THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



119 



land subject to entry. Every acre was taken inside of two 

 weeks in spite of the fact that it was not generally known 

 that there was any land open to entry. When it was found 

 out there was a mad rush of settlers to the lands. The 

 trains were taxed to the utmost and wagons and automo- 

 biles were pressed into service. Mr. Swigart states that 

 between 45,000 and 50,000 acres under the Sunnyside 

 project will receive water this year, including the land 

 which was previously irrigated under the old Sunnyside 

 system. No land will be irrigated under the Tieton 

 project this year, but about one-third of the total acreagt 

 can be served in 1910. The work at present on this project 

 consists of excavation on the tunnels and main canal, and 

 lining the tunnels with concrete, the force being on a 

 winter basis. On the Sunnyside, however, advantage is 

 being taken of the winter season and the lower end of the 

 main canal is being enlarged and completed to the Mabton 

 siphon. Work is also being rushed on the distribution 

 system and the Sunnyside wasteway. 



During the past year the farmers were extremely 

 prosperous, although fruit did not bring the extremely 

 high prices of the previous year. Alfalfa is a good crop, 

 the price last November being about $13 baled at the 

 ranches. Timothy brought from $20 to $25 per ton. 

 Alfalfa averaged about six tons to the acre, and timothy 

 three tons. Potatoes brought $14 a ton and yields of from 

 200 to 600 tons per acre are reported, although the latter 

 figures are abnormal. 



The Secretary of the Interior has authorized the exe- 

 cution of contracts for the sale of timber on lands sur- 

 rounding lakes under the Yakima irrigation project, Wash- 

 ington, as follows: 



To Joseph F. Walsh, of Clealum, Wash., Lake Clea- 

 lum, timber, amounting to $40,434.78. 



To F. C. Wescott, Ellensburg, Wash., Lake Kachess, 

 timber, $15,309.91. 



To the Flanagan Mining Company. Akron, Ohio, Lake 

 Keechelus, timber, $82,159.34. 



At the request of the governor of Idaho a tract of 

 land approximating about 14,000 acres, which was with- 

 drawn in connection with the Dubo"is irrigation project, 

 Idaho, has been restored to the public domain. These 

 lands which lie in township 6 north, ranges 34 and 35 east, 

 are included within a segregation under the Carey act 

 for which the state of Idaho recently filed application. 

 In view of the fact that the reclamation of these lands 

 by private enterprise seems assured in the near future, 

 the department has made the restoration, which becomes 

 effective upon allowance of the state segregation. 



The Secretary of the Interior has fixed the maximum 

 limit of the irrigated area for which water right applica- 

 tions may be accepted for lands in private ownership 

 under the Sunnyside irrigation project, Washington, at 160 

 acres. 



The Reclamation Service has been authorized to ex- 

 ecute contract with the Des Moines Bridge & Iron 

 Works of Des Moines, Iowa, for furnishing structural 

 steel for use in connection with the power house now in 

 course of construction on the Minidoka irrigation project, 

 Idaho. The contract price is $2,687.80. 



The power canal on the Strawberry Valley project, 

 Utah, has been completed and water turned into the 

 pressure pipe at the powerhouse. Some difficulty is be- 

 ing encountered in operating the power canal on account 

 of the extreme cold weather. Heavy winds at the mouth 

 of the canyon blow snow into the canal, causing anchor 

 ice, but the canal is patrolled night and day and every 

 precaution taken to prevent damage to the works. In 

 anticipation of the new power being turned on, work was 

 commenced on the tunnel in December, and an advance 

 of 46 feet was made. The work at present is in medium 

 lime rock. The ground stands well and no timbering is 

 being done. 



An extension of three months has been granted to 

 Cole Brothers, of Orman, S. D., in which to complete 

 their contract for constructing a portion of the lateral 

 system under the Belle Fourche irrigation project, South 

 Dakota. The contractors were unavoidably delayed in 

 their work by unfavorable weather conditions. 



