Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Cagle, Arthur J.

English

Research Papers in Economics

Educational  Methods  Used  in
Washington  Irrigation  Development
By Arthur J.  Cagle
In  the  discussion  of  this  topic,  I  would  like  to restrict  my com-
ments  to the  m9st  recent  and  largest  of  our  irrigation  projects,  the
Columbia  Basin  Irrigation  Project.
I.  Major  Public  Policy  Problems  of  the  Columbia  Basin  Project
In  the Columbia  Basin  Project,  as  with  most  irrigation  develop-
ments,  there have  been many public policy  problems.  Final decisions
have been made on some problems,  some we have not tried to answer,
and others  we are working on now.  Following are  some  of the major
public  policy  problems  of  the  Columbia  Basin  Project  that  deserve
serious  consideration:
1.  Can  we  justify  development  of  irrigation  projects  during  a
time  of  farm  product  surpluses?
2.  Should  the  government  subsidize  irrigation  development?
3.  Should  farm  size  be  regulated,  and  if  so,  how  should  the
proper  size  be  determined?
4.  Should  all  farmers  pay  the  same  per-acre  water  charge?
5.  Should  owners  of  large  acreages  be  required  to  sell  at  a  set
price?
6.  How  can  roads  be  developed?  Who  should  pay  for  them?
7.  Who  is  responsible  for  teaching  new  settlers how  to  farm?
8.  Is  a  special  credit  agency  needed  for  the  newly  developed
irrigation  areas?
9.  How  should  the  education  of  children  be  financed  in  view
of  the low  assessed  valuation  per child?
II.  Brief  Description  of  Columbia  Basin  Project
The  project  is  one  of  the  largest developments  of  its  kind  ever
undertaken.  It  includes  an  area  80  miles  long  and  60  miles  wide,
or about  2,500,000  acres.  Land  classification  studies  show  1,029,000
acres  suitable  for  irrigation.  Approximately  600,000  acres  are  to
be  under  irrigation  on  8,000  new  farms  by  1960.  This  will  about
double  the  irrigated  acres  in  the  state.
At  present,  about  400,000  acres  of  the  1,029,000  acres  has  been
withdrawn  from project  development.  A  large area  near the Atomic
Energy  Commission  has  been  withdrawn  for  security  reasons  and
126about  300,000 acres  of wheat land  has been withdrawn  at the option
of  owners.  These  are important  public  policy  problems.
Farm  units generally are established  on the  basis  of land quality
and contour rather than on the basis  of existing property  lines.  Farm
unit sizes range  up to 160  acres and average about  75 irrigable  acres.
In general,  the  farm unit size  will  be  from 45  to 80  acres in  Class  1
areas,  70  to  100  acres  in  Class  2  areas,  and  from  80  to  140  acres  in
Class  3 areas.
The  project  is  being developed  at the  rate  of  60,000  to  70,000
additional  acres  under  irrigation  each  year.
III.  Cooperating  Agencies
Following are some  of  the agencies  with  which  the  State  College
of Washington  has  workd  in  assisting  with  the  development  of  the
Columbia  Basin Project:
1.  Bureau  of Reclamation.
2.  Agricultural  Extension  Service.
3.  Farm  and  Home  Administration.
4.  Farm  Credit  Administration.
5.  Soil  Conservation  Service.
6.  Agricultural  Conservation  Program.
7.  Committee on Economic Water Resource  Development.
8.  Columbia  Basin Subcommittee  of the Chamber of Commerce.
9.  Columbia  Interstate  Compact  Commission.
IV.  Predevelopment  Planning
1.  Columbia Basin Joint  Investigations  were conducted,  and the
findings  (28  reports)  were  published.
2.  Size of each  farm unit was determined.
3.  Each  farm  was  laid  out-ownership  lines  were  determined
regardless  of past  ownership  lines.
4.  A  ceiling  was  placed  on  the  price  for  which  land  could  be
sold-based  upon land class and probable  type of farming.
5.  The  per-acre  construction  charge for each farm  was set before
the  project  was  started.
6.  The  per-acre  water  repayment  charges  were  set  according
to type  of soil.
7.  All  farms  were  mapped  for  soils  and  topography.
8.  Preplanning was done for roads, schools, electrification,  towns,
and  patterns  of  settlement.
1279.  Opportunities  and  needs  for  rural  recreational  development
and  location  of  sites  were  determined.
10.  Farmers  were  organized  into  groups  to  develop  cooperative
domestic  water  supplies.
11.  Probable  type  of  farming  maps  were  prepared.
12.  Water requirements  were  mapped.
13.  Probable  standards and levels  of living were carefully studied.
14.  Reports  were  prepared  on  probable  kinds  and  locations  of
agricultural  processing  industries.
V.  Teaching  Methods,  Aids,  and  Materials
1.  Thirteen county agents have  been employed  by the Extension
Service  and  the  Bureau  of  Reclamation  to do  work  solely  in
settlers'  assistance.
2.  Three  county  agents will  teach  proper handling  of irrigation
water.
3.  Another  county agent  is  in charge  of domestic  water develop-
ment.  He  helps  groups  of  farmers  organize  to  get  domestic
water  from  central  wells.
4.  One  county  agent  serves  as  leader  for  farm  and  home  plan-
ning  in  the  Basin.  The  regular  county  extension  staffs  co-
operate  on  this  project.
5.  Development  farms  were  set  up  in  five  areas.  These  farms,
which were in full operation  before water was delivered in the
main canals,  were irrigated from wells later used for domestic
water  supply. They have served  as a very good  teaching meth-
od  for  almost  all  phases  of  settlers'  assistance.
6.  A  farm-in-a-day  demonstration  was  a  cooperative  project  of
the  Bureau  of  Reclamation,  Extension,  industry,  labor,  etc.,
to  build  a  farm  in  one  day  from  sage  brush  to  planted,
irrigated  fields.  The purpose was  to demonstrate  many  things
such  as  good  building  arrangement,  properly  planned  build-
ings,  field  arrangement,  land  clearing,  leveling,  fertilization,
etc.
7.  Special short courses  were held on topics such as leases,  build-
ing  arrangement,  leveling,  care  of  livestock,  etc.
8.  A  Sears project on  visual  aids furnishes money for projectors,
irrigation  models,  slides,  and  motion  pictures.
1289.  Special  emphasis  is  being given  to  the  farm  and  home  plan-
ning approach.  The  irrigation  development  areas  offer  a real
opportunity  to  do  effective  work  through  this  approach.
10.  Neighborhood  twilight meetings  have been  conducted  by the
county  agents.  This has  been  an  effective  means  of  reaching
farmers  during  the  busy  season.
11.  A marketing association  for sheep  and wool growers  has  been
organized.
12.  The  state  of Washington  now  has  a  committee  appointed  by
the governor  to develop  a water  use  policy.  The main  policy
problem  is  use  of  water  for  irrigation,  power,  and  con-
sumption  versus  use  for  navigation,  industry,  and  fishing.
129

EDUCATIONAL METHODS USED IN WASHINGTON IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT

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Research Papers in Economics