Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor/1908

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Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor

1908

1909

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2814883Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor — 1908

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REPORT

OF THE

OREGON CONSERVATION COMMISSION

TO THE

GOVERNOR

NOVEMBER 1908

"Each river system, from its headwaters in the forest to its mouth on the coast, is a single unit and must be treated as such.

—President Roosevelt

Sources of the National wealth exist for he benefit of the people and monopoly thereof should not be tolerated."

- From "Declaration" of Governors at the White House Conference, May 1908.

CONTENTS

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 4 THE CONSERVATION MOVEMENT 5 Origin of the Movement State Co-operation 7 WATER TRANSPORTATION 11 Oregon’s Waterways 13 Navigable Mileage of the Columbia River and Tributaries 16 Columbia River Snake River 16 Willamette River and Tributaries I B Other Tributaries of Columbia River i a Harbors 11 mprovemenI or Waterways and Harbors 17 Improvement of the Columbia ‘9 Mouth of he River 19 Below Mouth oF the Willamette 23 Bctwf€n Mouth of Willaitiette and Vancouv€r 23 Cascade Locks and Canal 25 Celilo Locks and Canal 20 Above Cello on Columbia atid Snake Thycis 27 WiI!an,ette River 20 CoosBay So TilIan’ook Bay so Other Coast Harbors and Streams SI State and Municipal Co—operation Appropriat{ons Iade by the State oF Oregon 32 Port of Portland 32 Port of Tillamook Portof Coos Bay Port of Astoria 34 Recent Voluntary Coatrib’jtions 31 WATER RESOURCES THEIR CONSER’ATTON A?ID USE. 37 LaclcofPhysicalData 39 Stale Cc,-opention Coordinated Uses 44 TheWillanietteValjeyProblem Irrigation 46 Navigation 50 Water Power 52 Physical Data 5.3 Climate Stream Flow 54 Table I—Precipita’iort and Frost Stat stic 55 Table I I—Temperature Siatistic Table I IT—Discharge of Orcg”n Strc.rn c IS Waler Power Co gTe Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/11

Letter of Transmittal

Portand Oregon, Nov. 15, 1908.

Sir I beg to submit herewith a preliminary report of the Conservation Commission.

For assistance in the preparation of this report I desire to express my sincere thanks to a number of public-spirited citizens, to various departments and bureaus of the United States Government and of the State of Oregon, and to the individual members of this Commission, far financial aid, valuable suggestions and data, and for services cheerfully rendered.

Very respectfully,

J. N. TEAL,

Chairman.

To George E. Chamberlain, Governor of Oregon, Salem.

The Conservation Movement

"The great natural resources supply the material basis upon which our civilization must continue to depend, and upon which the perpetuity of the nation itself rests. . . ."

"Even as each succeeding generation from the birth 0t the nation has performed its part in promoting the progress and development of the republic, so do we in this generation recognize it as a high duty to perform our part and this duty in large degree lies in the adoption of measures for the conservation of the natural wealth of the country. . . ."

"We declare our firm conviction that this conservation of our natural resources is a subject of transcendent importance, which should engage unremittingly the attention of the Nation, the States, and the people in earnest co-operation. . . ."

"Sources of national wealth exist for the bcnefit of the people, and monopoly thereof should not be tolerated,"

—From the "Declaration" of the Governors of the States and
Territories mode at the Washington Conference, May, 1908."

Origin of the Movement

The way was prepared for the conservation movement now organized for the nation and for the several states by the work of the national Reclamation and the Forestry Services, but later and more directly by the investigations of the Inland Waterways Commission. The time was ripe for the inception of the conservation movement when in September, 1907. the President of the nation in company with the executives of many of the states proceeded down our greatest natural waterway to a "Deep Waterway Convention" at Memphis, October 1907. The circumstances attending that procession on the Mississippi naturally yielded the suggestions from which was realized the conception at the basis of this movement. It was thus born of the spirit of progress and the perception of the necessary co-ordination of all the plans and activities for the most effective and most permanent national development.

