The left side of the image is a large open plain that is covered by sand and sagebrush, with no visible trees or other vegetation. The right side of the image has a farmhouse and a barn. The ground around and beyond the farmhouse is darker in color from the soil content and access to water. In the foreground is a small wooden dam. The sides of the dam are up against a low-tiered wall of sand and rock, built into the embankment. Beyond the embankment, the pathway of the canal from the dam is visible as a dividing line between the the sagebrush area and the farmland area. The canal is identified as the Hinkle irrigation canal, located near Pendleton, Oregon. The house and barn are both constructed of wood. The barn is larger and in front of the house. Only the chimney and part of the roof and one side of the house are visible. There is a fence enclosing the buildings and part of the canal. There is a small white tent or cloth cover to the far right of the buildings. There are some other small structures and farm-related objects near the barn, but not clearly seen.
A canal, identified as the Hinkle irrigation canal near Pendleton, Oregon, is flowing through the middle of a flat, open plain of sagebrush. There is a man standing on the edge of the right bank. He is dressed is a long, cloth coat, cloth pants, and a hat.
Six men and eight horses are seen in the process of clearing land to form an irrigation canal or drainage ditch. One man sits on the hillside; the other men stand facing the camera. All the men are dressed in European-American clothing and all wear hats or caps. Two of the men are dressed in clothing that seems to be some sort of uniform, with square caps; they are also wearing high boots. The other men have wide-brimmed hats and they are wearing work clothes. The horses are hitched to some kind of apparatus that is not clearly visible.
