324 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Reclamation Notes 



CALIFORNIA. 



Work on the new reservoir in Orchard Dale, which, 

 when completed, will hold enough water to irrigate 400 

 acres of land at one time, is rapidly being pushed to com- 

 pletion. 



An extension of sixty days has been granted to Mr. 

 Anson B. Munson, of Orland, Cal., within which to com- 

 plete his contract on the Orland irrigation project. The 

 date of completion was set forward to June 29, 1910. 



The Sacramento Valley Irrigation Company has pur- 

 chased the holdings of the H. A. Logan Land and Stock 

 Company, consisting of 1,120 acres west of Norman. 

 Canals of the company will be extended to the lands pur- 

 chased. 



Plans are on foot among the trustees of Reclamation 

 District No. 531, lying along King's River, north of Han- 

 ford, for an extension of the district from its present 

 eastern boundary to the country road, six miles north of 

 Hanford. If the plans are successful, about 200 acres will 

 be added. 



At a recent meeting of irrigators at Stockton, on 

 April 18, resolutions were passed providing for a commit- 

 tee to promote favorable legislation at the next session to 

 make irrigation bonds a safe investment for state, county 

 and municipal funds. The question of state organization 

 of irrigators was also discussed and met with unanimous 

 approval. 



It is announced that W. P. Sproesser, president of the 

 Merchants' National Bank of Watertown, Wis., visited 

 Willows recently and looked over the section owned by 

 the Sacramento Valley Irrigation Company, with a view to 

 purchasing bonds in the Glenn and Colusa County Irri- 

 gation project, which is being promoted by the Kuhns of 

 Pittsburgh. 



J. L. Slater, who recently purchased 16,250 acres, 

 known as the Finnell lands, near Corning, for $500,000, has 

 filed on 20,000 inches of the water of Elder creek, Tehama 

 county. A dam 15 feet high will be built in Elder creek. 

 New York capitalists are said to be backing Mr. Slater, 

 who is fronr Berkeley. It is said that litigation over water 

 rights may develop before Mr. Slater can put his irrigation 

 plan into execution. 



A. Y. Davies and F. F. Moxley have ordered a gaso- 

 line engine and pump with which they will irrigate their 

 land northwest of Laws. It is stated that water can be 

 reached at a depth of twelve feet. There is a large tract 

 of land near Laws which with irrigation will be produc- 

 tive and valuable. Messrs. Davies and F. F. Moxley are 

 the first in the valley to undertake irrigation by pumping. 



The question of whether the Turlock irrigation dis- 

 trict shall issue bonds for the construction of a high line 

 canal was discussed at a meeting of land owners at Cereo 

 on April 10. An election" for this bond issue was held in 

 1908, with the result that the bond issue of $100,000 was 

 authorized and the bonds issued. Later it was decided 

 that all of the proceedings were not in accordance with 

 the law, and another petition was prepared and presented 

 to the board, with the result that this last election was 

 called. The proposed high line canal is intended to irri- 

 gate 20,000 acres. 



At a meeting of the board of directors of the Hal- 

 wood Irrigation district, held at Marysville recently, the 

 engineer, having completed all preliminary surveys, was 

 instructed to finish up the plans and specifications so that 

 contract for digging the canal could be let. Water is to 

 be diverted from the Yuba river at a point above Daguerro 

 Point. The area to be brought under water is 10,000 acres, 

 4,000 of which is owned by the promoters of the enter- 

 prise. The canal will be twelve miles in length, eight 

 feet on top, six feet on the bottom and three feet in depth. 

 Among those interested in this project are Messrs. Dins- 

 more, M. Diggs, Thomas Matthews, F. D. Kroh and 

 Byron Jakes. 



OREGON. 



The large Brogan reservoir for the Willow Creek 

 project is now under construction by the Willow River 

 Land & Irrigation Company. 