The Conference of the Governors of the States and Territories with the President and his advisers, held at Washington last May, was the outcome of the resolution formed while on the way to the Memphis convention. At the Washington conference the conservation movement was fully launched. Its aims were clearly de6ned. The states and the nation were as strongly pledged to co-operation as their respective executives had authority to pledge them. The organization of the movement was further developed in the appointment by President Roosevelt. in June following, of the national Commission on the Conservation of Natural Resources, organized in four sections to consider the four great classes—water resources, forest resources, resources of the land, and mineral resources,

Following shortly after the appointment by the President of the National Conservation Commission, was the appointment of commissions by the governors of five or more states. Other states have since appointed such commissions. and the movement is likely soon to become general among the states of the Union.

The leaders of the nation and the states are thus with most wonderful unanimity committed to this movement. The next step is the enlistment of the support of the people, the securing of whose highest welfare now and henceforth is ts sole purpose.

Conservation means a bringing into every-day service in the interests of the common people the best light of science and the most effective methods of engineering skill, The land, the rivers, the soil, the forests, and the mines arc viewed as the people's resources to he conserved so as to yield the largest utility, This means that the people must rise to the occasion of doing the highest things for themselves and their posterity through the use of the latest results of science and of engineering skill. They must thus add a new meaning to patrh,tisni and to statesmanship. ‘Through the people’s power in the State the ‘nosE enlightened policies are to be applied. Co—ordinated and rightly adjusted measures for development and conscrv,tion must be approved by them. Only thus can such measures he secured and their benefits enjoyed.

Moreover, the conservation movement also for the first I in our national life brings into our national consciousness the idea that our natural resources are the patrimony of the people at this and coming generations that must not be impaired. The present generation is but a trustee. Unless conservation becomes a conscious policy, rreparable waste and sacrifice of their heritage of the future s nevitable,—as witness the conditions in Spain and throughout southern Europe and southwestern Asia. Generations of people may he guilty of riotous living as well as individuals. But when a generation s spendthrift in unnecessarily destructive use of resources, the direful consequences are visited upon all succeeding generations instead of upon the violatDr itself. Surely, the present generation will not wish to go down uto history as the generation ihat robbed their children and their children’s children. Conservation of resources means the highest utilization of them. It means, thanks to the achievements ol science and ovention and the more practical purposes of scholarship, that man has attained a more commanding position of control over the forces of nature, From beginning as a timid wasteful exploiter of a few of Nature’s goods he has become a clear-visioned, temperate and conservative use of resources. State Co-operation ThIS consenation novetnent conslitutes the trst great step for cooperution among the states ao4 of the sNtes with the wtion. A crying need for interstate co-operation along severaZ lines has long been felt. (Our handling of the matter of the taxation of interstate corpontions will serve as an example.) The projects of conservation are admirably fitted to serve as subjects for ntroductoxy efforts towards interstate activfties, The States of Oregon. Washington and Idaho lying wholly or partly within the Co!umbia River basin, have the largest possible interest ri the fullest measure of interstate co-operation. The serious complications that have recently arisen on the question of disputed jurisdiction over the salmon fisheries are but a slight foretaste of conflict over much more momentous interests connected with the use of the water of this basin for power and irrigation development. Co—operation among the states of the Pacific Northwest will be essential, not only to forestall conflict, but also for the constructive undertakings having a view the Co gTe Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/16 are open. Topographical surveys, investigations of water supply, and a timber census, each so essential for conservation work can be hastened by joining with the national government.

The conservation movement thus means a getting together into the best working co-operation for cumulative results of the States best thought, the institutions and agencies of development of the State. It affords a basis and purpose for co-operation not only within the State, but of state with state, and of the states with the Nation, It will thus tend to do away with friction and conflict of interests between the states and relieve the national government from a fatal overburdening and become the salvation of our federal system.

Oregon's part in this movement has been commendable. The Oregon Conservation Commission was one of the earliest appointments made and among the first to organize for work. Its second meeting was held on July 9th for the purpose of outlining its work, in conference with James R. Garfield, Secretary of the Interior, and F. H. Newell, Director of the U. S. Reclamation Service, and since has been diligently at work through its various committees.

It is most fortunate for the people of Oregon that this movement has taken hold of our national thought while this State is still young and its resources largely intact. Conservation thought and activity in Oregon, therefore, can concern themselves not so much with a struggle to recover lost ground, as with the more inspiring work of conserving and developing ample resources and building thereon a state of a noble type.

