Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1922-03-08
HYATT Reservoir And
East Ditch This Year

Bids are now being called for the
construction Of the east lateral and
the Hyatt Prairie dam by the Talent
Irrigation district The bids will be
opened by the directors of the dis
trict on March IA. Shortly after
that date dirt will be flying on one
of the largest projects ever under
taken in Jackson county, and the
dream OF the past quarter century
will soon be realized.
Since the formation of the Talent
Irrigation district IN 1916, the direc-
tors have worked constantly and
faithfully, in face Of opposition, dis
appointments and delays. The first
bond issue of August 81, 1917, for
the sum of 100000, carried by a
vote of S6 to 60, but owing to the
conditions arising from the entrance
of the United States into the war, no
part Of the bonds were sold until
after the war. Not until February
1922 were they able to dispose of suf-
ficient bonds to construct the reser-
voir and east canal as planned.
In January, 1919, bonds to the
amount of $155,0O0 were sold to
Freeman, Smith and Camp, of Port
land, at a price of 80. This fund was
used to construct the Mcdonald
creek unit in 1919 and the early
spring OF 1920. Other bonds amount
ing to $4,000 were sold In 1920 to
construct the Talent lateral which
diverts water from Bear creek near
Ashland and covers a portion of the
west side unit lands.
In October 1920, an additional
$3.50, 900 bond issue was voted for
the purpose OF constructing the Hy-
att reservoir and the east lateral,
making the entire cost per acre, of
the II 900 acres of irrigable land In
the district, sos.
In February, 1922. the sale OF
$474,0 900 In bonds to the Citizens
bank OF Los Angeles at the rate of
SO, has made 1t possible to carry the
project on to completion.
The Talent Irrigation district Is
situated In Jackson county and lies
at the southern end of Bear creek
valley, adjacent to the towns of Ash
land, Talent and Phoenix. The irri-
gable land In the district lies in the
upper part of the valley at an eleva-
tion of 1900 to $500 feet above sea
level. 1t begins short distance
below the diversion point on Emf
grant creek some four miles south
east OF the city of Ashland, and ex-
tends down the valley in north
westerly direction, the north line of
the project being in the vicinity OF
Phoenix. The east side lateral fol-
lows the base of the foothills and
includes most of the improved land,
while the west side lateral is sup
piled by siphon some two miles
north of Ashland and follows the
foothills to the Phoenix lateral some
two miles west of the town Of Phoe-
nix. Mountains rise abruptly to the
west and the foothills rise more
gradually on the east side of the
valley.
The approximate total acreage in
the district is 1900 0acres. One
thousand six hundred and fifty acres
are now irrigated by the Mcdonald
creek canal and about 1900 acres re-
ceive partial supply from the Talent
lateral diverting from Bear creek.
The new construction contemplated
consists Of the proposed east lateral,
the Keene diversion canal and the
Hyatt Prairie dam. 1t is proposed to
furnish 10 acre-feet of water to
1000 acres by gravity flow from En-
igrant, Bear and Keene creeks, with
a supplemental supply through stor-
age in the proposed Hyatt Prairie
reservoir. This is in addition to the
1850 acres already irrigated by the
supply from Mcdonald creek.
The Hyatt Prairie reservoir site
is located IL miles east of Ashland
at the head of Keene creek. Keene
creek is a tributary of Jenny creek,
which flows into klamath river. The
reservoir lies we'll toward the top of
the mountain range and at an eleva-
hon Of 5000 feet above sea level.
It is surrounded by hills covered by
pine and fir timber. whose SUBMITS
are q thousand feet higher. The site
Is q natural and comparatively level
mountain prairie formed by low,
rounded hills closing In at the lower
end. which forms the outlet and pro-