1917] RURAL ENGINEERING. 283 



on the assumption that fruit will always be the predominating crop in the 

 valley. . . . 



" The Willamette Valley investigations relate to no particular project in 

 the drainage area of Willamette River, but were made to locate in a general 

 way any projects which existing conditions might render feasible and to look 

 into the possibilities of developing the known productive qualities of the 

 valley soils by irrigation, either through pumping or by storing the waters 

 of tributary streams and distributing by gravity to the lands. The lands 

 whose irrigation possibilities were examined extend from Canby at the mouth of 

 Molalla River to the head of Willamette River above Cottage Grove and in- 

 clude the area in the immediate vicinity of Portland. It was found feasible 

 to irrigate approximately 100,000 acres at the present time. . . . The average 

 economic duty of water which seems to be indicated for the valley as a 

 whole is 8 in. delivered to the land, varying with local conditions of soil and 

 crops. . . . Drainage is found to be one of the important features in connec- 

 tion with any proposed irrigation in the valley and must be included in any 

 consideration of practical construction and cost." 



John Day Project: Irrigation and drainage, J. T. Whistler and J. H. Lewis 

 (Oreg. Cooper. Work, Dcpt. Int. U. S. Reclam. Serv., 1916, Feb., pp. 185, pis. 

 Jf7). — This report, prepared in cooperation with the State of Oregon, presents 

 the results of investigations consisting of the following: "(1) Detailed surveys 

 and estimates of the main project considered, which provides for the irrigation 

 of 122,000 acres by storage of 112,000 acre feet of water at Dayville Reservoir 

 and 133,000 acre feet at Carty Reservoir, and requires about 7.5 miles of supply 

 canal diverting from John Day River 17 miles below Thirty Mile Creek. The 

 estimated cost of this development is approximately $125 per acre. (2) Recon- 

 noissance surveys and estimates to determine the practicability of diverting 

 waters of the north fork of John Day River into Columbia River basin, looking 

 toward the irrigation of Shutler Flats and any other lands which it might be 

 found feasible to cover, ... (3) Consideration of plans to irrigate the land 

 within reach by pumping from Columbia River. The estimated cost of the 

 cheapest pumping project considered is $52 per acre for 50,000 acres, with an 

 annual charge for operation and maintenance of about $8.50." 



" The lands considered in the irrigation development proposed lie along Colum- 

 bia River between John Day River on the west and Umatilla River on the east, 

 and are in Gilliam, Morrow, and Umatilla counties, Oregon. . . . The minimum 

 run-off of record of John Day River at McDonald is 737,000 acre feet, and the 

 average for 11 years of complete record is 1,433,000 acre feet, all of which would 

 be available for storage. . . . 



" The soils are generally of a sandy character. Of the 122,000 net acres 86 

 per cent is regarded as very desirable for irrigation. This soil averages from 3 

 to 5 ft. in depth and is underlaid with hardpan or some impervious material. 

 Fifty-five per cent is fairly desirable for irrigation, the soil averaging from 

 2 to 3 ft. in depth and being generally underlaid by basalt. Nine per cent is 

 not attractive for irrigation at the present time, the soil consisting of coarse 

 sand with some silt to a depth of about 12 in., increasing to clean coarse sand 

 of unknown depth. ... 



"A duty of 3 acre feet per acre has been adopted, based on the assumption 

 that from 30 to 40 per cent of the irrigated land will be used for the growing of 

 fruit, berries, and vegetables, and that 10 per cent will be taken up by roads 

 and building space. Some of the land will require an amount of water greatly 

 in excess of 3 ft., but it is believed that this amount will be found ample for the 

 mean use when the project is fully developed." 