With the aim of conservation distinctively characterizing our State policies, the work of all public agencies in the State will be toned up to highest efficiency. The Legislature administrative agencies, teachers, in the common schools, and instructors and investigators in the higher institutions will have a larger and more inspiring field of labor. They will feel themselves co-workers in state-building, This intelligent and active co-operation within the State will not be confined to public institutions and public servants alone, Chambers of commerce, boards of trade, commercial clubs and development leagues would be brought into more clearly recognized co-operation. In a word, all voluntary associations will share in the inspiration.

PORTLAND HARBOR, THE ONLY FRESH WATER HARBOR ON THE PACIFIC COAST.

Water Transportation

Efficient means of transportation is a necessity of modern civilization. This is peculiarly the case in a nation of such magnificent distances as obtain in the United States, and where an exchange of products is an absolute essential to the happiness, comfort and progress of the people.

"The truth is that there are three agencies of transportation, each of which has a fundamentally different function to perform in the commerce of the world, all of which are as essential as are the three sides of a triangle, and none of which can reach its highest possible efficiency unless accompanied by a symmetrical development of the other two. This trinity of transportation agencies is made up of the wagonway, the railway and the waterway"

It is the last of these agencies with which this section is to deal. Within the limits set apart to this subject we can cover only general principles and some of the more important facts as related to conditions affecting this and neighboring states. The fact that transportation is a necessity would be conceded. That this great public agency must be controlled in the interest of the public is fundamental.

The development of the railway and the attendant expansion and growth of commerce attracted the public attention and centered effort on that agency to the neglect of the waterways. But the reaction has set in and the people now realize that the railway can never adequately meet the needs of commerce and that water transportation, where practicable, is a natural regulator of rates.

In 1900 and 1907 an acute car shortage throughout the United States almost paralyzed trade. Corn rotted in the fields; towns and cities were freezing for lack of coal which could not be moved; mills were closed because their products could not be transported, and the nation was roughly awakened to the fact that commerce had outgrown the facilities for moving it, and that billions in money and years of time would be required to properly care for the existing commerce.

Again the people turned to the waterways as a means not only for regulating rates, but as a necessary and potential factor in the moving of their products, and for relief from an i’itolcrable situation. It was thus seen that the waterway instead of being an antagonist of the railway was a necessary adjunct, and by relieving it of the burden of moving the heavier and lower class freights carrying low rates, it would actually levclop trade and business, and benent, rather than harm, the railway.

A few far-sighted railway men saw that a campaign against lie waterways would & as absurd from a railroad standpoint a-’ a campaign against good roadways. Each will serve certain purposes best, and the best tool from an economic sIanhIt, ‘jut is the one that should be used,

Further study, and particularly the results atle’idi’’g ntelligent irrigation, the steady decrease ri the supply of coal and the increased use of water for power purposes, showed we had not yet exhausted the benc6dal use of our waterwayc. but rather that we had failed to understand and appreciate the enormous latent possibilities for progress and development ti’ rough OLI rivers, mountain streams and minor water courses.

The foregoing ideas but briefly outlined have taken a powerful hold on the public generally. Having once grasped the çxssibihit es, it was seen that Il these beTueficial uses should be conserved and developed in close relation and Co-operation with each other and the work of the various departments having in charge the different subjects co—ordinated that with the improvement of the waterways for navigation, utilization of the water for power and irrigation, the problems of drainage, prevention of overows and damage from floods should all lw taken into account that the several states arid the nation should co-operate and act in harmony with a common purpose and for a common end.

