8 THE CRATER NATIONAL FOREST. 



neighboring towns, consumes most of the farm products. The fruit, 

 however, is shipped in large quantities to eastern markets. The main 

 supply of water for the valley is taken from Rogue River and its 

 tributaries, and with the present forested condition of their water- 

 sheds the flow is sufficient for all the valley's needs. Even Bear 

 Creek, which flows directly through the valley, and is most heavily 

 used, never goes entirely dry. More and more, however, the fruit and 

 agricultural regions west of the Forest are coming to rely upon irri- 

 gation for larger crops, and their supply of water will have to be ob- 

 tained altogether from the Forest streams and reservoirs. Applegate 

 River, besides supplying water for a portion of the Rogue River Val- 

 ley, also irrigates the bottom lands along its course. The soil of these 

 is deep, and alfalfa is raised to the practical exclusion of fruit. 



On the west slope of the Cascades the Fish Lake Water Co. has 

 secured permits from the Government for reservoirs at both Four 

 Mile and Fish Lakes, and its laterals and ditches cover a large por- 

 tion of the Rogue River Valley. The Fish Lake Reservoir of this 

 company is also the source of water supply for Medford, a city of 

 about 9,000 inhabitants. The city of Ashland, lying south of Med- 

 ford, and with approximately the same population, has a municipal 

 power plant and water system maintained entirely by the flow from 

 that portion of the Forest. 



The Rogue River Vallejr Canal Co. is constructing a ditch con- 

 necting Four Mile Lake with Fish Lake, and already has a canal 

 which runs from the latter point westward for 30 miles. The water 

 it carries is used to irrigate the land for several miles on either side. 



The region to the east of the Forest forms part of the dry plateau 

 of central Oregon, and is almost exclusively a stock region. Hay is 

 practically the only commercial crop raised at present. The United 

 States Reclamation Service is engaged on important projects on the 

 eastern slope of the Klamath watershed, by which some 240,000 acres 

 of land will be supplied with water. These projects depend largely 

 upon watersheds within the Forest, 



WATER POWER. 



Practically the entire lengths of Rogue River and its tributaries 

 offer sites for power development. On the Rogue River the chief 

 power sites are at Rogue River Canyon, Rogue River Falls, Mill 

 Creek Falls. Red Blanket Falls, and at the Gorge and Natural 

 Bridge, all in the vicinity of Prospect, Oreg. The Siskiyou Electric 

 Power and Light Co., successor to the Rogue River Electric Co., 

 already has a large plant on Rogue River at Gold Ray, and is con- 

 structing another on the upper Rogue, near Prospect, This com- 

 pany, which furnishes most of the Rogue River Valley with light and 

 power, plans to establish an electric tramway from the valley to 



