DEPAKTMENT OF THE INTEKIOK

WATER-SUPPLY

IRRIGATION PAPERS

OF THE

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

ISTo. 33

STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, 

ARIZONA. LIPPINCOTT

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1900
IRRIGATION REPORTS.

The following list contains titles and brief descriptions of the principal reports 

relating to water supply and irrigation, prepared by the United States Geological

Survey since 1890:

1890.

First Annual Report of the United States Irrigation Survey, 1890; octavo, 123 pp.

Printed as Part II, Irrigation, of the Tenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1888-89. Contains a statement of the origin of the Irrigation Survey, awpreliminary report on the organization and prosecution of the survey of the arid lands for 

purposes of irrigation, and report of work done during 1890.

1891.

Second Annual Report of the United States Irrigation Survey, 1891; octavo, 395 pp.

Published as Part II, Irrigation, of the Eleventh Annual Report of the United States 

Geological Survey, 1889-90. Contains a description of the hydrography of the arid region 

and of the engineering operations carried on by the Irrigation Survey during 1890: also the 

statement of the Director of the Survey to the House Committee on Irrigation, and other 

papers, including a bibliography of irrigation literature. Illustrated by 89 plates and 4 

figures.

Third Annual Report of the United States Irrigation Survey, 1891; octavo, 576 pp.

Printed as Part II of the Twelfth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 

It'30-91. Contains'-Repor>rt upon the location and survey of reservoir sites during the fiscal

year ended June 30, 1891," by A. H. Thompson; ' Hydrography of the arid regions.'' by 

F. H. Newell; "Irrigation in India," by Herbert M. Wilson. Illustrated by 93 plates and 

190 figures.

Bulletins of the Eleventh Census of the United States upon irrigation, prepared by 

F. H. Newell; quarto.

No. 35, Irrigation in Arizona; No. 60, Irrigation in New Mexico; No. 85, 

Irrigation in Utah: No. 107, Irrigation in Wyoming; No. 153, Irrigation in 

Montana; No. 157, Irrigation in Idaho: No. 163. Irrigation in Nevada; No. 178, 

Irrigation in Oregon; No. 193, Artesian wells for irrigation; No. 198, Irrigation in Washington.

1893.

Irrigation of western United States, by F. H. Newell; extra census bulletin No. 

23, September 9, 1892: quarto, 22 pp.

Contains tabulations showing the total number, average size, etc., of irrigated holdings, 

the total area and average size of irrigated farms in the subhumid regions, the percentage 

of number of farms irrigated, character of crops, value of irrigated lands, the average cost 

of irrigation, the investment and profits, together with a resume of the water supply and 

a, description of irrigation by artesian wells. Illustrated by colored maps, showing the 

location and relative extent of the irrigated areas.

1893.

Thirteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1891-92, Part 

III, Irrigation, 1893; octavo, 486 pp.

Consists of three papers: "Water siipply for irrigation," by F. H. Newell; "American 

irrigation engineering" and "Engineering results of the Irrigation Survey," by Herbert 

M. Wilson; "Construction of topographic maps and selection and survey of reservoir 

sites," by A. H. Thompson. Illustrated by 77 plates and 119 figures.

A geological reconnaissance in central Washington, by Israel Cook Russell, 1893; 

octavo, 108 pp., 15 plates. Bulletin No. 108 of the United States Geological 

Survey; price, 15 cents.

Contains a description of the examination of the geologic structure in and adjacent to 

the drainage basin of Yakima River, and the great plains of the Columbia to the east of this 

area, with special reference to the occurrence of artesian waters.

1894.

Report on agriculture by irrigation in the western part of the United States at the 

Eleventh Census, 1890, by F. H. Newell, 1894; quarto, 283 pp.

Consists of a general description of the condition of irrigation in the United States, the 

area irrigated, cost of works, their value and profits; also describes the water supply, the 

value of water, of artesian wells, reservoirs, and other details; then takes up each State 

and. Territory in order, giving a general description of'the condition of agriculture by irrigation, and discusses the physical conditions and local peculiarities in each county.

Fourteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1892-93, in two 

parts; Part II, Accompanying papers, 1894; octavo, 597 pp.

Contains papers on "Potable waters of the eastern United States," by W J HcGee 

"Natural mineral waters of the United States," by A. C. Peale; "Results of stream measurements," by F. H. Newell. Illustrated by maps and diagrams.

