The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-04-21
WATER PROVIDED
FOR 10000 ACRES
Government Spares No Expense in
Building Distribution System
Structures are Durable.

A truly remarkable development il
caking place in the Okanogan valley ;
short distance north of Oroville. whicl
becomes the "Okanagan" valley b,
slight disagreement in spelling whe,
he international boundary line il
crossed. The British Columbia provin
;ial government is now completing
me Of the finest irrigation systems il
he West. A total of $4,000 acres is tt
DC covered by this system when com
>leted and considerable part of this
.rea will receive water for irrigation
during the season Of 1922.
High efficiency in delivery of water
md durability in construction have
)een the principal objectives of the en-.
gineers who have planned and directed
he building Of this splendid project
From the intake at Okanogan Falls
% the extreme southern end of the
main canal, thoroughgoing workman,
ship and permanent construction
methods and materials have been COM
oined to make of the entire system
a model project.
A concrete dam, 200 feet in width
about three-quarters of a mile below
Vaseaux lake, raises the Okanogan
river eight feet and provides for diver
sion of 10 cubic feet of water per
second into the main canal five feet
deep and Is feet wide at the top, en-
tirely lined with concrete. A big con-
crete siphon carries this canal under
the. bed of spring ifreshet water
course, metal flume skirts great
rock bluff and delivers the water into
a concrete box flume slhat is built
:'long heavy rock slide. Seven miles
down the valley the main artery
crosses the valley through 7S inch
wood-stave pipe which ends in riv-
eted steel pipe so inches in diamater,
from the outlet of which the canal
proceeds south and lateral carries
water up the west side distance of
1-2 miles. The delivery is to be car
ried south to the boundary. A large
part Of the distribution is through con-
crete pipes. Water sufficient to cover
each acre to depth of 10 inches in
any month will be provided.
No expense has been spared in the
building of the project. The structures
are designed to last indefinitely. The
question of fertility and productive
ness of the soil had been settled be-
forehand by individual development in
the valley. Fruit will be the principal
crop. The land is being settled rapidly.
Over so new homes have been built on
small tracts within the year, and the
valley about Oliver is the scene of al
most feverish activity today, with
squads of men driving teams or hand
ling tractors that are blowing up the
new land, and preparing for cropping
The average price for lands within
the project is $3.50. A payment of 20
per cent. down is required of the pur-
chaser. Deferred payments of the prin-
cipal will be. payable in four equal
annual installments commencing five
years from the date of sale, with in
terest at six per cent. The annual
water rent will be $500 per acre.
Returned British Columbia soldiers
are given special concessions. They
have to pay down but 10 per cent. of
the purchase price The balance to be
paid as provided for other purchasers,
but at the end, if all payments have
been met and the land improved, a
refund of 5000 will he allowed