The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1922-04-14
COCKTAILS
REPORT ON
COL. BASIN
Gravity System Recommended as
Much the Cheapest and Safest.
Government Ought to Finance.

The Echo has Gen. Goethals' re-
port on the Columbia Basin project of
which the following is the summary:
l. Of over 100000 acres of land
embraced within the Columbia Basin.
lying between the Columbia and
Snake Rivers, 1,753,OOO are irrigable
by the Pend O'Reille gravity project
and 1,403,000 by the Columbia River
pumping project.
2. The gravity project provides
water by gravity flow from the Pend
O'Reille River and its tributaries
above Newport, Washington.
8. The Pumping project provides
water from the Columbia River. A
pool is formed by a dam, varying
from 200 to 2S5 feet in height, with
respective heads of 123 to 211 feet.
across the gorge of the Columbia at
the head of the Grand Coulee, from
which water is pumped by hydro
electric units, each lifting 1000 sec
ond feet approximately 4s2 feet, or
by direct connected units of equal ca
pacity lifting approximately 450 feet,
to an artificial lake, when the water
is carried to the land by gravity
4. The estimated cost of the GRAY
ity Project is S254, ,170,351, or s145.56
per acre.
5. The construction is feasible and
offers no unusual difficulties.
6. The cost of operation and main
tenance for the Gravity Project is es-
timated at sS41 ,45O or SO.4S per acre
per annum.
7. The lowest estimated cost for
the Pumping Project is 1929, ,096, ,943
or $159.01 per acre. The difficulties
attending the construction are un-
usual and the pumps proposed have
never been built.
8. The cost of operation and main
tenance for the Pumping Project is
estimated from s2,610,275 to s2,192,-
COS per annum, or from S1.S6 to S1.51
per acre, depending upon the height
of dam adopted.
9. The Gravity Project is recon-
mended for adoption.
10. 1t is recommended that the en-
tire project be undertaken with 3
view to completing it in its entiresN
rather than attempting it piecemea
or adopting temporary construction.
II. The estimated time for COM
pletion is six years.
12. The soils of the irrigable lar,9.
are fertile and abundant; being in al
respects similar to Yakima and Wen
atchee Valleys; large production viii
result from water on the lands.
10. A great variety of crops raj
be produced, and, due to the eXcellen
transportation facilities. can be car
ried to the markets of the world.
IA. No apprehension need be fel
about settlement of the lands afte'
water has been placed thereon.
Is. All things considered, the pro
ject is justified from an economic
standpoint if the land can be mad
ready for planting at a cost rangin!
from 5000 to 1915 per acre; at the lat
ter price a profitable return will b
secured on the investment.
16. The project, because of tn
benefits that will accrue to the Unite
States as a whole, is national on
and as such should be carried out b
the Federal government through di
rect appropriation.
IT. Following the existing poll,
of the government in its irrigatio
projects, the farmer or land holda
should be taxed to amortize the cos
of construction. The governmer
should bear or absorb the intere:
charges, which will be more than re
paid through the increase that WI
result to the natural wealth, atfec'
ing industries and products of a
binds over the entire country.