In general we believe this can best be brought about through the creation of a separate federal department or commission having under its control all of the piihlic services coi’nected with waterways, and we further believe that the subject is of such vast importance, and is so intimately and vitlIy conncctcd with the social and commerdal life of the entire people that s’uc}’ department should be represented by a cabinet officer. Furthermore, experience and observation have proven cotic] ucivt’lv thai the svstcm of intermittent appropr{ations v{ih ,ttcncla’’t delay Co gTe is not only an improvident and expensive method of conducting any work, but that it has cost the people of this country vast sums of money in delaying the relief they otherwise would have enjoyed. It adds vastly to the actual cost of any work, &sidcs the toss attendant on delay or abandonment, destruction by the tie- merits, and tile repeated organizing and dkbanding of plant and forces. Thdeed. it is hard to understand how as practical a people as we consider ourselves could have countenanced such methods for so tong a time. Ve therefore favor a policy having for its objcct continuous work until completion of all approved projects. We also favor placing this fery important department of our government on the same plane as any other of the great departments, and that annual appropriations, not less in amount than and as much more as may be found necessary, be macic to carry out the foregoing suggestions. If this cannot be done through available funds in the treasury arising from ordinary sources of revenue, then we favor the issuance of bonds in sufficient amount to enable it to be done.

Oregon’s Waterways

The outline map which appears as a frontispiece serves to show the important part the waterways play in the development of the Northwest. The CDlumbia River is the second largest river in the United States, and is in fact one of the great rivers of the world. “Its drainage area is approximately 245, square mites, and its discharge varies from over 5o,o cubic feet per second to ,,soo cubic feet per second or more’

The Snake River joins the Columbia 228 miles above the mouth of the Willamette, or about 328 miles from the sea. The Willamette River joins the Columbia about ‘02 miles from the sea. The two first named rivers drain the Great Inland Empire from British Columbia on the north to the Rocky Mountains on the east. The Willamette drains the rich valley of the same name lying between the Coast and the Cascade Mountai’,s ri Western Oregon. Numerous tributaries such as Hood River, the John Day. Deschutes Umatilla and Grande Ronde Rivers in Oregon, and the Yakima, the Okanogan and the Spokane in Washington, arid the Clearwater in Idahn. flow into he greater rivers. The value ,f this stream svstcni for navigation rrigation and power

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HEAD OF FIVE-MILE RAPIDS LOOKING UP STREAM BETWEEN BIG EDDY AND CELILO. cannot be estimated. It staggers the imagination to even contemplate it.

The value of coal as an agency for the creation of heat and power is recogiiized by everyone, and we could within certain limits measure its value to this section of countTy if it were found at convenient intervals and generally distñbuted, This, however, is not the case, but little coal being found in much of the section under review. Yet, substantially Iron’ the source of these rivers almost to their months their currents are potentially a giant dynamo, needing but ntelligent development to furnish a never-failing source of limitless power. Indeed it is hard to see any good reason why, when the government is spending millions to control these rivers for transportation uses at the site of some great power producing point Iilc Celilo or the Cascades, its adaptability, for this purpose should not be cocsiderd and utilized at the same time, and the improvement not only serve a two-fold purpose, but also create a source of enonnous income which could be used for further improvement, It has been estimated that between Celilo and Big Eddy there could be developed an average minimum of 466, horse power and at the Cascades I5oO horse power.

Much of the country through which the rivers fiow east of the Cascade Mountains is arid. This does not mean worthless or useless, for no place under heaven rewards the husbandmen to a greater extent than do these arid lands when the water which flows past them is turned upon the soil and put to another of its great uses. Thus we have allied a trinity of uses—transportation, power and irrigation—all re!ated, all easily co—ordnated , and the three combined forming the most powerful stimulus to development on the highe5t possb1e lines. Rich soil, easy irrigation, with assured crops and those of high values, low transportation charges and cheap and abundant power should in time create not only a section great n production large in poplilation, butwhat is of more importance, a people of a high degree of intclligence.

Navigable Mileage of the Columbia River and Tributaries.

Below is given the navigable mileage of the Columbia River and its principal tributaries.

Colgmbia River.

To mouth of Willamette River from the Ocean Mouth Willamettt to Th Dalles, S niil€s; to Big Eddy.... Big Eddy to Celilo, obstructed For 0 mile. ‘Celtlo to Priest Rapids Foot Priet Rapid, to head rapids, obstructed 11,4 miles. Head Priest Rapids to Wenatchec Wenatchee to x,,outh ci Okanogan River Month Okanogan to Spokane Rapids, navigable at gtiat risk on’y, a distance ci 109 ni]es. spokane Rapids to Rickeys Landing Rickeys Landing to Marcus Wash.. not navgbIe II m CL Marcus to Robsoa. B. C Robson, B, C., to Arrowhead Landing, B. C T”tal navigable waters, main St ream.

