White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-01-05
HOW IRRIGATION
CAME TO VALLEY
Continued from last week.


Power & Light company acquired MIR.
Earles' Hanford company common
stock holdings and proceeded to pur-
chase the other common stock and in
addition, some of the outstanding
bonds Upon the American Power d
Light company's acquiring control OF
the Hanford company, it undertook
certain surveys of the property, lay
ing out new and enlarged irrigation
system, as the original canal system
was too small to supply sufficient water
to all the lands sold with water rights.
AS the Hanford company also owned
large areas above the existing canal,
surveys were carried on for the con-
struction of high lift irrigation sys-
tenn, including pumps at Coyote Rapids,
| to water lands on the flat east of AL
lard, west of White Bluffs and Han
ford, and certain areas west of Gable
Mountain.
The new owners found that the
Hanford company owed large sum
| for the second generating unit which
had been installed at the Priest Rap
| ids power house, and for current bills.
1t also found that a good deal of work
was needed on the new project in
order to increase it's efficiency. During
the time that the American Power
& Light company owned the common
stock of the Hanford company, it
spent several thousand dollars in deep
ening the power house tail race; in
stalling new pumping unit at Coyote
Rapids, with a new discharge pipe into
the irrigation canal; enlarging the
pumping station intake, and placing
concrete lining in the main canal in
three sections-one back of the
Nitzsche place, one west of the Burch
ranch, and another section west of
the DeRigio ranch.
The new owners of the Hanford
company had in mind acquiring what
! ever rights the Hanford water right
owners had in Priest Rapids, in order
that the title might be clear and the
Priest Rapids property included in the
large hydro electric development
scheme. They undertook to secure re-
leases from all owners of Hanford
water rights, in exchange for which
they promised to underWrite some
100000 in irrigation district bonds, to
be used in enlarging and bettering the
irrigation system. AS early as this date
it was proposed to organize an irriga-
ton district similar to the existing
Priest Rapids district, which would take
over and hold the individual water
right owners interests, taking power
from the Priest Rapids plant under
an arrangement to be worked out be-
tween the district and the officers OF
the Hanford company. Petitions were
circulated for the formation OF an lrrl-
cation district which embraced some
10000 acres extending throughout the
present developed area of the valley
. around White Bluffs and Hanford. The
petitions went so far as to be filed with
| the Board of City Commissioners to
fix time for the hearing on the
7 organization of district. Much oppo-
sition to the district plan developed
/ among the water right owners, en-
;; couraged by owners of large tracts OF
;; speculative lands, unimproved anc
. without water rights, who were facing
; an assessment under the district fol
e irrigation improvements.
1. Their lands would have been as
, sessed for the per acre cost OF the
betterment, while the Hanford Watel
/ right owners, who had paid in full fol
S their lands and water rights, were
promised by the owners of the Hanfort
$ company, bonds of the new irrigation
, district with which to meet their as
sessments Holders of Hanford waite
a right contracts who had not paid II
9 full, were promised irrigation distric
y bonds with which to meet their as
. sessment in a proportionate amount de
pending on the payments they hat
made under their contracts. AS re
suit of agitation against the irrigation
district plan, many owners of lam
! who had signed the petition for for
nation of the district withdrew thei
names, and the plan was dropped.
With the approach of the 1913 sea
!, son, the stockholders of the Hanfor
= company were concerned about tn
:, amount of maintenance fee to be col
:. lected from the water right land.
" which, at the $1.50 per acre per yea
rate set out in the deeds and con
:, tracts, they said was insufficient
:, meet operating costs even if all of tn
- lands with water rights, whether usin
=, :. water or not, were to pay MAINTENANCE
= fees A great deal of land had bee
- y sold with water rights, the owners {
- which had not improved the tracts an
: were not paying maintenance fees, {
is the case today.
N Failing in having organized an irr
n cation district, and facing continl
please turn to page Al