EIGHT PAG1
BAXLX OBJDGOWIAN, WCSDIiETOH. OREGON, Fit IDA Y, JANUARY 20, 1911.
PACK THREE
I ......................
WEST UMATILLA PROJECT ONE OF
BEST IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES
If Secretary Balllnger and President
Tart are Inclined to apportion funds
for the conHtructlon of ' the WeBt
Umatilla Irrigation project In East
ern Oregon, they need no stronger
justification for making a liberal al
lotment than is to be found in the re
port of the Board of Army Engineers
says a Washington special to a Port
land paper.
Every comment of the board on
thi.s project is favorable; the project
is found to be feasible, practical and
economical. As a matter of fact, the
report of the poard Is strong enough
to justify an allotment to this project
of $4,000,000, which, It is estimated,
will cover the entire cost of complet
ing the West Side project to a point
where it will Irrigate 60,000 acres of
land.
It Is true that the board did not
recommend such an allotment, but Its
failure, to so recommend was not bas
d upon any lack of merit or any
question as to its feasibility. The
board merely said:
"The proposed West Ecxtension be
ing entirely distinct, should be post
poned for the present on account of
the large amount of money needed
for the completon of other projects
to which the United States in com
mitted by the large expenditures al
ready made."
, ; Hoard Rpor1 Uion Project.
Below Is quoted in full exactly what
the board had to say with regard to
the West Umatilla project:
" "Tho ir-onle of Hermlsfon find vi
cinity are very desirous that the
government extend this project to the
west side of the Umatilla river, where
the reclamation of from 40,000 to 60.
000 arces of land by a gravity system
is proposed. This extension was the
wain subject discussed at the public
hearing. The development, while be
ing properly an extension of the
Umatilla project, inasmuch as It
would receive its water from the
same source and lie contiguous to the
areas at present being irrigated, yet
in in the nature of new work as Its
development bears In no way upon
the completion of the present unit of
the project. The extension would re
quire the construction of a reservoir
of a capacity of about 135,000 acre
feet by building a dam In the Uma
tilla river near the mouth of Butter
creek. The water surface would be
raised about 70 feet, and the supply
would then be distributed over the
land by a gravity system. This grav
ity plan could be supplemented to
cover about 80,000 acres more by el
ectric pumping, should this further
extenplon be deemed desirable. Ues
orvatlnns on the Des Chutes river for
a dam site with which to develop
power have been made, the power to
be used In pumping water from the
gravity canals or from the Columbia
river to the areas not trrlgablo by
any gravity system, If the water sup
ply Is sufficient, the total area of the
proposed extensions can be expanded
to nbnut 100,000 acres. Including the
pumping project.
"Experlonce on the Umatilla pro
ject and on private projects at Irrl
gon and Kennewick Indicate that the
soil Is abundantly able to produce
fruits and alfalfa as well as vegetab
les and berries. The climate is suit
able thereto, and although the arc .
are swept by strong winds throughout
the spring of each yenr the soil can
he protected by cultivating wind
breaks. Of the area under the pro
posed gravity system there are but
17.nnn acres of nubile land. The
remaining land belongs either to the i
Nrth-rn Pacific railroad or Is now
In private ownernhlp through 'home
stead and desert land entries, or thro
purchase from the railroad. Hydro
graphs for 12 consecutive years In
dicate that there will te a surplus of
over 2l0.000 acre-feet, making al
lowances for private rights and the
requirements for the main Umatilla
project.
VntT Assiirwl for 50,000 Acre
"Allowing five feet evaporation on
the average area of the proposed re
servoir 3200 acres and a loss of
6000 acre-feet for a 6 per cent loss
In the distribution, a total loss of II,
000 acre-feet of storage water Is to be
provided for. The use of concrete
lined distributaries is proposed by
the reclamation service, which It Is
expected will reduce the losses from
seepage to the low amount stated.