Contract has been awarded to the Fulton Engine 

 Works of Los Angeles, Cal., for furnishing two 42-inch 

 balance valves for use in regulating the discharge from 

 the penstock communicating with the Roosevelt reservoir, 

 Salt River irrigation project, Arizona. The contract price 

 is $7,500 for material, $10 per day to be charged for the 

 service of an erecting engineer furnished by the con- 

 tractor, and foundation bolts with anchors at the rate of 

 4J4 cents per pound. 



The Secretary of the Interior has approved the con- 

 tract between Mr. Louis C. Hill, acting on behalf of the 

 United States, and the Consolidated Canal Company, an 

 Arizona corporation, whereby the government agrees to 

 purchase from the aforesaid company canals having a 

 total length of about 30 miles and water rights and other 

 features incident thereto. 



The price to be paid for the property is $187,000, pay- 

 able $50,000 upon conveyance of title in fee simple to the 

 United States, $50,000 on January 1, 1910, and $87,000 on 

 January 1, 1911. The United States will assume the obli- 

 gations under existing agreements of the company to fur- 

 nish water to those under contract with the company, and 

 also agrees to furnish sufficient water for power at the 

 power plant now operated by the company for the gen- 

 eration of electric power to the extent of 300 kilowatts, 

 or, to furnish an equivalent amount of power for which 

 payment will be made to the United States at the rate of 

 one-half cent per kilowatt hour. 



The properties of the Consolidated Canal Company 

 constitute the key to that entire portion of the Salt River 

 project lying south of the Salt river. The canal was con- 

 structed some years before the inception of the Salt River 

 project, and the company has irrigated from the system 

 a total of approximately 4,000 acres. 



Valuable possibilities are open to the government by 

 this purchase for the development of power. 



An extension of ninety days has been granted to 

 Messrs. Campbell and Huffman of Klamath Falls, Ore., 

 for the completion of their contract to construct wooden 

 flumes in connection with the Klamath project, Oregon. 

 This advances the date of completion to February 27, 

 1909. 



Contract has been awarded to the Niles Bement Pond 

 Company of New York for installing three ten-ton and 

 one twenty-ton hand cranes for use in connection with 

 the power plants under the Minidoka irrigation project, 

 Idaho. The bid of the contracting company was $3,643. 



Subject to the terms and provisions of the public no- 

 tice dated November 18, 1908, opening to irrigation in the 

 season of 1909 certain lands under the Klamath project, 

 Oregon-California, the Secretary of the Interior has given 

 notice that water will also be furnished under the Kla- 

 math project in the irrigation season of 1909 to certain 

 lands in T. 39 S., R. 9 E., Williamette meridian. The farm 

 unit plat showing these lands is on file in the local land 

 office at Lake View, Ore. 



The Secretary of the Interior has withdrawn from 

 any form of disposition whatever under the public land 

 laws about 25,000 acres of land in connection with the 

 Wapato irrigation project, Washington. These lands lie 

 in townships 11 and 12 N., ranges 16 to 19 east, William- 

 ette meridian. 



The Secretary of the Interior has authorized the ap- 

 proval of a contract entered into by Louis C. Hill on be- 

 half of the United States, and Shattuck & Nimmo Ware- 

 house Company, of Los Angeles, Cal., whereby the latter 

 agrees to transfer from Mesa, Ariz., to the government 

 oil tanks at Roosevelt, Ariz., 33,000 barrels, more or less, 

 of crude fuel oil for use in connection with the Salt River 

 irrigation project. The rate agreed upon for hauling this 

 oil, $3.15 per barrel, will entail an aggregate expenditure 

 of $109,950. 



The engineer in charge of the Strawberry Valley irri- 

 gation project reports that good progress is being made, 

 although the work is occasionally delayed by heavy snow- 

 fall. One thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight cubic 

 yards of concrete were placed in the canal aqueduct and 

 wasteway, practically completing the concrete work. The 

 diversion dam has been completed, and the bank for the 

 protection of the Denver & Rio Grande railroad embank- 

 ment and track was also finished. This bank is 750 feet 

 (Continued on page 123.) 



