Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA
(509) 335-6691
http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/
mascref@wsu.edu
Cage
177
Columbia Basin Development League
Columbia Basin
Development League Records
1965-1976
3 containers.
1.5 linear feet of shelf space.
1700 items.
Newspaper clippings and news releases,
photographs, some correspondence and minutes, and other papers of a non-profit
corporation organized to encourage and promote the completion of the Columbia
Basin Project, an irrigation effort in Central Washington.
Collection materials are in
English
The Columbia Basin Development League was organized in March, 1963 as
the Basin Development Committee in an attempt to promote more orderly
development of the Columbia Basic Project. There was a real fear that the
project was dying for lack of federal interest. Statistics revealed that the
annual appropriations for the project declined markedly from the early 1950s to
the early 1960s. In addition there was a radical decline in water service to
additional lands after 1955. The first officers of the Basin Development
Committee, Dale Jeffries of Royal City, chairman, Paul Hamilton of Ephrata,
secretary, and Logan Beam of Moses Lake, treasurer, attempted to reverse this
decline through a local organization. The Basin Development Committee was
reorganized in September, 1964, as the Columbia Basin Development League, a
non-profit corporation. The incorporators were Ned Thomas, James H. Taylor, M.
H. Cherf, Logan O. Beam, Willard F. Hess, Edward J. Emry, and Richard A. Leith.
The organization consisted of a president, vice-president, treasurer, an
executive committee of eight and a forty member board of trustees chosen by the
membership. Thomas was elected first president. Other past presidents include
Robert G. Allen (Pasco), E. Roy Mundy (Ephrata), and David A. Gallant (Pasco).
The stated goal of the organization is to promote the completion of
the full 1,095,000 authorized acres of the Columbia Basin Project, thereby
stimulating economic activity in the Columbia Basin and bringing increased
prosperity to the residents.
The bulk of the records of the Columbia Basin Development League
consist of newspaper clippings and press releases from the period June, 1965
through November, 1976. The majority of the newspaper cited are from the
Columbia Basin area. In addition to the newspaper clippings the collection
consists of: some general correspondence, minutes of meetings (executive,
trustee and general), membership lists (1968), publications (such as "Economic
impact statement of second Bacon siphon and tunnel," 1970) and some financial
records (lists of businesses and services contacted for donations and a bank
deposit book). Also included in the collection are many photographs.
The newspaper clippings are arranged alphabetically by subject. The
order at the time of accessioning has not been disturbed. It is apparent,
however, that this is not the original filing order. There is an office filing
code with each subject heading; this original code has been included to give
the researcher an indication of the original office filing order.
This collection is open for research use.
[Item Description]. Cage
177, Columbia Basin
Development League Records . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
The records of the Columbia Basin Development League of Ephrata,
Washington were donated to the Washington State University Library in August,
1977 by Mr. Niel Johnson, an officer of the League (77-42).
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Johnson, Neil. waps
Columbia Basin Development League --Archives
Columbia Basin Project (U.S.)
Irrigation --
Columbia River Valley
Irrigation
Washington (State)
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Office Files
1945-1982
1
1
News--Columbia Basin Project
(General) (G2)
January
1967-July 1970
63
items.
1
2
News--Columbia Basin Project,
Current Construction and Planning (3rd Power House) (G3)
October
1966-September 1970
153
items.
1
3
News--Crops and Production
Information (G3A)
October
1968-March 1971
20
items.
1
4
News--District Problems, Action,
Officers, Takeover, etc. (G4)
January
1968-April 1972
112
items.
1
5
News--Drainage Problems
(G7)
October
1966-April 1970
22
items.
1
6
News--Diversion, Central Arizona
Project (D6)
February
1967-February 1970
58
items.
1
7
News--Diversion (G5)
June
1965-June 1970
85
items.
1
8
News--Environmental Aspects
(G7A)
35
items.
1
9
News--Farm Policy
(G8)
January
1968-February 1971
9
items.
1
10
News--Industrial Developments in
Basin (G10)
January
1968-May 1970
86
items.
1
11
News--Hanford Reactor Closure
1971
28
items.
1
12
News--Food Surplus and Shortages
(G9)
August
1968 - January 1971
21
items.
1
13
News--Land Limitations (Land Use)
(G11)
March
1968-April 1970
53
items.
1
14
News--Irrigation Approaches
(Methods--Organizations, etc.) (G10A)
May
1964-June 1970
42
items.
1
15
News--Population Problems
(G13A)
March
1969-August 1970
22
items.
1
16
News--Recreation
(G13)
October
1967-June 1971
17
items.
1
17
News--Pesticides
Mar-71
2
items.
1
18
News--New Land Inclusions
(G12)
October
1966-November 1969
23
items.
2
19
News--Legal Problems
(G11A)
September - October 1969
5
items.
2
20
News--Power Developments
(G14)
October
1968-July 1969
87
items.
2
21
News--Power Developments
(G14)
August
1969 - August 1970
100
items.
2
22
News--Water Development, General
(G15)
January
1968-June 1970
40
items.
2
23
Hot Water Irrigation
Aug-69
18
items.
2
24
News--Warm Water Irrigation
(G14A)
September 1969-September 1970
7
items.
2
25
Power Parks
July
1967-May 1970
85
items.
2
26
News--Water Development, Local
(G16)
January
1968-April 1970
80
items.
2
27
News--Water rationing
(G17A)
Sep-70
12
items.
2
28
News--Water and Air Pollution
(G17)
January
1968-September 1970
55
items.
2
29
News Releases
October
1967-December 1972
140
items.
2
30
Photographs (G18)
60
items.
2
31
Photographs (G18)
72
items.
3
32
Fish and Wildlife Service (H5)
4
items.
3
33
Water Resources, Northwest and
National (H9)
15
items.
3
34
Reclamation, General (H6)
11
items.
3
35
General correspondence, minutes,
news releases, clippings and pamphlets
September 1968-November 1976
50
items.
3
36
Business and Services listing
1
item.
3
37
Membership lists
21-May-68
3
items.
3
38
East and West Banks proposal for
joint bulletin
8
items.
3
39
Economic impact statement of the
second Bacon siphon and tunnel
Apr-70
1
item.
3
40
The Million Acre Program
1
item.
3
41
Deposit receipt book, Security
State Bank of Washington
11/26/65-4/29/66
1
item.