Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water and Light Company, and 3. That satisfactory options for the majority of lands shall have been obtained either in the East Park or the Stony Ford reservoirs. Yours very respectfully, (Signed) D. C. HENNY, S. G. BENNETT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. SIR: Referring to your letter of December 17, 1906, subject, Orland project, California, or, the first unit of the Sacramento Valley project, California, you are advised that concurring in your recommendation, $650,000 is hereby conditionally allotted from the Reclamation fund for the construction of said project, subject to the conditions specifically enumerated in your letter. Very respectfully, (Signed) E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary. UNITED STATES RECLAMATION SERVICE, The DIRECTOR, U. S. Reclamation Service. DEAR SIR: A. P. Davis, M. Bien and D. C. Henny, appointed by you to report on the Orland Project, convened at Orland, California, on August 2nd and 3rd, and have the honor to report as follows: On the 18th of December, 1906, the Secretary of the Interior allotted the sum of $650,000 for the construction of the Orland Project, subject to four conditions. We confined our work to an investigation of the extent to which these conditions have been complied with. · Condition No. 1: That 12,000 acres of land be pledged by the owners in a form to be approved by the Department such that the lands will be held bound to repay the cost of construction under the terms of the Reclamation Act. We find that land subscriptions aggregate in excess of the limit placed by the Secretary and that the subscribed lands lie in bodies north and south of Stony Creek, which, while not absolutely solid, are in the main continuous and permit of such selection as will render an economical distribution system practicable. We find it feasible to select from the lands now subscribed, bodies of 7,000 acres north of Stony Creek and 5,600 acres south of Stony Creek, all to be supplied exclusively by gravity canals; also, an additional body of 1,400 acres which can be advantageously supplied partly by gravity canals and partly by pumping underground water. We find that Condition No. 1 has been complied with. Condition No. 2: That satisfactory arrangements be made and agreements completed for the adjustment of water rights or for options to purchase certain properties and rights, notably those of the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water and Light Company. Verbal agreements have been reached for the purchase of all properties and rights belonging to the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water Power & Light Company at satisfactory prices, to wit: $25,000 and $15,000 respectively. We find that the rights of way and water rights of the Lemon Home Canal are at present owned by individual stockholders of said Company, who are prepared to make transfer of the same to the Company. The purchase of above properties will settle all disputes with present claimants to water from Stony Creek and its tributaries, with the exception of several small irrigators of lands in the narrow foothill valleys and of a broad claim to Stony Creek waters of the Central Canal and Irrigation Company. As regards the above mentioned small irrigators, it is believed to be unnecessary to enter into written agreements with them because the areas which it will be possible for them to irrigate are small, and it is believed that the appropriation made by the United States of Stony Creek waters, if followed by construction and beneficial use will be a sufficient protection. As regards the Central Canal & Irrigation Company, we deem it necessary that a definite contract be entered into limiting the relative rights of the said Company. A tentative agreement to this effect has accordingly been drawn up by us, which is to be laid before the said Company by a committee of the Water Users' trustees, which agreement has the preliminary approval of the attorney of the Central Canal & Irrigation Company. We have also prepared agreements with the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water Power and Light Company for the purchase of their respective properties, the latter to be executed after all rights of way and water rights now held by individual stockholders shall have been transferred to the Company. We find that Condition No. 2 will have been complied with after the Central Canal & Irrigation Company shall have executed a contract with the Government, such as has been submitted by us, and after the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water Power & Light Company shall have signed agreements as drawn up by us, as above set forth. Condition No. 3: That satisfactory arrangements be made for purchase of lands needed for reservoir purposes. We find that satisfactory options have been obtained for the purchase of lands needed for reservoir purposes. Condition No. 4: That the owners of the lands agree to subdivide their holdings in excess of 160 acres into farm units of not to exceed 40 acres. We find that the owners of the land to be irrigated have agreed to subdivide their lands in excess of 160 acres into farm units of forty acres and that the above condition has been complied with. From the above it will be noted that Conditions 1, 3 and 4 have now been satisfied, and we recommend that, as soon as the various agreements above mentioned with the Central Canal & Irrigation Company, the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and