Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1922-03-08

, the timber covering will be protected
1t is proposed to construct a dam
43 feet in maximum height acros:
!, Keene creek, and form a reservoir
having a storage capacity Of 5000
acre feet, covering 800 acres. The
dam as planned will be an earth
fill, 20 feet wide at the top and 775
feet long. A concrete spillway will
be located on the west end. The re
inforced concrete outlet conduit
through the embankment, will be
provided with a suitable concrete
gate tower and controlling works
Test pits show that sufficient earth
and clay for the dam embankment
can be obtained within a miximum
distance of 5000 feet from the dam
site. The estimated cost of the Hy-
att Prairie reservoir is $163,600.
The east lateral will divert from
Emigrant creek at an elevation of
about 2100 feet, and be so located
thta when the Emigrant creek dam
Is constructed, diversion will be di-
rect from the dam at an elevation
of 2104 feet. The canal will follow
along the north end and east bank
of Emigrant creek, crossing Walker
creek with a 34-inch wood stave 81
phon. From this point the canal
will follow close to the toe of the
steep hillside and covers most of the
desirable irrigable area lying east Of
Bear creek.
The canal will have capacity of
so second feet at the intake, gradu-
ally decreasing as the land is watered
to 10 second feet at the end. The
estimated cost of excavating the 97,-
900 cubic feet of canal is 10000.
Bids for the canal excavation and
the building of the Hyatt dam will
be opened on the fourteenth of this
month. Six large contracting outfits
have gone over the proposition. 1t
is expected that work will commence
at once. At least 200 men will be
employed which will relieve the un-
employment situation In the vicinity.
Practically 80 per cent OF the land
In the project which 1t is proposed
to irrigate, Is already worked A
large portion OF the area is planted
to orchard and is in a high state of
cultivation. Other leading crops are
alfalfa and grain. Very little of this
land has ever produced what it might
on account of the shortage Of mOis-
ture during the late summer months.
If the land is fully developed under
irrigation, it should be capable of
producing five and six tons of alfalfa
per acre or good yields of grain or
cultivated crops for general or dairy
farming. Irrigation will have a ten
dency to stimulate trucking and 9th
er intensive farming. The productive
value of the land should be more
than doubled by irrigation as COM
pared with the possibilities by rain
fall farming. Irrigation geferaly
makes it possible to practice a more
intensive and diversified ranching
system.
The dairy industry has not been
extensively developed on account of
the shortage of green feed. This and
other types Of intensive livestock
farming could be greatly increased
after irrigation is provided.
The climate of the district is mod
crate. High winds or severe storms
are practically unknown, and the
thermometer rarely goes down to
zero or above 100. The summer
nights are cool and pleasant. the
winters mild. The average length Of
time free from killing frosts in Ash
land for the past II years was 1SG
days. The average number of clear
days for the same period was $50,
and partly cloudy about 100 days.
There is absolutely no reason why
the products being shipped into the
valley should not be raised locally
in sufficient quantities. THE soil
and the climate conditions are very
favorable. and with water for irri-
CATION, the yields can be doubled.
Irrigation. therefore, becomes the
key to soil improvement and in
creased production and the profit on
these lands.