The Evening Herald

Irrigation Season Is Commenced on Project

For the first time, water is being furnished the water users under the Klamath project on a measurement system. Instead of being assessed at a flat rate for irrigation water, etc., the farmers will this year pay according to the amount of water they actually use in the course of the season.

A minimum of two acre feet per acre for the season has been established. A rate for this amount will be determined upon later, and an extra charge will be made where more than this amount is used.

Already water is being furnished to Klamath project farmers. There is water in the main canal now that is flowing to Malin, and being used by the farmers there who are farming sandy soil, and who asked that they be given water earlier this season.

Irrigation around Merrill will start about Monday. By Saturday at the latest, the enlargement of the Griffith lateral will be fully completed, and water will be turned into that waterway to irrigate the acreage tributary to it.

With the completion of the Griffith lateral it will be possible for Merrill and Malin districts to get water just as early as they want it, as instead of being supplied through the South Branch canal, which in turn is furnished with water from Upper Klamath Lake via the Main canal, the water used for their irrigation will be taken from Lost River at the diversion dam, and carried through the Griffith lateral to the sub-laterals of the farmers.

A total of 35,000 acres will be irrigated this season by the reclamation service. Of this 6,000 acres under the second or Poe Valley unit, will probably not be watered until about May 15, as the soil there does not require early irrigation.