Osmar Waller and the Gravity Plan

Professor Osmar Waller (1857-1935) was one of the foremost advocates of the Gravity Plan. Waller, who was a professor of mathematics and civil engineering at Washington State College from 1893-1920, worked as a consultant on a number of irrigation projects, including projects in Lewiston, the Spokane Valley, and the Yakima Valley.

In 1920, Waller served as secretary on a commission charged by the State of Washington to assess the feasibility of irrigating the Columbia Basin. The image to the right shows Waller's personal sketch of the Gravity Plan. The detail includes numbers that likely indicate elevations, which would be crucial since the Gravity Plan proposed a path that moved constantly downhill.