991780

627 M

Petition for aid for the digging of Lake Wash. drainage Canal and Com. Reports on same.

Hon. Mayor and Council of the City of Seattle.

Gentlemen

Preliminary to a request we have to make we bring your attention to the fact that the surplus water of the South part of Snohomish Co. and of nearly all the great county of King is gathered together at one point, the head of the Duwanish Valley.

White River by the color of its water testifies its origin among the glaciers of Mt. Ranier.

From Stampede Pass comes Green River and uniting with the White Black and Cedar rivers piles up a great flood that the Duwamish is unable to carry and destruction of property and desolation of the rich alluvial valley is the result.

A territory of 1500 Sq. miles, (larger by 250 S1. miles than R. F.) gathers the annual rainfall of about four feet and pours it upon us farmers mainly in the first four or five months of each year.

Last years exceptionally high water

prevented cultivation of a large area and this year promises to be worse.

About 12000 acres of the richest land of the Co. are certain for all time, to remain useless or partially useless unless an additional exit for the water can be made.

From an early period the digging of a ship canal has been decried feasible and of the utmost importance to the shipping of the Pacific and Seattle one of its chief commercial cities.

The question of drainage has been subordinate to that commercial use but in the past five years the great growth of Seattle and the problem of supplying its citizens with pure water has been added another reason why a canal should be dug.

A ship canal is impossible for us to obtain at present but a canal sufficient for drainage and sufficient to cause the pure water of Cedar river to flow past the city's pumping station and at the same time prevent the stagnant water from Sauak then too. Look at the inc.

Slough from passing that point is quite within reach if those interested will unite in an effort to obtain it.

The complaints of the suffering farmers have lately become louder than usual from the fact of excessive rainfall and the fact that Cedar river has partly changed its course allowing Black river to fill up to a certain extent thus retarding the outflow.

The farmers of the upper Snohomish valley petitioned the Co. Commissioners for a ditch and a preliminary survey was mde but residents of the lower valley protested on account of the height of Lake Wash. and the matter was dropped.

Last winter petitions were presented to the Co. Commissioners asking them to dig a canal that should lower the Lake but they inform us that there is no law under which they can proceed.

Then an effort was made to get [?] from the Washington Improvement Co. that with the offer in hand, an effort might be made to raise the necessary funds, this failed.

The Chamber of Commissioners has repeatedly agitated the matter and taken legal advice thereon, but nothing came of it. New impetus was given the matter by an offer of A. E. Chaffey, Manager of the Northwest Bridge Co. to dig the ditch and take land as part payment.

About a month ago a meeting was held which appointed committees and Right-Of-Way Engineering and Finance.

The Right-Of-Way Com. finally succeeded in getting a reply from the Washington Improvement Co. but as they demanded $5000.00 per year, that we get them right of way across the Denny & Hoyt's addition and turn them back the canal with our improvements at the end of two years, their offer was not accepted.

The Committee then succeeded in getting right of way across the University land, the regents giving the privilege to dig to the Co. Mr. Blewitt who has reserved 100 feet for canal purposes through Denny & Hoyt Ad. offers a license to dig either to us or to the city.