Snake River

Mouth to Rparia Riparia to Lewiston ‘Lewistoa to Orande Ronde River Graade Ronde River to Bailards Landing, obstructed 17 miles. • Ballards Landing to H Intingtoo Total navigable waters, Snake River.

Willamette River and Tributaries.

Other Tributaries of Columbia River.

Clatskanie River, navigable on tide above mouth. Upper and Tower Kontena River.9, Golden, B. C., to J elitliligs, Montana 259 Jcnnings to Bcnncs Ferry, not navigabLe, 75 milts. Bonners Ferry to head Kootenai Lake 29 Ndson to mouth at Robson. 25 miles, not navigable. •Okauogan River. nirnith to international boondary 87 International boundary to Ptn licton, 37 miles, not navigable. Penticton to Okanogan Landing Total navigable waters, other tributaries 1 The total “avigable waters of the Columbhi and is Irihutaries aggregate mileage of 2138.

Harbors

The cIlef I,arhor of the Oregon coast is at the ijoitib of the Columbia River, and as this is the outlet of all tile principal streams of the three Northwesi states, the necessity (or its spedy improvement, adequate for the needs of the commerce of the great section it drains, cannot be exaggerated. The entrance to this river strageticallv and commerdally is of national interest. It is the key to the transportion problem of the Northwest. The second harbor 7’ importance on tile Oregon coast is that of Coos Bay, about 2 miles south of the Columbia River. The trade of this section is now arge and constantly increasing. aid the necessities of conirnerce demand its niprovernent to which it is fortunatehv well adapted.

Other harbors, such as Yaquina, Tillarnook, SiusIav, impqua. Coquille and Rogue River, serve local nterests, and in tirile can be made more available for these uses. We have not undertaken to refer to every waterway. harl,or or project in the State, but simply to outline the situation in a general way, There are numerous rivers flowing into the larger rivers and into the various hays and harbors. some of which are navigable and are in constant use for a number ci miles from thdr mouth,.

Improvement of Waterways and harbors

Oregon has long been alive to the importance of the improvement of Its waterways, and as in other sections. these strcamc

Parts of th ColunibLa and Is trlhutarIe ms,ked thu. () ar gable uhd.,( favcrbFe e(),4Itlan,. PaetlcciIl, all these of river could be ma,Ie “ier for at all of tti yeftr rompar,UkeIy small expense, u Id raffle ond Itlo’i S r er th I tflefl I The CimhIa irnI flk,,.. w f.rm,r]3. na’-Lgt,d throughout lila y.ar. exeei,t luring occs]oiial bl,rk,de rem l[e. fro[,. CeEFIO .‘L*r tbrnugh ‘0 I&,.ht,,n. It IIL be by ‘oi.( hat part of Snake III’er from n,o’’Ih 0 Rii,arln. s flow mRI)cI IT,’g[lIe uIt{I faV{)rhle (1011!. Co gTe

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for many years furnished the chief methods of moving and distributing products and merchandise. Here, as elsewhere, with the advent of the railway, the tendency to abandon the waterways as carriers became quite pronounced, hut their use for this purpose on the lower reaches of the Columbia and the Willamette has been atways exercised, Of late, here, as elsewhere, the awakening has conic arid at this time it is doubtful if there is a community in lie United States more keenly appreciative of the benefits to be derived from the use of the waterways for all

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DUMPING ROCK, COLUMBIA RIVER JETTY.

purposes than are the people of Oregon. No better proof of this fact can he furnished than the large sums 111ev have freely given to this purpose of late years. No lengthy description will be attempted of past improvements or those now in progress. The briefest outline will have to suffice.

Improvement of the Columbia

The projects under way on on this river at the present time are as follows:

Mouth of the River.

Deepening the mouth of the river through (lie building of a jetty on the south bank, aided in the future by the operation of a dredge and the roustroction of a north jetty. This project from some standpoints is the most important work now in hand.

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THE JETTY IN A STORM

Work continues under these conditions.