the Lemon Home Water Power & Light Company shall have been executed, all conditions imposed by the Secretary shall be deemed satisfied and that thereupon the Orland Project be definitely approved. We deem it advisable that the land necessary for the diversion site at the head of the proposed Government canals be acquired prior to commencement of construction of the project and so recommend. Respectfully submitted. (Signed) A. P. Davis, MORRIS BIEN, D. C. HENNY, Board of Engineers. UNITED STATES RECLAMATION SERVICE, The Honorable the SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: On December 18, 1906, the Department concurred in the recommendation of the Director of the Geological Survey that $650,000 be conditionally allotted from the Reclamation fund for the construction of the Orland project, California, subject to the conditions specifically enumerated in the Director's letter of recommendation. These conditions are as follows: 1st. That 12,000 acres of land be pledged by the owners, in a form to be approved by the Department, such that the lands will be held bound to repay the cost of construction under the terms of the Reclamation Act. 2nd. That satisfactory arrangements be made and agreements completed for the adjustment of water rights, or for options to purchase certain properties and rights, notably those of the Stony Creek Irrigation Company, and of the Lemon Home Water and Light Co. 3rd. That satisfactory arrangements be made for the purchase of lands needed for reservoir purposes. 4th. That the owners of the lands agree to subdivide and sell their holdings in excess of 160 acres, in farm units of not to exceed 40 acres. These conditions have all been met in a satisfactory manner: 1st. 12,000 acres have been pledged to the Water Users' Association organized under the project. 2nd. Contracts have been executed for the purchase of the irrigation system of the Stony Creek Irrigation Company and of the Lemon Home Water and Light Company, which are now on the way to Washington for your approval. A contract has also been executed by the Central Canal and Irrigation Company, which diverts water from Stony Creek below the project. The purpose of this contract is to adjust between the United States and this company their respective claims to the waters of Stony Creek. 3rd. Satisfactory arrangements have been made for the purchase of the lands needed for reservoir purposes. 4th. The owners of the unit now to be developed have agreed to subdivide and sell their holdings in excess of 160 acres in farm units not to exceed 40 acres. Inasmuch as some of the options taken to meet the conditions of land ownership will expire on the 15th of this month, it is important that the approval of the project be given as soon as practicable, in order that the parties holding these options may exercise them. The contracts with the companies mentioned have been carefully examined by the officers of the Reclamation Service and are in proper form to protect the interests of the Government. In order that there may be no further delay, and as any minor adjustments which may be necessary in connection with these contracts will not be material, I recommend that the allotment of $650,000 be made definite, the conditions having been fulfilled, and that the project be approved for construction. Very respectfully, (Signed) A. P. DAVIS, Acting Director. Action taken as recommended October 5, 1907. (Signed) JAMES RUDOLPH GARFIELD, Secretary. OWYHEE PROJECT OREGON-IDAHO 1 The Owyhee project was found feasible by the Secretary on October 9, 1926, and approved by the President on October 12, 1926, under the provisions of section 4 of the act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 836) and subsection B of section 4 of the act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat. 702). OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, THE PRESIDENT, The White House. MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: Section 4 of the Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat., 835) provides in effect that after the date of that act no irrigation project to be constructed under the act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat., 388) and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto shall be undertaken unless and until the project shall have been recommended by the Secretary of the Interior and approved by the direct order of the President. Subsection B, Section 4, Act of December 5, 1924 (43 Stat., 701), provides as follows: That no new project or new division of a project shall be approved for construction or estimates submitted therefor by the Secretary until information in detail shall be secured by him concerning the water supply, the engineering features, the cost of construction, land prices, and the probable cost of development, and he shall have made a finding in writing that it is feasible, that it is adaptable for actual settlement and farm homes, and that it will probably return the cost thereof to the United States. The various features requiring investigation and report under Subsection B, Section 4, Act of December 5, 1924, supra, will be discussed in the order in which presented in that subsection, as follows: WATER SUPPLY Source.-Owyhee River. Has a mean annual flow of 1,004,000 acre-feet, the maximum yearly flow being 2,300,000 acre-feet and minimum 350,000 acre-feet. Small summer flow fully used by 1 See also Board of Engineers report of October 27, 1905, for Owyhee, Malheur, and Umatilla projects, p. 891. |