Horse Heaven Landowners Organize for Irrigation District
Landowners in Klickitat County push for inclusion in a massive irrigation project, envisioning the transformation of high-desert plateau into fertile farms.
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At a meeting regarding the Horse Heaven irrigation project, representatives presented a petition signed by 80 landowners covering 30,000 acres, requesting inclusion in the proposed irrigation district. These petitioners argued that the project was feasible and that their participation would help secure water for the entire plateau. The board of county commissioners acted favorably on the request, adding 49 extra sections to the district. Officials scheduled an upcoming election for August 7, where directors will be chosen to oversee the district's expansion and advocate for federal legislation, specifically the Jones bill, to bring water to the region. Organizers expressed hope that the development would transform the desert landscape into a hub of prosperous homes.
“It is a job of initiative, where the individual chosen will bend his energies to counting the months into days when water will be flowing over these fertile fields, causing the desert to bud and bloom forth.”
The Horse Heaven Hills irrigation battle was a decades-long civic saga that defined the economic geography of the Tri-Cities region. The vision of turning arid plateaus into 'happy homes' through large-scale infrastructure remains the foundational myth of Kennewick's agricultural development, rhyming with today's debates over water rights and climate-resilient land use.
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