Turning Alkali Wasteland into Productive Soil
A Yakima farmer reports a successful experiment in reclaiming unusable alkali land through irrigation and flooding.
Alex McAllister, of Yakima City, reports the experiment he made in flooding alkali land to wash out the alkali as entirely successful. The particular tract thus treated by him now produces fine crops of oats and alfalfa. As it was formerly impossible to grow anything on this ground, it shows that this method offers a practical solution where land containing alkali can be flooded.
“As it was formerly impossible to grow anything on this ground, it shows that this method offers a practical solution.”
Soil salinity remains a significant challenge for irrigation-dependent agriculture in the Yakima Valley. McAllister's 1898 report reflects the early, trial-and-error ingenuity that allowed the high desert of Central Washington to become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world.
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