IKK 33 (Continued on third page of cover.)
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTEBIOB

WATER-SUPPLY

AND

IRRIGATION PAPERS

OF THE

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

ISFo. 33

WASHINGTON

aOTEKNMENT PKINTING OFFICE 

1900
OTITED STATES GEOLOGICAL

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR

STORAGE OF WATER

GIL A RIVER, ARIZONA

BY

JOSETPH BARLOW LIPPINOOTT

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1900
CONTENTS.

Page.

Letter of transmittal -..--. ..........................................^... 7

Existing conditions........_...__....______.___.____-..---_-..---._------- 9

Location of reservation ............... ..........._...---.----.-..---.-- 9

Description of tribes .._..-.-_ ..____._._.._.._____.-_.-.--_----------- 9

Decrease of water supply -_-__----.__-................._....--.._----.. 10

Necessity for relief ............ ........ ............-.---..-....-... 12

Investigation in 1896........ ........._-...-..- ..._----..----.---.-.-. 13

Investigation in 1899..-.---......-..........-.-.-...-..----.--..------- 14

Amount of water required.............___..-.-_...-.------ ----------- 17

Water supply ........_.............................-..-. ................ 18

Precipitation.._._,_--..,..._........._....._.......-.--..-... -------- 18

Subdivisions of the drainage basin ..........-...--.-...-...-----.----- 21

Relative flow at San Carlos and the Buttes .__.__-....----.-.---- ..... 22

Measurements of Gila River at the Buttes, Arizona ........ .....-._-. 25

Evaporation--.--.-------.-.--.......-......................_--.....-.. 32

Spillway provisions -.--..-......-............-.--. .................. 34

Silt ... .___-._--.--..-_.-._.-..-.-.._._._ .--..-......-..--. .--.- ------ 35

Explorations for bed rock at the Buttes -... _...........:....-----.-.--..-. 42

Diamond core drill _--..-._..__.--_._.______.-____.-._-,-... --------- 43

Cost of operating.------..-.--. ..............-.--..-..--.---.-.-.--.-. 46

Buttes reservoir .--..--_-.--.-..-.-...................--..--. ------------ 48

Exploration for foundations of dam...-........._..-......-.!.-.---.-- 48

Quality of bed rock....-..--.__.--___._. .................-.---.-..-..-. 49

Quarry tests... -.---.--.----._-_........--..-.........-----.-.----.-. 51

Type of dam adopted ........................... -____..,--.-_-...---.. 54

Method of excavation for foundations...-...-.. .....-.-..-_--..-.--_- 58

Building materials, sand, and gravel... __-.-._.--.-.,.--------------- 58

Capacity and cost of the Buttes reservoir. - __...____.--._-.----..--.-- 59

Diversion canal below the Buttes dam_..................---..---..-.--.--. 61

Exploration at the Dikes...... .--.._..____..____.-._..___-.__-...---..--- 62

Riverside reservoir ........................ ._...-_......--...--.-.- ...-. 62

Proposed dam at Riverside ._._..______.__. _.--... .................. 63

Method of construction .......................... ..--.-.-.....--..--- 64

Capacity and cost -..-.. ___-.-.......... .............. ... ....---.... 65

San Carlos reservoir ....--...--....-..-........ -..--...-.--..---..---....-.-. 66

Proposed dam at San Carlos..--...._-.._..._.._--.--___---.--. ....... 69

Material for dam _.__.._._..___._.__._._.._.__._._______.......___.___ 71

Details of dam. -..._.--.......___._________-_-.__.___.__....._...._... 72

Capacity and cost....._..... --.-...-.-...................-.--.---.--- 73

G-uthrie reservoir.-........-........--_....-.....................--....-.. 77

Queen Creek reservoir ._.._.-_....-._________-__.._....._._.....-......... 79

Bed rock at dam site............. .................................^ 81

Cement, by Edward Duryee ....... ............................_-........ 82

Irrigablelands .-..---._--.-..-...-._.._..--......_......,_---- . ........ 90

Distribution canals .........................._... ........... ..._...--.---_ 91

Organization of irrigation district-.-. ............... .........,.----.---.- 91

Summary .._____..._.___.__._.._.___.____________..._.____....... .... .... 92

Recommendations .............. ..-.. .,..,.,...,...-......-.-.---...-_- 95

5
ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

PLATE I. Driving pipe in bed of Gila River at the Buttes, Arizona, for diamond-core drill--.--._._.....---.._.-- ......... ..-.-......- 9