By using flood water direct It Is cal
culated .from the records by the re
clamation engineers that a surplus
of 22 acre-Inches only will need to be
stored, which gives a total of 112,000
acre-feet of stored water to be car
ried over If tho reservoir were filled.
It thus appears from these assump
tions that the water supply will be
sufficient for 50,001 acers If the pro
nnsnri reservoir be built.
"The cost of this extension, exclu
sive nf tho Dumping system, but in
eluding the dam across the Umatilla
river with Its accessories, estimated
t nhmit 11.000.000. amounts In all
ta nearly $4,000,000. This Is approx
imntniv R0 ner acre for an area of
SO. 000 acres."
The board's comment In the East
Umatilla project Is ..lso very favor
able, and bo strongly Is this unl. com
mended that It Is somewhat remark'
that the board failed to recom
mened any alotmcnt for continuing
onnntrnftlon on the west sldo of the
Umatilla river. Of tho original Uma
nin nroiecr. the board's report in
irl aflVi:
"The board visited the Umatilla
projoct near Hermlston.
"A public hearing was held on
thn evening of September 7, in Her
mlston. at which those Interested
wem eMvcn an opportunity to make
statements to the board. In general,
they expressed their approval of the
wnrir under the project, both as to
nrnffress and cost.
"The project covers the Irrigation
of About 15.000 acres lying; in tne an
the Umatilla, from which river It
takes its water supply at a point
several miles upstream. The average
elevation of the Irrigated areas Is
470 feet above sea level..
Earth Dam Is Iieaklnr
"Taking the project as a whole,
the engineering structures are appar
ently satisfactorily designed and ex
ecuted. The only Important engi
neering structure is the earth dam
closing the outlet the cold springs
reservoir. This dam has already
withstood almost the maximum head
and appears stable, although Its
height of 98 feet makes It one of
the high earth dams of the country.
Leakage under the dam, amounting
to about 1.3 second-feet, was observed
It Is said that Increase of head against
the dam does not Increase the flow
materially. This is being watched
and Is not thought to e serious. It
Is' assumed by the reclamation ser
vice that this leakage Is through
seams In the foundation under ' the
dam and at its end. ,
"The water supply Is taken from the
Umatilla river and consists of flood
flov. None of the low water dls
charge Is available for the project uf
all of It has been appropriated. The
water rights appear to have never
been adjudicated but application
has been made by tho United States
to the State Board of Control for a
determination of the, priority and
amount of all claims. This determin
ation is now In progress.
"The experience of this year 110)
indicates that the return flow to
the river will be sufflcien. to supply
the priorities of the Oregon Land &
Water Company and Brownell Ditch
Company. This will reduce the total
In the tabulation of 719 second-feet
and 154,000 acre-feet, respectively.
Moreover, since the Maxwell Canal
will not be operated prior to March
16 It Is not likely that the maximum
rate of diversion of the Maxwell Ca
nal and the feed canal will occur at
the same time, so It .appears that pri
orities for existing project may be
considered as a total of 164,000 acre
feet, and a maximum rate of diver
slon not exceeding 670 second-feet.
Water Supply In Ample
"It thus appears that the present
supply is sufficient to provide water
for the proposed project, with consid
erable surplus. "
"The duty oi water 1b assumed at
2 1-2 acre-feet at the farm, requir
ing 62,600 acre-feet. If 33 per cent
loss from evaporation and seepage be
allowed In the laterals and five feet
evaporation In the reservoir, the total
amount required would be about
101,000 acre-feet to supply 2 1-2
acre-feet on the land. The capacity
(Continued on Page Seven.)
f
Psrfect In
wary system
accounts for much of success in the
merchandising of coal. The way we
6creen and store this much needed
commodity of course helps out. Then,
too, we endeavor to give courteous
attention to every patron- -wheather
he buys in a large or a small way
and to investigate closely all com
plaints, which fortunately are few.
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hntween the Umatilla and the
Columbia rivers on the east side