The Tumalo Irrigation Project was a privately funded corporation begun to provide water to late-19th century farms in the area of Tumalo Creek

Tumalo creek

Tumalo Creek is a tributary of the Deschutes River, located in Deschutes County in Central Oregon, United States. It rises in the Cascade Range at , where Middle Fork Tumalo Creek and North Fork Tumalo Creek meet, and forms several waterfalls, including the 97-foot Tumalo Falls. Its mouth is on the...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. The Three Sisters Irrigation Company and its successors owned and managed the project, under the provisions of the Carey Act

Carey act

The Carey Act of 1894 allowed private companies in the U.S. to erect irrigation systems in the western semi-arid states, and profit from the sales of water. The Carey Act was enacted into law by Congress by the Act of August 18, 1894 , as amended...

. Controversy arose when corporate investors engaged in land speculation rather than irrigation construction. In 1912, during the administration of Governor Oswald West

Oswald West

Oswald West was an American politician, a Democrat, who served most notably as the 14th Governor of Oregon. Called "Os West" by Oregon writer Stewart Holbrook, who described him as "by all odds the most brilliant governor Oregon ever had."- Early life and career :West was born in Ontario, Canada...

, the state of Oregon assumed control of the project. By 1913 the work was terminated and the work camp abandoned.

Further Reading

Winch, Martin. “Tumalo—Thirsty Land.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 84, 85, 86, 1984-1986.