Artesian Water Breakthrough in the Yakima Valley
A new artesian well discovery promises to boost irrigation capabilities in the region.
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.
H. B. Scudder arrived from the Moxee on Tuesday with the very acceptable news that the company, of which he is manager, had again struck artesian water and obtained a second flowing well. At a depth of 180 feet the water sported up over the top in good volume, when work was suspended for the purpose of putting in the casing. This finished the drill was again sent down and is still hammering away, the flow constantly increasing as a greater depth is attained. No measurement has as yet been taken of the volume of the stream, but it is believed that it will soon be greater than that of the first well, which is about 60,000 gallons per diem.
“At a depth of 180 feet the water sported up over the top in good volume.”
Water rights and the expansion of irrigation remain the single most significant driver of Yakima Valley’s economic and political landscape, just as it was in 1892. The search for artesian sources was the essential precursor to the region's agricultural success.
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