The Water War at Hanford
Ranchers and power companies lock horns in a high-stakes battle over irrigation rates that could make or break the valley’s future.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The preliminary hearing in the Hanford case will be held before the Public Service commission next Monday in the Commercial Club room in Kennewick. The only question before the commission is the service and price to be paid for irrigation water. The Power company claims that 32 inches is sufficient, and that $7 per acre per season is fair and reasonable. There is a difference of opinion among the ranchers as to the necessary amount of water, but practically all are agreed that it is in excess of 32 inches. The ranchers contend that $7 per acre is prohibitive and are asking the commission to fix a rate more in keeping with what the land can afford to pay. Officials of the Milwaukee [Railroad] have extended their kind offices in the hope of making a peaceful settlement and, at their suggestion, the joint committee representing the land owners notified them that they would be agreeable to a continuance of the Public Service hearing until next June if the company would agree to furnish 48 inches of water for $4, in the hope that in the meantime a peaceful settlement could be had. The proposal was forwarded to H. Alexander Smith, but he turned it down, saying that he could see no advantage to his company in attempting anything along that line.
“The ranchers are contending that $7 per acre is prohibitive and are asking the commission to fix a rate more in keeping with what the land can afford to pay.”
Long before the Manhattan Project transformed Hanford into a federal site, the valley was the stage for bitter battles over water rights and agricultural viability. The conflict between private utility interests and the farmers' need for affordable, accessible water echoes the ongoing struggles for resource equity in the arid landscapes of Eastern Washington.
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