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Archives 193
College of Agriculture
Columbia Basin Project
Records, 1941-1968


Records of the Washington State University College of Agriculture's involvement in the Columbia Basin Project were transferred to the Washington State University Libraries in 1974 (Accession Number UA84-34). The papers were arranged and described by Ling Jinqi in September, 1987.

Number of containers 2
Linear feet of shelf space 4
Number of folders 40

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

The Columbia Basin Project was a vast effort of the United States government, authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act in 1935 and reauthorized by the Columbia Basin Project Act 1943. The Project aimed at transforming a vast area of dry, unproductive and thinly populated land in to a well-watered, highly productive and compactly populated region. The available materials show that the project started in 1941 with a series of investigations, estimates and research work that lasted into 1948. The participating agencies were: the Bureau of Reclamation, the State College of Washington, and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

It was not until the mid-1950s that large-scale settlement in the area began. In step with the development of the Basin area, irrigation and conservation projects were involved.

The records of WSU participation cover the period from 1941 to 1968.

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

The records are arranged in nine series held in two separate boxes. Box 1 contains Series One to Five; Box 2 contains Series Six to Nine.

Series One contains records on committee activities, arranged alphabetically. Series Two is general correspondence, arranged chronologically. Series Three contains records on meetings, reports and speeches, in alphabetical order. Series Four is general survey, alphabetically arranged. Series Five is entitled Land Purchase and Repayment, alphabetically arranged. Series Six contains reports in aphabetical order. Series Seven is comprised of investigations, arranged according to the years and issue numbers. Series Eight consists of general studies in alphabetical order. Series Nine contains miscellaneous items.


SERIES LIST

Record Series                               Boxes

Series 1: Committees                          1

Series 2: General Correspondence              1

Series 3: Meetings, Reports & Speeches        1

Series 4: General Survey                      1

Series 5: Land Purchase and Repayment         1

Series 6: Reports                             2

Series 7: Investigations                      2

Series 8: General Studies                     2

Series 9: Miscellaneous                       2


CONTAINER LIST

Box Folder   Description
Series 1 : Committees
Columbia Basin:
1 1    Advisory Committee on the alloction of construction charges -- Dept. of Interior, 1946-1954
2    Bureau of Reclamation - WSU Joint Committee, 1950-1952
3    Settlers' assistance, 1952
4    Settler assistance committee, 1946-1958
5    Settler assistance committee, 1953-1963
6    Tree Fruit Committee, 1956-1958
 
Series 2 : General Correspondence
General correspondence
7    1946-1956
8    1952-1956
9    1957-1959
10    1966
11    1958
 
Series 3 : Meetings, Reports and Speeches
13 Reports, and minutes of meetings, 1951-1953
14 Speeches presented before the Columbia Basin Interagency Committtee, 1950
15 Summary Report, 1953
 
Series 4 : General Survey
16 Columbia Basin--An Assessment, 1950-1958
17 Columbia Basin--Farmers Handbook, [1952?]
18 Research, investigation and extension work, 1948-1958
19 State lands in Columbia Basin, 1966-1968
 
Series 5 : Land Purchase and Repayment
20 Land purchase for experimental work (WSU), 1954-1960
21 Repayment problem, 1961
22 Repayment contracts, 1960-1961
 
Series 6 : Reports
Columbia Basin Project: Development Farm Reports
2 1    Vol. I Moses Lake Development Farm, 1946-1948
2    Vol. II Pasco Development Farm, 1947-1949
3    Vol. III Winchester Development Farm, 1947-1949
4    Vol. IV Moses Lake, Pasco, and Winchester Development Farms, 1950, Moses Lake Farm, 1949
5    Vol. V Burke Development Farm, 1950
6    Vol. VI Moses Lake, Pasco, Winchester and Burke Development Farms, 1951-1952
7    Vol. VII Moses Lake, Winchester, Burke and Othello Development Farms, 1953-1954
8 Columbia River Basin Area: Agricultural Program Reports, 1953
 
Series 7 : Investigations
Columbia Basin : Joint Investigations
9    I. Character and Scopes
   II. Farm Experience Studies, 1941-1942
10    Problems 2, 4 and 5, 1945
11    Problems 6, 7, 8 and 10, 1945-1947
12    Problems 13, 14, 17, 19, 21 and 23, 1945
13    Problems 24, 25 and 26, 1945
 
Series 8 : General Studies
14 Columbia Basin: General Studies, 1948-1956
15 Columbia Basin : Prospect for Development, 1943-1948
16 Columbia Basin Reclamation Project, Quincy District Appraisals, 1950
 
Series 9 : Miscellaneous Items
17 Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, 1948-1958
18 Columbia Basin Interagency Committee, Minutes of Meetings, 1951-1952