The Great Irrigation Shortchange
Washington's arid lands remained parched while millions of dollars in federal irrigation funds, contributed largely by Washington and Oregon, were diverted elsewhere.
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.
At last, public interest in the state of Washington regarding government irrigation, which has been too long apathetic, is becoming stirred. It is realized that the interests of Washington and Oregon have been woefully neglected. Under the irrigation act, proceeds from the sales of public lands in 16 western states and territories are set aside as a government fund for the reclamation of arid lands. That fund now exceeds $27,000,000, and it is a deplorable fact that while the states of Oregon, Washington, and North Dakota contributed in round numbers $12,000,000 of that total, not a dollar has been expended on government projects within these three states. Washington has contributed about $3,000,000, and 49 percent of that amount has already been withdrawn and applied to projects in other states. This is despite expert investigation showing that in eastern Washington alone, 1,800,000 acres of irrigable lands could be put under ditch, including the Big Bend project, Yakima River impoundments, and the Priest Rapids diversion.
“It is a deplorable fact that while the states of Oregon, Washington, and North Dakota contributed in round numbers $12,000,000 of the $27,000,000, not a dollar has been expended on government projects within these three states.”
The struggle for equitable water rights and federal infrastructure investment in the Columbia Basin defined the economic landscape of early 20th-century Washington. This regional frustration over federal neglect echoes contemporary debates regarding the allocation of taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects and the management of Columbia River water rights.
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