A Civil Engineer's $200,000 Plan to Drain the Calispel Valley

Editor Newport Miner:

I notice with interest Layman's article in a recent Miner in regard to diking, draining and irrigation of Calispel valley. It seems to me that there is something good in all the plans. I should not think there would be any need of making two or more separate districts of the valley for the purposes in view, nor would I deem the matter so expensive that $200,000 of bond would be necessary for its accomplishment, if these bonds were sold at par.

A large amount of the work could be done by the farmers themselves. If they cared to take stock in the enterprise, such stock in lieu of dividends would be of permanent benefit in the increased productiveness of land — and security of crops.

A general plan should include the building of two irrigation canals, to intercept the waters of Calispel, Winchester, Tacoma and Small's creeks, where these creeks and lesser springs and streams debouch from the foothills. These canals should be of such capacity throughout their length as to be able to carry and wash all storm water at the spring rise into the Pend Oreille river. One of these canals should take water from the Calispel creek around the southerly edge of the valley and wash into the river at or near the mouth of Davis creek. The other canal should begin at Calispel creek and, taking the waters of Small's, Winchester and Tacoma creeks, should continue in a northerly course along the foothills till the valley narrows so much as to make it not worthwhile to continue it further for irrigation purposes, and then should waste into the Pend Oreille.

To keep the Pend Oreille river out, the natural dike spoken of by Layman should be brought to the common level in all low places or even increased in height. The mouths of all streams should be furnished with dams, except the Calispel, which, as Layman assures us, is a navigable stream. This could receive a double lock gate, and shipping could be passed up and down, and let the tonnage dues pay for a pumping plant to pump the water thereby let into the channel of the Calispel back into the Pend Oreille.

It is possible that a small pumping station plant would be necessary, in order to dispose of seepage water that will accumulate behind the dike during the time of high water in the Pend Oreille. But if all the creeks were confined to the canals, it could only be the seepage water from the Pend Oreille and the water from drains, which, no doubt, would be put in by farmers, and water from storms falling below the level of the irrigation canals.

The waters disposed of by the canals could be used for irrigation for all the farmers, and where necessary could be piped to the houses of the farmers, and the outfall or waste could be used for furnishing power, while the logs, poles, etc., that the Calispel is now navigated for could be floated down the canals in the spring to the waters of the Pend Oreille.

Such a scheme would make it possible to drain a part or all of the bed of the Calispel lake, adding a large tract of land to the producing area of the valley of incomparable fertility. While the possibility of being able to irrigate the slopes of black gravel soil that surround the Calispel valley on all sides at the edge of the foothills would make possible a series of gardens and orchards that would be the delight of their owners, and add to the wealth and comfort of the whole community.

Newport, Wash. J. F. Patterson, Civil Engineer

In this way the Calispel people may turn their misfortunes to their advantage and harness their destroyer for their welfare.