The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-02-10
A Dam For Three Great Uses.

A Dam For 1LLee GIt@l USES
The movement for construction Of
a great dam IN the Columbia river at
Umaulla rapids brings into closer
view the benefits which the Columbia
river basin can derive from the fed
eral waterpover act A dam at that
point would develop power, provide
water for irrigation ana promote nav
ieation. all combined, if the addition
al structures for these purposes
should be added to it,
One hundred ana twenty thousand
horsepower at the low water season
would be generated, operating the
locks for navigation, pumps for high
level irrigation, manufactures on the
river and at all neighboring towns
and supplying electric current
through a wide stretch Of country.
Irrigation would bring under inten-
sive cultivation about half a million
acres of land which are now barren.
The dam would drown out Umatilla
rapids ana make the Columbia river
navigable by tugs and barges to the
mouth of the Snake.
While the several cities and irri-
CATION districts interested have the
right TO combine and obtain a license
free from rental to construct the dam
and power plant, a good claim to con-
siderable government aid can be SCI
Ut. The dam could properly be con-
structed by the government, for
either navigation purposes under i
river and harbor appropriation or to
store water for irrigation BY the rec
lamation bureau, while a license TO
develop power at the dam could be
granted BY the federal w%aterpower
commission either to the cities and
organized irrigation districts inter
ested or TO a private corporation. The
latter would be required to operate
locks free Of cost TO the government
but the commission may recommend
to congress that the government par
ticirate in the cost of construction.
Provision is also made for construc.
ton of any project by the United
States itself.
In view of the benefits TO accrue
both TO navigation and irrigation,
congress could properly be asked to
appropriate both river and harbor
funds and reclamation funds. Ore.
gon has a good moral claim, for it
has contributed over 6,500,000 more
than it has received, while some
states have received several times
the sums they contributed. The Wa
terpower commission is authorized to
make preliminary investigations of
any region or any project and to co,
operate with the executive depart
ments and other agencies Of state or
national governments in so doing.
1t has not been given funds for such
work. and congress should be urged
to provide them at this session.
While the estimated cost, S25,000,-
600, seems great, il should not prove
out or proportion to the threefold
benefits which would result. 1t might
not be justified for either navigation
or irrigation or power alone, but.
when apportioned among all three, Ii
might be financially practicable.
Umatilla rapids is the highest OF
three great power sites on the middle
Columbia and is the least costly TO
develop. That at Bonneville would
give 100000 and that at The Dalles
100000 continuous horsepower, but
each would cost two or three times as
much as the Umatilla dam. Success
Of the latter might be expected to at
tract capital to undertake the two
larger projects. When they were
completed, deep water with a slow
current would extent as far up the
river as Priest rapids. As a project
to erect a power plant at that point is
being financed, the navigable channel
would soon extend beyond Wenat-
chez,
A good beginning is needed to de-
yelop the immense power, nayiga-
ton and irrigation possibilities Of the
Columbia river, and the enterprising
people Of the Umatilla district have
the qualities to make it. They should
have cooperation Of the states Of
Oregon and Washington and of the