. n,
Must Finish i'm 1921.
The contract calls for the couple r
on Of tho work SO as Ia deliver tho 81
a:r} '--a -N- "nr.. 70 r,. it.-.t
arch /, 1874, It Is belie,e,i, how