The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-01-13

M. M. Moulton, director of the
district, who left for Washington,
D. c.. arrived there after the an
nouncement had been made of the
change in the plans as published
last month. Word was received
from him this morning that he
was leaving for home tomorrow or
next day. This is taken as a very
favorable Indication that all is
well with the Kennewick project,
as Mr.. Mouton had planned to re-
main in Washington until the mat
ter had been finally settled.
Officials of the bureau of recla-
nation have decided to advance
our project and proceed with the
construction of this unit at an
early date. The unit comprises the
watering of approximately $4,000
acres, and will include the present
Highlands project, which at pres
ent is pumping water from the
main canal of the Columbia Irri-
cation district.
Under the ten-year program of
the department as announced some
time ago, work on the Kennewick
unit would not get under way for
five years or more. Even so, it
would come ahead of the develop
ment OF, the Rosa unit, taking in
the East Selah-Moxee territory
surrounding Yakima, for which no
provision has been made. Compile
tion of the Kittitas unit and the
construction of the Gle Elum stor-
age projects were listed as pro-
Jects to be started before the
Kennewick unit could be begun.
Kennewick settlers, who have
been led in their fight for federal
support by M. M. Moulton, have
been anticipating the day when
federal aid would be a reality. One
of the main factors, it is thought,
In securing the decision of the de-
partment is the fact that almost
S225,000 has already been expend-
ed by the district preparing for
the new ditch. Water rights, the
dam, rights of way and the pre-
liminary surveys have all been
secured, and the fact that some
sort of assistance from the govern
ment was needed to save the two
or three million dollar investment
on the Highlands was imperative.
In announcing the plan to adj
vance the Kennewick unit on the
program, the reclamation service
stated that the work would be
done without prejudice to other
work as earlier announced as part
OF the bureaus program. 1t will
not delay other units or subtract
from the speed planned for their
development. /.
The plan to be used includes a
diversion of the water in the Yak
INA river at Prosser, the dam and
water which has been already pur-
chased by the district. The water
will be carried by gravity from
Prosser, on the north side of the
river to Gibbon, where it will be
ssyphoned and drop of over a
hundred feet utilized to generate
power. This power will be used
lower down the river to lift a por-
tlon ninety feet to the gravity
canal.
1t is planned to ask the govern
ment to construct the main canals
only at this time, laterals to be
completed at a later date. The
main canal will bring the flow
down past the Highlands, and will
include that section as well as the
greater part of the bench south
of town. sa...,. II. IL.
Preliminary surveys have been
completed, the soil survey is in
the hands of the bureau and every
step that could be foreseen has
been taken to permit actual con-
struction at the earliest possible
moment after the department. has