Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-12-31
Outline Columbia
irrigation Project

The Columbia Basin Reclamation
Project to be constructed by the Blu.
reau of Reclamation in the State Of
Washington should produce about
$46,0O0,000 annual agricultural income
at the mature stage Of development,
Commissioner John G.. Page has re-
ported to Secretary Of the Interior
Harold L. Ickes.
A committee of the Columbia Basin
Joint Investigations has surveyed the
types of farming best suited to the
1900, O0O-acre area which will be wat
cred through irrigation facilities to be
linked with Grand Coulee Dam. It's
report, which the basis for the in
formation Commissioner Page trans
mitted to Secretary Ickes, points out
the possibilities for development of the
project In the postwar period as a
means Of providing settlement oppor-
tunities for returning servicemen and
emergency Industrial workers.
1.-THE report Of the committee re.
news emphasis on the great possibili-
ties in store for the Columbia Basin
Project" Secretary Ickes said in COM
menting on the report "Grand Coulee
power already is playing a mighty
part in war production. Installation
of the irrigation features Of the pro-
ject, when that is possible will bring
the rest Of this great development to
maturity and will help round out
substantial economy for the Pacific
Northwest.
II am looking forward to the day
when food will be produced in the bias.
in project in abundance equal to the
energy output from Grand Coulee
Dam.
Approximately SO percent Of the
gross income will be produced from the
production Of livestock and Al percent
from crops the study group predicts.
Dairy products will account for 81
per cent Of the income from livestock
SO percent Of all income.
The investigators estimate that the
proportion of the total acreage de-
voted to various crops will be roughly
> as follows: forage crops MAINLY alfal-
fa,r with a small amount of clover, 80
percent; pasture, % percent; wheat,
{ barley and oats, Ia percent; field crops
corn, potatoes, sugar beets, etc., IS
percent; truck and garden, 8 percent:
small fruit and grapes, about l per-
cent; and tree fruits about l 1-2 per-
cent. Alfalfa, clover, and other forage
crops, corn, wheat barley, and oats
will be used primarily on the. farm as
feed for livestock.
In announcing these percentages,
the committee said that estimates OF
acreage for small grains. forage crops
and pastures are considered conserva-
tive; those for field crops, optimistic,
and those for vegetables and fruits,
highly uncertain
"An agricultural area will thrive
best when it's economy is organized on
the basis of greatest comparative adj
vantage" the committee stated in ex.
plaing the value of the report. This
means that it must have, among other
farming, considering not only the
physical and economic characteristics
of the area, but also external forces
and relationships. Success in farming,
therefore, is greatly conditioned by the
establishment of the most advanta-
geous types of farming
The average crop yields on the pro
ject at the mature stage of develop
ment will be higher than yields in
areas now under irrigation. the re-
port predicts. Three reasons were
cited as follows: az a lnQre. rigid olas-
sification Of the land to be irrigated
will result ma higher average quality
Of land; (2) no late season water short
age is anticipated; and (3) progress to
agricultural science and IN methods Of
applying scientific finding to practical
farm operation will enable farmers to
maintain soil fertility more effectively
than has been the case on other pro
jects.
Furthermore, a large proportion of
Class 3 land, the least desirable land
for which 1t is proposed to provide a
water supply, will be used for pasture,
so that crops will be confined more lar
gely to the better Of Class and Glass
2 land.
The study is one of % being made
under the auspices of the Joint 1nvegti-
cations. It was made comparatively by
the Washington State Agricultural
Experiment Station, United States De-
partment of Agriculture, the Pacific
Northwest Regional Planning Council
and the Bureau of Reclamation.
"This report should be especially
helpful to administrators and others
guiding the settlement and develop
ment Of the Columbia Basin Reclan1a-
ton Project Prospective settlers may
find it helpful in judging the farming
possibilities thereon. 1t also should
be useful in the settlement and de-
velopment of irrigation projects ,elce-
where" the committee declared
In determining the types of farming
best suited to the project area, the
ircf 1xy1nI dot