II. A, Gila River Canyon, 15 miles below San Carlos dam site; B,

Gila River Canyon, 8 miles below San Carlos dam site......... 16

III. A, Location of rainfall stations in basin of Gila River, Arizona;

B, rainfall and run off in Gila Basin.....___.--.-.-_...-. ..... 18

IV. Annual rainfall at eighteen stations in basin of Gila River....... 20

V. A, Buttes dam site, looking upstream; proposed quarries on left; 

spillway on left of center of field; B, Buttes dam site, looking 

upstream from upper toe ._,_..__..______._-.--.-.._.---.__._ 24

VI. A, Rating curve for Gila River at the Buttes, Arizona, applied 

from November 25, 1898, to July 10, 1899; B, discharge of Gila 

River at the Buttes, Arizona, 1889-1899. .............. ....... 26

VII. A, Diamond-core drill party at work; B, Buttes reservoir site.... 42

VIII. At Rating curve for Gila River at the Buttes, used from July 20

to August 10, 1899; B, location of borings at Buttes dam site... 44

IX. Contour map of Buttes dam site, showing plan of dam and location of quarry tests.._... ......... .......................... 46

X. A, Result of quarry test at cliff on right bank below Buttes dam

site; B, dam site on Queen Creek.... .......................... 48

XI. A, Elevation of end wall of Buttes dam; B, maximum cross section

of proposed dam at the Buttes, Arizona ..._._..--....__..._.-- 50

XII. Elevation of Buttes dam, looking upstream..... ................ 52

XIII. Cross sections of tower and outlet tunnel, Buttes dam ........... 54

XIV. A, Cross section of low-water tunnel, Buttes dam; B, maximum 

cross section of wasteway, Buttes dam; C, location of borings 

 at Riverside dam site ..........-.--..---....---...--- ........ 56

XV. Map of Buttes reservoir site....-..-----_...-......--.--.----.-.- 58

XVI. Contour map of Riverside dam site. . ......-.....---.-..--.---. 60

XVII. A, Riverside dam site; B, Riverside reservoir site............... 62

XVIII. Contour map of Riverside reservoir site _....._.._._._.___.___ » 64

XIX. San Carlos dam site, looking upstream.......................... 66

XX. Contour map of San Carlos dam site ............. ..---.......-. 68

XXI. Elevation of San Carlos dam and wasteways ....... ........... 70

XXII. Maximum cross section of San Carlos dam with towers removed.. 72

XXIII. A, Cross section of wasteway of San Carlos dam; B, details of

towers for San Carlos dam............. ._.-.-.-----.-_--...-. 72

XXIV. Cross section of San Carlos dam through tower.................. 72

XXV. A, San Carlos dam site, looking downstream; B, left abutment of

San Carios dam site .... ............... .... ............... 74

XXVI. A, Inlet valve for San Carlos dam; B, horizontal section of main

tower of San Carlos dam, showing arrangement of valves...... 74

XXVII. Contour map of San Carlos reservoir site ...-..---.--....-- . . 76

XXVIII. Contour map of the grounds of the San Carlos Indian agency and

, military post, showing location of buildings..-......-..-.....- 76

XXIX. Contour map of Guthrie reservoir site...-......-.-.-..--.....--. 78

XXX. Contour map of Guthrie dam site.... .... ...................... 78

XXXI. Contour map of Queen Creek reservoir site...... .-....-......-- 80

XXXII. A, Location of borings at Queen Creek dam site; B, capacity

curves of the proposed reservoirs on Gila River. Arizona....... 82

XXXIII. York Canyon on Gila River at Guthrie dam site.....----.. ...-, 90 

6
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

DEPARTMENT OF TH& INTERIOR, 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

DIVISION OF HYDROGRAPHY, 

WasJiington, December 1, 1899.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript prepared 

by Mr. J. B. Lippincott, giving the results of surveys of reservoirs on 

Gila River, Arizona, and to recommend that it be printed in the series 

of Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers.

The investigations upon which this report is based were originally 

intrusted to Mr. Arthur P. Davis, as he was familiar with the conditions through a preliminary survey. Before the field work was completed, however, his services were required by the Nicaragua Canal 

Commission, to extend the studies of the water supply of Central 

America. The responsible oversight was then intrusted to Mr. J. B. 

