The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-10-25
Federal Committee Con-
clude Inspection Tour
Of -Four Projects
ARE PREPARING
THEIR REPORT NOW
None Of Three Give Intima-
tion As To What Their
Decision Will Be

The fate of the four unconstructed
units of the u. S. Yakima reclama-
tion project is now in the hands of
three federal engineers who are to
designate one Of the four for immed-
late development.
The three engineers, ID. c. Henny,
James Mum, and A. j. Wiley, have
finished their inspection of the units.
have considered the written briefs
submitted by the proponents Of each
and are now preparing their report.
This report will be first submitted
to Chief Engineer +. e. Weymouth.
of Denver, who will forward it to ID.
w. Davis, commissioner Of the fede-
raj bureau of reclamation. The in
vestigation committees report will
probably be completed this week but
there is no information as to how
soon it will be made public by COM
missioner Davis.
The Kennewick unit was the last
of the four to be inspected. The three
engineers, accompanied by Manager
j. L. Lytle, of the Yakima project,
arrived in Kennewick Saturday even
ing. Their field work. Sunday was
halted by rain but they spent as much
time as possible on the project be-
tween showers. The inspection was
continued Monday and the work was
done In most thorough manner.
Accompanied by M. M. Moulton, J. j.
Rudkin, w. c. Muldrow, and Lee M.
Lampson, the engineer party follow
ed sagebrush trails and traversed
the project from Hover TO Kiona.
They first visited a number of the
valley farms where they were shown
what is being accomplished under
the gravity system where farmers
have plenty of water for diversified
tion and crop rotation. On the High
lands they were shown what farmers
have accomplished with limited
amount of water supplied through
an expensive system Of pumping.
Out in the sagebrush the engineers
made numerous soil tests to satisfy
themselves that no mistake had been
made in the soil classification and
that for the most part the soil is
comparable to that now under culti-
walton on the Highlands.
At Chandler on the Yakima river
they inspected the site of the pro-
posed turbine plant. From there they
followed the route of the power canal
to the diversion point at the Prosser
dam. They made inquiries to verify
the fact that the irrigation district,
at considerable expense, has acquired
little to rights of way for the power
canal and water rights at the Prosser
dam, and taken care of other pre-
liminaries SO that the project is in
readiness for actual construction
as soon as money is available.
While at no time during their visit
did any one of the engineers make a
statement that would indicate what
their decision might be, the local men
who accompanied them are as con-
fident as ever that the Kenfewick
unit will be designated for first de-
The contest of the four units has
been given a new angle. The Yakima,
or Selah- Mckee, unit and the Yakima
Benton unit have joined forces and
through the Yakima Commercial club
are asking that the two units be con-
sidered as one. The estimated cost
of the consolided unit is S13,000,000.
If it is designated for construction
the two districts agree to undertake
to raise $4,500,000 by the sale of
bonds.
In its brief the Yakima club argues
that the consolidated unit would uti-
lize the full capacity of the Rimrock
storage, that there will be sufficient
return flow to irrigate the Kenne-
wick unit, and that because of its
close proximity to Yakima it would
be more quickly settled than the Kit
titas or Kennewick units.