The Struggle for Irrigation in White Bluffs
A government reclamation expert visits the Yakima Valley, sparking hope for a long-sought gravity ditch project.
The story, cleaned up
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Upon the invitation of the Benton County war food committee, R. K. Tiffany, head of the government reclamation service in the Yakima Valley, visited this district Wednesday. His presence was desired because of the almost unanimous sentiment that the local water problem will never be permanently settled until the government supervises the project. Tiffany visited the hydro-electric power station at Priest Rapids and the pumping station at Coyote Rapids. He stated that a gravity ditch from the head of Priest Rapids was feasible and that the cost would not be excessive, though he noted that reclamation service finances are currently low due to poor economic returns on irrigated land products. He pointed to a bill introduced by Senator Chamberlain which would allow irrigation districts to organize under state law and receive a federal guarantee for their construction bonds. While no immediate promises were made, the community views the visit as a positive step toward securing government oversight.
“It is the general impression that a step has been made in the right direction, and one that will eventually lead to the government’s taking over of the project.”
The quest for reliable irrigation and government backing at Priest Rapids set the stage for the massive water infrastructure that eventually defined the Columbia Basin. Today, the tension between local agricultural needs and centralized federal control remains a recurring theme in the history of Washington’s arid lands.
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