Lippincott, who up to that time had been assisting Mr. Davis.

This report has been written by Mr. Lippincott, and his conclusions 

have been verified by Mr. James D. Schuyler. The latter has prepared a concise discussion of the matter, -but at this time it is necessary only to quote his general conclusions and recommendations, as 

follows:

(1) That a minimum of 40,000 acre-feet of water annually should be stored for 

the supply of the Indian reservation.

(2) That it is not feasible to obtain this supply from Queen Creek, although 

the construction of the dam and reservoir proposed on the stream is feasible if a 

sufficient water supply were available.

(3) That the Gila River is the only available soiirce of permanent supply.

(4) That it is not feasible or advisable to build a dam and reservoir on the Gila 

for storing so small a quantity as 40,000 acre-feet, on account of the rapidity with 

which a small reservoir must be filled with silt.

(5) That it is not feasible to construct a reservoir outside of the immediate 

channel of the Gila River of sufficient capacity to provide for the wants of the 

Indians, filling the same annually by a conduit from the river.

(6) That it is not advisable to build a dam and reservoir on the channel of the 

river of less capacity than one-half the total annual flow of the river in minimum 

years.

(7) That feasible reservoir and dam vsites exist on the Gila at the Buttes, Riverside, and San Carlos. '

(8) That it is not feasible to build a masonry dam at the Buttes, on account of 

the rotten quality of the rock, the great depth to bed rock, and the excessive 

height of dam required to obtain a storage of 174,000 acre-feet, or about one-half 

the minimum flow of the stream.
8 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

(9) That the construction of a combination rock-fill and masonry dam is feasible at the Buttes at a cost of $3,643,327, storing 174,040 acre-feet, but that it is not 

feasible to construct a dam of any type of greater height or capacity.

(10) That the Buttes reservoir of the stated capacity may be expected to fill 

with solid matter in eighteen years, unless dredged or sluiced out.

(11) That it is feasible to construct a masonry dam at Riverside at a cost of 

$1,989,605, including damages for right of way and diversion dam at the head of 

the Florence canal, forming a reservoir with a capacity of 221,134 acre-feet.

(12) That it is feasible to increase the height of dam at the Riverside dam at 

least 70 feet higher than the one estimated upon, giving an ultimate reservoir 

capacity of about 650,000 acre-feet, which would not be filled with solid matter 

short of sixty-seven years.

(13) That it is feasible to construct a masonry dam at San Carlos at a cost of 

$1,038,926, including damages for right of way and diversion dam at the head of 

the Florence canal, forming a reservoir of 241,396 acre-feet capacity, and that the 

water supply is ample to fill such a reservoir in the years of minimum flow, and 

that the volume of storage will irrigate at least 100,000 acres in addition to the 

irrigation of the lands of the Indians.

(14) That it is feasible to construct a dam at San Carlos at least 70 feet higher 

than that contemplated in the estimates, forming a reservoir whose ultimate capacity would be approximately 550,000 acre-feet and whose probable life of usefulness would be sixty-three years before being filled with silt.

(15) That provision should be made in the working plans for these ultimate 

extensions suggested and the right of way reserved in the reservoir basin for the 

additional area that may ultimately be flooded.

(16) That the San Carlos dam should be built as the first step to betaken for the 

storage of water upon the G-ila and that all other available sites should be permanently withdrawn from entry with a view to their ultimate utilization for storage purposes.

(17) That the working plans for the San Carlos dam should be drawn to permit 

of the complete utilization of all^power which may be developed from the head of 

the water issuing from the reservoir and steps be taken for realizing upon the 

full commercial value of the power.

(18) That that portion of the public domain which can be irrigated and 

reclaimed from the surplus storage of the G-ila River reservoirs, over and above 

what is required for the Sacaton Indian Reservation, should be withdrawn from 

entry, segregated into an irrigation district, provided with a system of canals of 

distribution, and only offered for sale at a rate commensurate with their true 

value as irrigable lands with water rights, the proceeds to be placed in a fund to 

be used only for continuing the improvement, extension, and care of reservoirs 

and storage dams on the G-ila River.

In addition to the investigation authorized by the act of July 1, 

1898, related work was carried on at the same time under the annual 

appropriation for measuring the streams and determining the water 

supply, thus furnishing general information which has been embodied 

in the following pages. No attempt has been made in this paper to 

discriminate between the data acquired by the two classes of field 

work.