HAULING STONE 5 1/2 MILES TO SEA. It is proposed by concentrating the great flow of water over the sands at the mouth of the river to scour and maintain a channel of 40 feet if necessary at low tide. The depth 110w is about 26 fcet at low tide the average rise and fall of the tide being 7j/2 feet. The jetty now strikes out in the sea about miles and is partially completed for this distance but must be extended about 4 miles further. The difficulties and hazards consequent upon this work cannot be described. It has to be seen to be appreciatccl. Yet such is the system now in force that substantially every tell ‘iinutes during working hours a train load of rock is dumped into the sca. and but one hour is consumed in the process which requires a haul going and coming of about ii miles over a trestle. much of it through foaming breakers, where the trestle, when the great waves strike it. shakes and trembles like An aspen.

The problem itself is apparently a simple one. Pile in the rock until a jetty of sufficient width to withstand the force of the waves and currents reaches the high tide mark, and Ict the river do the rest. It is in the working out of this simple plan the skill and the nerve of the engineer is put to the test. We would be glad if time and space permitted to go more into detail. The work is progressing satisfactorily, a,,d s accompIishng results, but much work remains to be done, and no better example could bc found of the folly of intermittent work or the benefits coming from uninterrupted progress than this project. The maintenance of the trestle is the key to the successful and spedv completion of the wDrk, and as the piles are being constantly weakened by the action of the tereda navalis, it must be evident that rapid and uninterrupted work s necessary.

At present the work is under a continuing contract but with appropriations sufficient to last for only one year more. Now is the time to prepare for the future, as the continuance oi this work must at all hazards be provkled for, so there will be no stoppage until it is completed. iThe exact amount of its ultimate cost cannot be foretold. This is owing to the extraordinary conditions surrounding the work. It will. however, be a considerahLe sum. It can, however, be safe!3 said that the expenditure is justifiable rom even standpoint, for the mon tli I ‘‘is river is the flaw ral outlet on a water grade for all that vast seclic,n know” as the

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SHORE END COLUMBIA RIVER JETTY

Inland Empire, which means all of Oregon Washington and Idaho lying east of the Cascade and west of the Rocky Mountains, and through the coclmerce of this empire must take its way.

The following brief statement of the commerce now passing in and out of this river will give sonic idea of its importance:

The total commerce handled duñng the calendar year t9o7 between Portland and the sea, including river as.d ocean commerce, amounted to 4251,681 tons, of an esthnated value of approximately $76,583,804. That handled by seagoing vessels amounted to 1664,717 tens, of an estimated value of The commerce for the year 'gas will show a decided ncrcase. With the completion of the North Panic" road pouring its vast volume of trade through this same outlet, with river improvements under way to still further ncrelse the volume of tonnage, with thousands of square miles of tributary territory undeveloped, and through which lines of railway are hut just being surveyed, one calL appreciate the importance of this project, and necessity for its speedy compleüon.

Below Mouth of the Willamette.

The general plan adopted for the improvement of this portion of the river and securing a deep channel to the a is by building c,tss and training dikes and dredging. Some permanent work has been done, but the results thus far obtained have been largely through dredging. In the past twenty years the depth has been increased from about 16 to 25 feet at low water. It is time, however, the permanent project for the improvement of this portion of the river was under way. A large part of the work of the past and the present has been and is being done through the Port of Portland. a public corporation, whose taxing district and limits include the City of Portland and a small territory in addition. Through taxation and the sale of bonds this public corporation is engaged in the conduct of work which rightly should be carried on by the general government.

Between Mouth of Willamette and Vancouver

A bar offered some interference to navigation between these points. This was remedied by the building of a dike closing the

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head of Oregon Slough and in dredging. As the importance of

ancouver as a commercial point is steadily increasing, further work will be required to secure a channel of adequate depth.

Cascade Locks and Canal.

The locks and canal al this point, which serve to overcome the obstacles known as the cascades of the Columbia. were opened to traffic in the year 1896. Substantially it is a completed

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STEAMER PASSING THROUGH CASCADE LOCKS.

work, but there are some things which remain to be done that were recotn’nemletl liv tIW eligiTweririg leI)artlllent which would fadijiate to some extent the. THovernetit of vessels through ilk lrwl and at the same time complete then’ as originally intended.

