The provisions of the act of September 2, 1960 (74 Stat. 732), are generally applicable to any project governed by reclamation law. Those exemptions which develop under provision of this statute are not usually of extended duration, nor do they involve significant acreages inasmuch as the maximum amount that can thus be exempted in the hands of any one survivor would, for example, be the 160-acre residual, from a previously eligible 320-acre, nonexcess holding of husband and wife. Accordingly, with administrative surveillance, during the effective life of such comparatively infrequent exemptions, customarily maintained by the contracting water user's organization, subject to periodic review by Bureau of Reclamation representatives, no comprehensive or cumulative records in this regard have been maintained.

18. Baker project, Oregon, upper division*

Construction of facilities planned for the upper division of the Baker project, as authorized in 1962, will provide water for the irrigation of 18,000 acres of land in the Baker Valley in northeastern Öregon. Valley lands are situated at elevations ranging between 3,300 and 3,500 feet above sea level, and normally receive about onehalf the average annual precipitation of 13.17 inches as summer rains, with the balance falling as snow. The average frost-free period of the area is 137 days. However, frost-free periods as short as 81 days have been known to occur. Temperatures during the month of July average 64°, while the January average is 23°. Temperature extremes range from 104° to as low as minus 25°.

Agricultural development in the Baker Valley today follows essentially the same general pattern as that introduced by the earlier settlers, with the majority of the irrigated area devoted to the production of hay, pasture, and grain. Native hay meadows in the bottomland areas, often irrigated by early season wild flooding, have been seeded to tame grasses, while alfalfa has been planted on the better drained slopes. Although some frost-hardy row crops are produced on limited acreages, the principal agricultural enterprise is centered around livestock production. The herds are customarily grazed from early spring to late fall on the surrounding foothills and mountain ranges. The irrigated valley lands are thus used as a base to produce feed for the breeding herds during the winter months.

With project features as yet uncompleted, there is no suitable basis for comparative analysis of the effect of operation under project conditions, including possible effects of the applicable modification of the basic acreage limitation provision of reclamation law. The pre

*Map not available.

project situation, with respect to the range in size of ownerships, is set forth in the following tabulation:

One of the principal objectives of the multipurpose Columbia Basin project is to provide, on ultimate development, a dependable supply of irrigation water for slightly over 1 million acres of fertile land in east central Washington. A development of such magnitude must obviously be completed over a period of years. Thus, while the first irrigation water became available to approximately 5,800 acres in 1948, it was not until 1952 and thereafter that project facilities had been completed to a point where significant acreages could be served. Since that time, successive annual increments, made possible by the progressive extension of project facilities, has continued, and by the close of 1961, service was available to 440,552 irrigable acres in the three project irrigation districts.

As noted in attachment B to the chronological listing of "Exemptions, Modifications, Waivers ***," the Columbia Basin project was initially subject to acreage limitation provisions of greater stringency than those generally applicable under basic law to regular reclamation projects. Not until October 1, 1962, were the more restrictive measures repealed and the basic limitations of reclamation law made applicable to the project.

In the foregoing circumstances, sufficient time has not yet elapsed since the basic provisions of law became effective to permit a meaningful discussion of the possible effects this change may have exercised on the pattern of project landownership or of the closely associated aspects of farm operation. By reference, however, to the following: tabulation, it will be possible to obtain a reasonably accurate picture of the relationship between landownership and farm operations as it existed under the limitations and restrictions effective prior to 1962:

*Map in committee file.

Data pertinent to landownership and farm operations in 1961, Columbia

Basin project

Total irrigable acres of service_

440,552

Total number of project farm units.

5,262

Average irrigable acreage per farm unit___

83.7

Irrigable acreage in private ownership (total less U.S. and State of

Washington lands)....

418,496

Average number farm units per operator_

1. 94

Average acres per operating farm (based on average sized farm unit).

162. 4

Average number units per operator_

Number of operating farms consisting of owned and rented land..

Number of farm units involved..

Percentage of total farm units___

Average number units per operator..

1,669

36. 3

1. 3

569

1,906

41. 4

3. 3

Approximate distribution operating farms by size groups, Columbia Basin project

With reference to the excess land status, as it related to the project total, it should be noted that for purposes of administering the provisions of the act of September 1, 1957, as discussed in the aforecited attachment B, it was found immediately subsequent to September 1, 1957, that there were then 180 platted farm units containing a total of 23,108 irrigable acres falling within the excess category. A more recent review of project landownership status, in the light of the presently applicable provisions of basic reclamation law, indicated. that, at the beginning of the 1963 irrigation season, 16 owners held a total of 2,925 irrigable acres in excess. This represents only sixty-four one-hundreths of 1 percent of the 450,886 irrigable acres to which service is available during the 1963 irrigation season.

SUMMARY TABULATION OF FACTORS PRINCIPALLY PERTINENT TO INSTANCES OF MODIFICATION, CHANGE, OR OMISSION OF THE ACREAGE LIMITATION PROVISIONS OF BASIC RECLAMATION LAW

Careful consideration of the several instances of modification, change, or omission of acreage limitation provisions of reclamation law as heretofore discussed, indicates that certain recurrent factors or combination of factors as hereinafter tabulated for ready reference have generally motivated the action taken in each specific case.

Factors contributing to modification change or omission

1 All or part of the factors as indicated may be applicable to a specific project or functional division thereof. The 2 instances as indicated represent efforts to preclude undue hardship in situations where excess lands are involuntarily acquired.

As previously noted, acreage limitation provisions of basic reclamation law now applicable.

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