United States Department of the Interior records

United States Department of the Interior records, 1884-1944

Overview of the Collection

Creator: United States. Dept. of the Interior
Title: United States Department of the Interior records
Dates: 1884-1944 (inclusive)
18841944
Quantity: 0.37 cubic feet (1 box and 1 vertical file)
Collection Number: 3485
Summary: Letters, meeting minutes, monthly progress reports from Joint Investigations of Columbia River Basin Irrigation project, and a letter to A.H. Cole appointing him Commissioner to examine 25 miles of the Northern Pacific Railroad line running east from Tacoma, Washington Territory
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: Open to all users.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

The Department of Interior is one of the executive departments of the U.S. Federal government. It is headed by the Secretary of the Interior, a member of the President’s cabinet. Created in 1849, the department focuses on domestic concerns and manages America’s natural and cultural resources. It oversees multiple areas including public lands stewardship, the pursuit of environmental justice and environmental protections, protection of natural resources and cultural heritage, and nation-to-nation relationships with Tribes. Within the department, there are eleven specialized bureaus, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Letters, meeting minutes, monthly progress reports from Joint Investigations of Columbia River Basin Irrigation project from the United States Department of the Interior. Also includes a letter to A.H. Cole appointing him Commissioner to examine 25 miles of the Northern Pacific Railroad line running east from Tacoma, Washington Territory.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Public Records—not subject to copyright. Copying, quotation, publication and other uses are unrestricted if records are open for public release.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

Accession No. 3485-001, United States, Department of the Interior records, 1884
Accession No. 3485-002, United States Department of the Interior Columbia River Basin Irrigation project records, 1932-1944

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Accession No. 3485-001: United States, Department of the Interior records, 1884Return to Top

1 vertical file

Scope and Content: Letter to A.H. Cole appointing him Commissioner to examine 25 miles of the Northern Pacific Railroad line running east from Tacoma, Washington Territory.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Bibliographic Source: UW Libraries, NW Coll. Received 2/14/1983

Accession No. 3485-002: United States Department of the Interior Columbia River Basin Irrigation project records, 1932-1944 Return to Top

0.37 cubic feet (1 box)

Scope and Content: Letters, meeting minutes, monthly progress reports from Joint Investigations of Columbia River Basin Irrigation project from the United States Department of the Interior.

Biographical/Historical Note: The Columbia Basin Project (CBP), also known as the Columbia River Basin Irrigation Project, was a series of projects in East Central Washington originally intended to store and carry water for irrigation of the project area. Developed in the 1950s and 1960s after a 1945 feasibility report the principal features include the Grand Coulee Dam, Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, Grand Coulee Powerplant Complex, the Feeder Canal, Banks Lake, the Main, West, East High, and East Low Canals, O`Sullivan Dam, Potholes Reservoir, and Potholes Canal. The project consists of over 300 miles of canals, 2,000 miles of laterals, and 3,500 miles of drains and wasteways.

In the early 1900s, those living on the surrounding dry plateaus struggled with dryland farming due to the area’s climate, leading to an interest in irrigation from the Columbia River. In 1902 the idea was brought to the newly established Bureau of Reclamation, then called the Reclamation Service, leading to investigations in 1904 but the project was too large for the bureau at the time. Local interests reinitiated the proposal for irrigation in the area in 1918. Proposals included a high dam on the Columbia River at the head of the upper grand coulee through which irrigation water could be made available to lands 50 miles to the south, or the construction of a canal to convey water from the Pend Oreille River in Northern Idaho. Engineering and economic studies were conducted, and a conclusive study was prepared by the Corps of Engineers in 1932, recommending construction of the project. The Bureau of Reclamation, along with 45 other organizations undertook a program of nonengineering studies on the settlement and development of the project in 1939. The program was titled the Columbia Basin Joint Investigations and consisted of 28 problem studies. Reports were published during WWII and their conclusions informed the drafting of the Columbia Basin Project Act of 1943. Through the late 1930s landowners in the area worked to organize irrigation districts before construction began. These districts, formed by 1940, were the Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District, the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, and the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

Source: https://www.doi.gov/, https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=438

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Public Records—not subject to copyright. Copying, quotation, publication and other uses are unrestricted if records are open for public release.

Acquisition Info: Transferred from UW Libraries Government Publications in 2018 and 2022.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	Accession
1/1	3485-002	Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Monthly Progress Reports	1940 October- 1941 July
1/2	3485-002	Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Monthly Progress Reports	1941 August- 1942 November
1/3	3485-002	Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Monthly Progress Reports	1942 December-1944 June
1/4	3485-002	Columbia Basin Irrigation Project Monthly Progress Reports photocopies	1942 December-1944 June
1/5	3485-002	Study of Problem No. 26 Meeting Minutes removed from binder (Folder 1/5)	1940-1941
1/6	3485-002	Study of Problem No. 26 Sub-committee Reports and Rough Draft removed from binder (Folder 2/5)	1940-1941
1/7	3485-002	Study of Problem No. 26 Correspondence removed from binder (Folder 3/5)	1940-1941
1/8	3485-002	Study of Problem No. 26 Columbia R. Reservoir Area Existing Facilities Map removed from binder (Folder 4/5)	1940 April 4
1/9	3485-002	Study of Problem No. 26 Graphs removed from binder (Folder 5/5) Scope and Content: Also includes 1 table of graphs National Forest Recreation Attendance, 1 Graph travel trends thru western states	1932-1940

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