Very respectfully, « F. H. NEWELL,

Hydrographer in Charge. 

Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT,

Director United States Geological Survey.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL.

DRIVING PIPE IN BED OF GILA RIVER AT THE BUTTES, ARIZONA, FOR DIAMOND

CORE DRILL
STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA.

By JOSEPH BARLOW LIPPINCOTT.

EXISTING CONDITIONS.

LOCATION OF RESERVATION.

*

The Gila River Indian Reservation consists of a tract of 357,120 acres 

lying on both sides of Gila River, in southern Arizona. It extends 

from a point about 9 miles west of Florence to the mouth of Salt 

River, the principal tributary of the Gila;, and is approximately 12 miles 

south of Phenix, the capital of the Territory. The greater portion of 

this reservation consists of land whose gentle slopes are well adapted 

to irrigation. From June 1 to October I the weather is exceedingly 

warm. The relative humidity of the locality, however, is low, so that 

the effect of the heat is largely mitigated, and prostrations from this 

cause are rare. It is probably as well suited to occupation from a 

climatic standpoint as the great valleys of central California or the 

southern Atlantic coast. The winter season is -delightful, the temperature seldom falling lower than 20° F.

The lands of this reservation are arid, the annual rainfall being 

between 7 and 9 inches, a large portion of the precipitation occurring 

during the winter or nongrowing months. The growth of all crops in 

this district is wholly dependent upon irrigation, but with water they 

can be raised in continuous rotation, while successful dry farming is 

an impossibility. What is true of the Indian reservation also applies 

to the adjacent lands of the Gila River Valley. Wheat, barley, corn, 

and alfalfa grow luxuriantly when watered. The deciduous fruits 

nourish, but winter temperatures are too low for the citrus species.

DESCRIPTION OF TRIBES.

The Gila River Indian Reservation is occupied chiefly by the Pima 

and Maricopa Indians and a limited number of Papagos. The first 

knowledge we have of these Indians is obtained from a narrative of 

Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer, who visited this region about the 

year 1535, after an adventurous journey overland from Florida. This 

traveler describes them very much as they are to-day. They occupied 

the same lands as at present, and have evidently long been industrious 

and successful farmers and irrigators, as they continued to be for 

many years after the acquisition of Arizona by the United States. 

Their average wheat crop was about 2,000,000 pounds a year, besides

9
10 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

which corn, pumpkins, beans, sorghum, and vegetables were raised 

in large quantities. They manufactured ollas, or earthen jars, and 

baskets and wove very fine blankets and cotton fabrics. They lived 

in small villages and held their lands in severalty.

The Pirnas have always been friends of the whites and enemies of 

the Apaches. They gave succor and assistance to the early white settlers, and their doors were always open to peaceable whites or Indians 

when hard pressed by the savage foe. It is their boast that their 

hands were never stained by the white man's blood. It was under 

such conditions that they were joined, about a century ago, by the 

Maricopas, who came as fugitives from the more powerful Yuma tribe. 

When the belligerent Apaches gave trouble to the settlers, the United 

States troops sometimes obtained substantial aici and comfort from the 

Pimas in the way of subsistence.

The agriculture of the Pinia Indians was carried on entirely by irrigation with water diverted from Gila River. These tribes have always 

supported themselves, and their progress toward civilization has been 

regarded as one of the encouraging features of the Indian problem. 

During the last ten years, their irrigating water having been taken 

away from them, they have lapsed into indolence, want, and vice.

DECREASE OF WATER SUPPLY.

Their condition of prosperity, industry, and independence continued until, by the settlement of the Gila Valley above the reservation, 

the water supply was partly cut off and began to be deficient for the 

cultivated lands on the reservation. No. very serious shortage 

occurred, however, until after the construction of the Florence canal 

and its diversion dam, heading about 15 miles above the eastern limit 

of the reservation on Gila River. When this canal was projected, 

early in the year 1886, Agent Wheeler called the attention of the 

Department of the Interior to the fact that if the construction of this 

canal were permitted, it "would'practically destroy the farms of the 

Pima and Maricopa Indians living on the river," and that the effect 

would be to render the Indians helpless and destitute, the water being 

absolutely necessary to their existence. On March 2,1886, the subject 

was referred by the Department to the Attorney-General, who directed 

the United States district attorney for Arizona to take the necessary 

steps to protect the Indians from the effects of the projected canal. The 

matter was delayed until July of the same year, when the Director of 

the Geological Survey was instructed by the Secretary of the Interior 

to investigate and report to the Department the effect which the proposed canal would be likely to have upon the water supply for the 

Indian reservation. As a result of the investigation the following 

facts were established: .

