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The Oliver-Osoyoos area was first irrigated by Chung-Wu, a farmer who supplied vegetables to the mining camps of Fairview and McKinney. The first orchard in the southern part of the valley was planted in 1905 by Leslie Hill who located his farm on the east side of Osoyoos Lake. Large-scale irrigation began in the area when Premier John Oliver initiated the South Okanagan Land Project in 1920. The project was designed to irrigate 1,200 hectares for cultivation, affecting 8,900 hectares of land. A reliable water supply was available by 1927. Early orchardist George Fraser noted that the project "assured the development" of the Osoyoos district, as "sage brush and greasewood disappeared" and were replaced by "well cultivated land."
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