The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1934-10-24
MAY PUT WATER
ON BASIN LAND
FROM LOW DAM
James O'Sullivan Says Irrigation
Possible In Three
Years
Tells Plan Details
Would Irrigate $4,000 Acres
Near Quincy With Five
Power Units

GRAND COUlEE DANA plan
whereby water from the Columbia
river would be placed on the arid
Columbia Basin land in three and
one-half years, instead of 10, is be-
ing drafted by James O'Sullivan,
secretary of the Columbia Basin
commission, and will be forwarded
the later part of the week to DR..
ElWood Mead, commissioner of re-
clamation, for consideration.
DR.. Mead will be asked to appoint
two men to study the proposal.
The plan is being Offered as a
substitute for the Bell plan of plac-
ing some 10000 farmers on small
subsistence homesteads, and is be-
lieved to have several distinct ad-
vantages over the latter proposal.
Would Not Wait On High Dam
Under it it would not be neces-
sary to wait for completion of the
high dam.
O'Sullivan proposes that the recla-
nation bureau go ahead with
building of the high dam pumping
plant. Five units of the 20 would
be installed, with the low dam,
which would be adequate for irrigat-
ing some 400, 600 acres. Five other
units would be put in at a pumping
plant below the high dam plant and
would pump water to the latter,
which would boost it to the floor of
the Coulee, a total lift of 467 feet
for both pumping stations.
Irrigate 371,O00 Acres
The two reservoir dams in the
Coulee would have to be constructed
and the west irrigation canal put
in. This main would carry water to
the 371,000 acres of land around
Quincy, which would be the first
unit of the reclamation project.
This great tract, some of the choi-
cest land in the project, would be
divided into tracts not less than 10
and not more than 80 acres, pro-
viding homes for at least 1900 fam
lilies.
Is A Complete Unit
The high dam and this one unit
are complete in themselves and if no
further irrigation was done would
be economically feasible. However,
this is planned merely as the first
unit of the project, the east main o
follow later.
The federal government would lay
out townsites, roads, bitches, ETC.,
and those purchasing small tracts
would be given work in constructing
them. It is also estimated that pri-
vate capital would contribute about
two dollars to every dollar the fed
eral government expends.
In the meantime work would pro-
gress steadily on the low dam, and
when it was of sufficient height, at
least three of the penstocks would
be installed which would provide
power for the pumping units and
also power necessary in carrying the
high dam to completion.
If the work stopped with the low
dam, which will be completed in
about three and one-half years,
into the Coulee reservoir
would start and retaining of the
desert begin.
Irrigation Would Not Wait
If, in the meantime, the federal
government plans OH going right
ahead with the high dam, pumping
can continue while the high dam is
being built. The pumping plant and
farms of the Basin would then
constitute big market for power
being generated by the low dam.
When the high dam is completed
the lower pumping plant units
would be utilized in the high dam
plant.
Plans of the reclamation bureau
already call for utilization of the
power units of the low dam in the
completed structure.
Frank Bell, prepayment of the
other plan, is in accord with the
new one, O'Sullivan said.
Attractive features of the plan
are: Water can be placed on the
Columbia Basin in three and one
half years, rather than wait until
the high dam is completed; small
er number of tracts to develop at
first, other units to follow. The 317,-
900 acres in this one reclamation
unit is more land than is now under
in the state.
A meeting of the Columbia Basin
will be held at Spokane
October 26, when, it is expected, a
power engineer will be appointed,
and the campaign put actively
under way for finding a market for
Grand Coulee power.
SHIP CATTLE TO SEATTLE