(1) That the water supply of the Pima and Maricopa reservations tinder 

present conditions is no more than sufficient for the wants of the Indians.
LIPPINCOTT.] DECREASE OF WATER SUPPLY. 11

(2) That the construction of a dam by the Florence Canal Company of the character represented in the correspondence will give the control substantially of all 

the water of the Gila River; and if the owners of the dam carry the water right 

also, they can deliver the water to the reservation or not, as best suits their plans.

(3) That the lands outside the reservation which could be economically supplied 

with water by such a canal greatly exceed in area the amount that the river is 

capable of supplying, and that the company, with the water rights established, 

would own the water, with a demand far exceeding the supply, and the Government would have to approach them as a competitor in the market to obtain a supply for the Indians of the reservation.

(4) That if the water supply from the river be shut off, the Indian reservation 

would become uninhabitable.

(5) If the dam and canal should be constructed, the present and immediate 

prospective needs of the reservation might be supplied therefrom, and there would 

be some surplus water to be used for irrigating lands outside the reservation.

(6) That if the agriculture of the Indians residing on the reservation is to have 

normal growth, and it be the intention to settle other Indians of the neighborhood 

who are not supplied with agricultural lands on the reservation, the greater part, 

and perhaps the whole, of the waters of the Gila will be necessary therefor.

As a result of this report the Department of Justice was again 

requested to take such steps as would be necessary to prevent the 

diversion of waters of Gila River to the injury of the Indians of 

the Pi ma and Maricopa reservations. Some offers of compromise 

were made by the canal company, and legal steps were held in 

abeyance until the canal was constructed, and no successful attempt 

was ever made to prevent the diversion of the river by the Florence 

canal or to compel such diverters to supply the Indians with water 

for irrigation, and the matter, was finally allowed to drop by the 

Department of Justice. The result of the diversion was to deprive 

the Indians of the greater portion of their water supply during the 

period when the water was most needed to mature their crops. The 

shortage has been greater some years than others, depending to a certain extent upon the season, whether abnormally dry or otherwise, 

but in general there has been a progressive decrease of the water supply for the reservation, due originally, in great measure, to the 

diversion by the Florence canal.

Recent, events have, however, altered the aspect of the question, 

from the fact that the supply for the Florence canal itself is now short, 

owing to the diversion for irrigation far above that point, chiefly in 

Graham and Coehise counties, Arizona. The solution of the problem 

has become more difficult by reason of its postponement and the condition of the Indians more deplorable. Year after year they plowed 

and sowed and irrigated their crops, only to have them destroyed by 

drought before maturity by lack of sufficient irrigation water in the 

drier months. Naturally they have become discouraged by these 

fruitless efforts, and great demoralization has resulted. A few who 

are favorably located at points where water appears in the dry bed of 

the Gila can still mature their crops; a few others are able to eke out 

an existence by hauling wood or other precarious employments, while
12 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

the larger number have become more or less dependent upon charity 

or have degenerated into thieves and vagabonds.

NECESSITY FOR RELIEF.

On March 27, 1895, Mr. J. Roe Young, United States Indian agent 

at Sacaton, made a terse statement of the case to the Indian Bureau, 

closing his letter with the following recommendation:

What is best to be done I do not know. I recommend, however, that a competent, thorough, and skillful engineer, well acquainted with irrigation questions, be employed to ascertain and report, first, whether or not under existing 

conditions a supply of water adequate to the needs of these Indians can be 

obtained and retained permanently, and then, if such a supply can be obtained, 

what is the best, most feasible, practicable, and economical method of doing so. 

To properly do this the engineer should examine carefully the past and present 

condition and flow of the Gila River, the amount of water which formerly passed 

through this reservation, and the amount we are now receiving; the number and 

amount of inches of water for which charters for ditches have been granted in the 

different counties through which the Gila flows, and the amount of water taken 

out under these charters, together with the number of such charters now legally 

in force; the underground currents and rock strata along the river, and all matters which, taken together, may lead to some solution of this question. I have been 

unable to get an estimate of what amount such an investigation and report will 

cost, but I would suggest that the sum of $5,000 be set apart from any appropriation available for this purpose. Competent and first-class engineers, with ability 

to make such a report as this case requires, are scarce and high-priced, and they 

have to be well paid. It would be money thrown away to employ a man not 

thoroughly posted.