Steps are now being taken to organize irrigation dis- 

 tricts on the north side of the Malheur River, embracing 

 about 60,000 acres of land tributary to Ontario, Vale and 

 Weiser. A meeting of the land owners on the Dead Ox 

 Flat was held recently, and committees were appointed to 

 formulate plans. 



Although Gilliam county has been considered a dry 

 farming country, steps are now being taken to put about 

 3,000 acres of land under irrigation. Land in the Rock 

 Creek valley has proved extremely valuable for raising 

 alfalfa and fruit, but owing to the fact that Rock Creek 

 goes dry each year, farmers feel that a more reliable and 

 extensive system is necessary. A dam will be constructed 

 at Devil's Gate, between perpendicular rock walls 150 feet 

 high. The area of the basin is sufficient to irrigate many 

 thousands of acres. The project will cost about $60,000, 

 which will be raised by issuing ten-year bonds, and assess- 

 ing the land improved. 



The Eschbach-Bruce Company of Seattle has beer 

 awarded the contract for the completion of the Furnish- 

 Coe dam across the Umatilla, at a cost of $65,000. The 

 dam will be 50 feet high, 1,170 feet long, 270 feet wide at 

 the base, and 20 feet wide at the top. It will form a 

 reservoir covering 240 acres, and containing 8,000 acre 

 feet of water. Upon completion of this dam the lands 

 under the Furnish-Coe project will be supplied with water 

 sufficient to irrigate them for 60 days, in addition to the 

 usual amount obtained through original filings. The total 

 cost of this work is $110,000, as a sum nearly equal to the 

 present contract has already been expended. 



Federal Judge R. S. Bean has announced the appoint- 

 ment of C. R. Redfield as receiver for the Deschutes Irri- 

 gation & Power Company, which is constructing one of 

 the most extensive projects in Crook county. The re- 

 ceiver was instructed to deposit a bond for $100,000 and 

 to make full accounting each month to the court. Mr. 

 Redfield,- as_ a reclamation engineer, has been connected 

 with the company since its organization, and has been in 

 full charge of all construction work. His appointment is 

 satisfactory to both sides of the controversy. Operations 

 of the company will be carried on as before and contracts 

 which involve irrigation of about 14,000 acres will not be 

 affected. 



County commissioners held a meeting at Vale recent- 

 ly and established the boundaries of the Owyhee Irriga- 

 tion district and set the date for the election of directors 

 and ratification of the boundary lines. This district in- 

 cludes all the land from the Malheur river, which is the 

 north line, south to the Owyhee river and west fron 

 Snake river to the High Line canal, 30 miles in length 

 north and south, and from four to six miles in width from 

 Snake river to the canal line, comprising with the King- 

 man Colony district, formed recently, 87,000 acres. This, 

 with the Gem Irrigation District in Idaho, already organ- 

 ized, comprising 50.000 acres, will make nearly 137,000 

 acres to be irrigated by the High Line Canal from Owyhee 

 river. 



A report from the supervising engineer in charge of 

 the government's Umatilla irrigation project states that 

 the Cold Springs reservoir now contains about 40,000 

 acre feet of water. The maximum quantity carried last 

 year was 27,000 acre feet. It is proposed to fill the reser- 

 voir to a capacity of 43,000 or 44,000 acre feet. The entire 

 system is in a satisfactory working condition and settle- 

 ment is proceeding rapidly. These lands are being sold 

 in tracts of 20 to 40 acres at $200 per acre and upwards. 

 The government has expended to date about $1,250,000 

 on this project. The aggregate value of the land under 

 the project is estimated at $5,000,000. The gross value 

 of the project, including lands, rights, irrigation works, 

 buildings and other improvements, is probably about 

 $7,000,000. 



WASHINGTON. 



Forty miles of sub-laterals to water 9,200 acres of land 

 on the second unit of the Tieton project in the Yakima 

 valley, west of Spokane, will be built by the government 

 this season, to be completed in time for use early next 

 spring. 



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