The Bold Scheme to Irrigate the Desert
Local entrepreneurs hope to redeem 15,000 acres of 'worthless' land through an ambitious artesian well project.
The story, cleaned up
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A. K. Hiorock, Fred R. Reed, H. B. Scudder, and W. I. Kleinwe, of Yakima, have been figuring on a big enterprise to reclaim arid lands which lie above the line of practical irrigation canals. They have filed on five sections of land on the upper Moxee under the desert land act, and having purchased odd sections from the Northern Pacific railroad, they now control about 15,000 acres. They propose to reclaim this land by a system of artesian wells. A large and costly boring plant has been purchased and is on the road from St. Paul. Experienced engineers will push the work with vigor, and while the scheme is speculative, those familiar with the land formation are confident in its success.
“If this can be operated successfully, it will redeem many acres which are now considered worthless.”
The transformation of the arid Yakima Valley into a lush agricultural center was fundamentally built on the success of these early, experimental irrigation technologies. The tension between desert land and the promise of water remains the primary narrative of Yakima's economy.
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