This matter should be taken up soon, in order that we may know what to expect 

for next year.

Mr. Elwood Hadley, who is now (1899) the Indian agent at Sacaton, 

in describing the present condition of the Indians of the Gila River 

Reservation, writes as follows, under date of September 25, 1899:

Approximately 6,000 Indians Pimas, Papagos, and Maricopas are dependent 

for their subsistence upon the lands of the Gila River Reservation, which reservation contains 357,120 acres. It is estimated that half of the land could be made 

productive with water to irrigate it. The water supply in the Gila River the 

present season, owing to its use for lands above us, has not been sufficient to irrigate 1,000 acres. Fully half the crops planted have not produced enough for 

seed. This land is very fertile. The condition of affairs here shows that in the 

past three years there has been a large falling off in the water supply for irrigation. The reason is apparent in the absorption of the water by additional cultivated 

lands above,

I notice in the Indians a restlessness as they realize their helpless condition, and 

and am often confronted with the solicitous queries, What are we to do? If we 

plant what we have, what assurance have we of getting it back? Under favorable 

conditions these Indians, being agricultural and pastoral, would soon become independent, prosperous, civilized citizens. Otherwise, discouragement, hunger, and 

destitution are their lot. A nomadic life being taken on, their old tribal nature 

asserts itself, and the expenditures hitherto made and being made by the Government for their education and improvement prove a curse to them rather than a 

blessing.

It is now necessary to issue considerable subsistence to the Indians whose crops
 iNVESTIGAtlOtf lit 1896. i&

have been a failure, and this aid will have to be largely increased under the existing limited water supply. A supply of water would permit of the Pima boarding 

school establishing a model farm, greatly reducing the cost of maintaining the 

school of 200 pupils, and be a most valuable educational factor in the school life of 

the pupils. The available Indian labor in the construction of the reservoir is an 

important factor, as it is much better to provide them labor with pay than keep 

them as paupers. These Indians are willing to work, and their moral status is 

good. Their attitude toward the United States has always been friendly. They 

have saved the Government in protecting the early settlers from the ravages of the 

Apaches. They have kept themselves within the bounds of law and order, and 

they are now left upon the desert without water. Humanity speaks, economical 

administration for the sustenance of the Indians speaks, and Nature, in her wise provisions, says, " Let man's means and intelligence be made operative, that these 

Indians, whose claims are meritorious, be reinstated in self-sustenance and lifted 

to the plane of prosperous American citizens."

INVESTIGATION IN 1896.

In November, 1895, the Secretary of the Interior instructed the 

Director of the Geological Survey to detail a civil engineer to make 

the examination recommended, and Mr. Arthur P. Davis, hydrographer, was accordingly assigned to this task, in which he was assisted 

by Mr. Cyrus C. Babb, assistant hydrographer, and Mr. J. B. Lippincott, resident hydrographer for California. Six months of time and 

$3,500 were expended in the field on the preliminary investigation, 

and a report was submitted in 1896,1 entitled The Report on Irrigation Investigation for the Benefit of the Pima and Other Indians on 

the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona.

It was proposed to construct a dam of masonry to the height of 170 

feet above the bed of the river, at which height natural facilities 

occur for the discharge of surplus waters through adequate spillways. This would afford a storage of about 200,000 acre-feet of 

water below the flow line of 160 feet above the bed of the river. The 

provisional estimate of the cost of this project aggregated $2,244,000. 

The great uncertainty attaching to this project was the location of 

bed rock at a great but unknown depth. Numerous reports were 

obtained of soundings varying from 40 to 50 feet in depth without 

striking bed rock.

Inquiry showed that it would be impossible to obtain suitable drilling machinery for a thorough exploration of the foundation, and as a 

preliminary makeshift the method of sounding by driving rods was 

resorted to. Rods were driven in eleven places, at intervals of 40 

feet, in the proposed dam site, eight of the soundings being 50 feet or 

more and one reaching the depth of 65 feet. It was impossible with 

the means at hand to determine whether or not the rods had reached 

bed rock, but the preliminary estimates were made on the hypothesis 

that the depth of rock was 65 feet, and in the report of the work it 

was recommended that "thorough exploration should be made with 

a core drill before beginning of construction of the dam."

