The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-12-18
By A. W. Cobb, President of the
Boardman Commercial Club.

dual uliidl SOllllutIN idl Sthbs
When the traveller emerges from
the gray desert of dreary sage brush,
with the endless stretches of barren
desolation Unexpectedly and sudden
ly crosses the magic line which di-
vides the Desert from the Lawn" he
is amazed, and sees in the instant
transformation a revelation of the
true meaning of irrigation.
AS he proceeds along the former
scene of arid desert, now changed
to a prosperous farming community
teeming with life and the evidences
of civilization, with miles of living
green alfalfa in the profusion of its
luxuriant growth, he realizes as new
err before what we owe to the SPLEEN
did achievements of the United States
Reclamation Service, who by its in
telligent efforts have thus welded
land and water and produced pros
perity and happiness.
To the world at large and even to
most of the rest of Morrow County
the North End was until recently
practically unknown. This to some
extent is still true owing to the inter-
vening desert land, but this state of
comparative isolation will soon be a
memory only.
When this desert land is reclaim
ed, as it will be, Morrow County will
come into its own. Its future growth
and development must come from the
reclamation of its arid land.
Lying in immediate continuity to
the land reclaimed by the Govern
ment, viz, the west extension of the
Umatilla Project, is the great body
of land embraced in the proposed
John Day Project, which is already
formed into an irrigation district
with good prospects of 100000 acres,
1t needs no great imagination to
forsee the marvellous development
which will occur one this land is
open to settlement, or the mighty
impetus which will result in making
Morrow County the Yakima of Ore
gon, and the mecca of myriads of
land hungry homeseekers.
The history of reclamation had its
lorly DAVIS Wbap r~aolamntin Of
the land which now comprises the
West Extension was under consider
alton a few years ago, many doubts
were expressed as to the wisdom and
feasibility of the undertaking.
1t was feared that the soil was
too sandy to grow crops, and that it
would not retain water sufficiently,
that it would blow away, and that
the pool settler would starve out.
But the men of courage and vision
and tenacity of purpose won out.
Their labors were carried to a most
successful conclusion, resulting in
the reclamation of $4,000 acres a
long the Columbia river, now known
as the West Extension Of the Una
tilla Project. The reclaimed area
is a long strip Of varying width
width about % miles in length ~
ing parallel with the river. railroad
and Columbia river highway, The
land slopes gently toward the river,
with about the right amount of fall
for irrigation and drainage. The
soil is a fine sand, some silt, and al
so comprises some volcanic ash in its
texture. 1t is a warm quick soil,
very responsive to cultivation and
easy to handle under all conditions.
Water of good quality is found in
abundance at depths of is to 80 feet,
Water is conveyed to this land
. from the Umatilla river, a dam OF
great length and height being con
structed to conserve the water, From
, this point the water is conveyed 26
. miles by the main canal and dis
trlOuleu ny idNclalS W oaNh 1" W.
tract. The main canal, laterals and
; pipe lines are concrete lined and the
construction work is conceded to be
the best of its kind. The system is
controlled and operated by the offic.
ers of the Reclamation Service with
headquarters in Hermiston and i;
judiciously and economically handl'
ed with just regards to the needI
and rights of the Mater-uSerS. Wa