The Fight for the Valley's Water
North Yakima and Ellensburg join forces to block a deal giving a private irrigation company exclusive control over mountain lake water.
The Commercial Club of North Yakima and the similar body of Ellensburg have taken measures to prevent State Land Commissioner Callvert from turning the available water storage system in the lakes at the head of the Yakima River over to the Washington Irrigation Company. The company seeks the exclusive right to impound water in exchange for providing water to state lands. The local Commercial Club passed resolutions protesting this as favoring a private corporation against the best interests of the public, fearing it would render the reclamation of large areas of arid land impracticable and reduce the productive area of the state.
“We protest against the making of such selection of lands by the state, and against entering into such contract, as favoring a private corporation against the best interests of the people.”
Water rights and the privatization of public resources remain the most critical legislative fights in the Yakima Basin today. This 1903 conflict highlights the century-long struggle to balance private irrigation interests with the broader public need for a sustainable and equitable water supply.
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