This work cons,sts of bt’ihIi”g the land ‘vail of the tipper lock steps officc buildings. etc. These Ineks are sttiated about 6c miles ax,vc Portland. T}ic effect of tile opening of these locks on rates to river poilils as far as The Dalles was ‘istantancntis. Prior to their being opcncd the State had built a Portagc Railway lo a temp’rarv e,-jcdicnt pendn heir cmli—

I,ktic’n. w}IIL+ ‘‘as allahiflonefi a S{uT% as (lie locks wci completed. Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/34 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/35

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Water Resources
Their Conservation and Use

The water supply is of far greater importance to the people than any other of their natural resources, for upon it depends every function of life; its development is primarily the foundation of all industrial and commercial wealth, and therefore our progress as a nation will be measured directly by the economic use we make of our water resources.

Just now this question demands from the people of Oregon determined and prompt action, for unless something definite is done, and done quickly, water powers of an inestimable value that in all justice belong to the people will soon be in the hands of a few. When the wood, coal, oil and other exhaustible sources of energy are depleted, and we have to turn to that only perpetual source of energy—water power—what will be our chagrin and surprise to find all the favored sites owned, controlled with an incontestable right by the same parties! What a toll can then be levied upon the people for the common comforts of life! What a rich reward for the far-sighted individuals who waited all these years, persistently posting their notices every six months!

What we need is a law that will compel development, once a right to the use of water has been initiated, and an administrative system to see that such a law is enforced. In this manner and this only will the people be able to retain control of their most valuable asset and secure for themselves that necessary competition which insures against exhorbitant prices for the common comforts of life.

The uncertainties surrounding water rights in Oregon are a continual source of annoyance to the water-user as well as to the prospective investor. The inefficiency of our statutes on the subject, as well as the inability of the courts to bridge over the many deficiencies, has been fully demonstrated through years of experience. Court decrees only bind the parties thereto, and in many cases soon prove inadequate to do justice even between them, as climatic changes affect the water supply, to say nothing of the effect brought about by subsequent appropriations and increased use by those not parties to the suit. To meet the new conditions as they arise, decrees should, to a limited extent, remain under the control of the court to meet unforeseen emergencies. One of the problems with which we are confronted in Oregon is the lack of some definite system of water right titles.

How Water Is Appropriated

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Land Office District and County. Burns District Baker County.. Crook Grant Harney Malheur Wheeler Total La Grande District Baker County.. Grant Morrow Umatilla TJnion Wallowa Total Lakeview District Crook County. Klamath Lake Total Portland District Benton County Clackamas Clatsop Columbia Lincoln Linn Marion Multnomah. ... Polk Tillamook Washington.. .. Yamhill Total Roseburg District Benton County. Coos Curry Douglas Jackson Josephine Lane Lincoln Linn Total The Dalles District Crook County.. Gilliam Grant Morrow Sherman Wasco Wheeler Total Grand total.. Total Area Acres. Brief Description of Character of Unappropriated I^ands. 148,232 79.225 165,484 4,600,400 5.305,477 15,800 Principally grazing; some timber, do Grazing, timber and farming, do do ■ Jo 10,314,718i 355,853 55% timbered mountains, 10% arid, 25% gia/ing, 10% farming. 152,319 50% timbered mountains, 35% grazing, 15% farming. 25.0971 25% timbered mountains, 40% grazing, 25% arid, 10% farming. 55,805j 30% timbered mountains, 30% arid, 35% grazing, 5% farming. 252,170 338,985 1,380,229 365,130 218,774 2,301,808 2.885,712 3,483 37,271 13,507 534 47,604 18,854 3,588 569 1,600 13,282 1,279 4,860 140,431 1,299 64,126 35,630 09,423 48,183 45,502 111,554 1,859 5,667 383,243 1,086,700 89,380 45,480 14,020 27,460 277,960 306,580, 1,847,580 16,957,913 75% timbered mountains, 15% grazing, 10% farming. 50% timbered mountains. 45%. grazing, 5% farming. One-tenth mountains, two-tenths agricultural, seven- tenths grazing. Two-tenths timber, three-tenths agricultural, five-tenths grazing. Three-tenths timber, one-tenth mountainous, three- tenths agricultural, three-tenths grazing. Broken grazing lands. Timbered, farming and grazing lands. Timbered and grazing lands. Rolling and broken timber lands. Timber and grazing lands, broken. Timber and grazing lands. Farming and timber lands, broken. Timber lands. Broken, timber and grazing lands. Timber and grazing lands, broken. Rolling, timber ana grazing lands, do Timber and grazing lands. Timber, agricultural. Mountainous, timber. Mineral, grazing and agricultural. Timber, grazing and fruit. Fruit, farming and mining. Timber, farming and mining. Broken, grazing. Hilly, grazing. Lands in district are broken and hilly, and principally adapted to grazing purposes. There are some valleys and some undulating table-lands which constitute good farming lands. Greater portion is broken, hilly and mountainous. Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/95 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/96 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/97 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/98 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/99 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/100 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/101 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/102 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/103 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/104 must be su}xlividecl into tracts not to exceed ‘6° acres, as this is the maximum area for which water can be furnished to ndividual owners under tile law. The public lands under the project. which include a Large portion of the lake and swamp areas, are, at present, withdrawn froni entry. \\‘hen these lands mc restored to entry, homesteaders nay ftle applications for available public lands. The lands in California are under the jurisdiction of the Susi,’viIlc and Reddirig land offices, and those in Oregon under the j uriscliction of tile LakcviL’w and office.

MAIN CANAL, KLAMATH PROJECT, U.S. RECLAMATION SERVICE

The project is nan’ rally divided into two parts, which have been commonly caned the ‘upper’ and lower.’’ lilt tJl,iler project’ which takes its water supply from the Inst River, with Clear Lake as a storage rcervoir, includes Langell’s Yonna and the upper Poe Valleys. The lower project includes tile lands in Kiamath and lower Poe Valleys and the Lowcr Kiamath and Tule kes. Tlic sour,rc of water supply for the “lower project’ is Upper Ktapiiath lake. Construction work on lie first ‘line miles of (lie main canal

and (lie laterals thereunder w-a IWLflIn in arch. T. ATId was Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/106 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/107

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LUMIER MANUFACTURING IN OREGON

Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/109

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LUMBERING IN OREGON

SEINING ON THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER.

Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/123 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/124 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/125 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/126 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/127 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/128 Page:Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor (1908 - 1914).djvu/129 tigations show that the loss by this means is prodigious. We are credibly informed that practically the whole output of some - hatcheries has been devoured by schools of trout that lie in wait for the feast thus provided for them by a paternal government. The fisherman, with as much truth as sarcasm, compare the present methods to those of an orchardist who should make no attempt to combat scale and codlin moth hut rely on enlarging his nursery to replace he ruined trees. Removal of the close season against trout on hatchery stream would probably suffice. If not, tile hatchery men might be empowered to do a little judicious gillnetting for trout in the neighborhood of hatchery grounds. These measures against trout in hatching streams should not affect the protection of the prince of game fish on other streams.

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FISHING FLEET AT MOUTH OF COLUMBIA

Conclusion

The field of conservation of our National resources is so broad and the various subjects embraced are so inter-related one with another, each of wMch admits of almost unlimited expansion and study, that the foregoing report is more n the nature of an inquiry to nd where we stand n this great National movement. We have attempted to present a general view of the situation both as to the amount of physical data available on the natural resources of Oregon and as to the uses that are being made of them.

This survey of the general field has revealed certain features concerning the use and conservation of these resources that in our mind demand immediate attention from the people of Oregon through their Le&slature at the coming session. Without doubt the most significant feature and one without justiScation s the LACK OF PHYSICAL DATA. We believe this lack is greatly retarding the development of our natural resources and in some cases actually aiding their monopolization.

Respectfully submitted,

J. N. TEAL, Ch&,nan J. H. LEw]s F. G. YOUNG, Secretary FRANK J. MILLER R. S. BEAN RICHnO W. MONTAGUE AUSTIN T. BUXTON C. B. WATSON J. N. HART 3. R. WILSON C S. JACKSON VI’vR K. NR’vixI. WILL R. KING j C. STEW I:N K R. LAKE Co gTe

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Report of the Oregon Conservation Commission to the Governor/1908

Improvement of the Columbia

Mouth of the River.

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