1 Senate Doc. No. 27, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session.
14 stoRAGE OP WATER otf GIL A RivEit, ARIZONA. CNO.&'

INVESTIGATION IN 1899.

For the purpose of continuing the investigation along the lines recommended by Mr. Davis a paragraph was inserted in the act making 

appropriation for current and contingent expenses in the Indian 

Department, approved July 1, 1898, as follows:

For ascertaining the depth of the bed rock at a place on Gila River, in Gila 

County, Arizona, known as the Buttes, and particularly described in the Senate Document Number Twenty-seven, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session, and for ascertaining the feasibility and estimating in detail the cost of the construction of a 

dam across the river at that point for the purpose of irrigating the Sacaton Reservation, and for ascertaining the average daily flow of water in the river at that 

point, twenty thousand dollars, or so much, thereof as may be necessary, the same 

to be expended by the Director of the United States Geological Survey, under the 

direction of the Secretary of the Interior: Provided, That nothing herein shall be 

construed as in any way committing the United States to the construction of said 

dam; and said Director shall also ascertain and report the feasibility and cost of 

the Queen Creek project mentioned in said Senate document.

In order to carry out the provisions of this act stream measurements were begun on Gila River at the Buttes and on Queen Creek 

at the site of the proposed dam, in November, 1898, and have been 

maintained to date (October, 1899). As the site at the Buttes was 

inaccessible by heavy wagons, a road was built to facilitate the transportation of machinery to the site for drilling. Bids were invited by 

advertisement for the exploration of bed rock, but were rejected, as 

it was found that the amount of drilling desirable would, under the 

most favorable proposal, cost more than the available funds. Two 

diamond drills, a few diamonds, and two pipe-driving machines were 

loaned to the Survey for this work by the Nicaragua Canal Commission, and borings were begun at the Buttes in January, 1899.

Twenty-five holes were put down to bed rock at the Buttes with a 

diamond core drilling apparatus. These holes were distributed up 

and down the narrow portions of the canyon in order to determine 

the most acceptable point for the location of the dam. The depths 

reached were unexpectedly great. This work is described in detail 

under the account of the diamond core drill borings on page 48. 

The maximum depth reached by any of the holes was 122.6 feet 

to bed rock. Because of this great depth an effort was made to find 

another location for a dam that could utilize the Buttes reservoir 

site as filed upon under the United States laws. The appearances 

were favorable for the proximity of bed rock to the surface near 

the head of the Florence canal, 3^ miles below the Buttes, where 

the canyon is quite wide, but where outcroppings of rock in places 

occur. The depth to bed rock at this site 82 feet 2 inches as 

determined by borings shown on the map, PL VIII, B, was too great 

to justify the location of the dam at this place. The portion of the 

canyon was contoured between the old reservoir survey, which began 

at the Buttes dam site proper and the head of the Florence canal, so 

that a revised capacity of the reservoir could be computed if the dam
LIPPINCOTT.] INVESTIGATION IN 1899. 15

should be built at the head of the Florence canal. At a point 4 miles 

above the Buttes, where a dike of volcanic rock apparently of more 

recent geological formation than the surrounding country crossed the 

canyon, another exploration for bed rock was made. The canyon at 

this point at the base of the cliffs is 459 feet in width. As a hole was 

put down to a depth of 96.3 feet without finding bed rock at this point, 

this location was condemned as a dam site without further exploration, particularly in view of the excessive length of dam required.

In order to determine the feasibility of constructing a dam at the 

Buttes, as compared with other possible locations, the Gila River above 

this location was explored for reservoir sites, and three were found 

of ample storage capacity. At Riverside, 12 miles above the Buttes, 

by the course of the river, an available locality was selected and fourteen holes were sunk, which determined a granite bed rock of good 

quality to exist at a maximum depth of 75.5 feet. At the San Carlos 

dam site, the next location above, three holes were put down to determine the depth of bed rock. This was the last dam and reservoir site 

discovered. The high water then interferred with the work to such 

an. extent that it had to be abandoned in August. The data obtained 

from these three holes are very meager and should be extended, but 

they had to be accepted in this estimate as determining bed rock at 

that point. At the Guthrie reservoir site, which is above Soloinonville and uppermost of three available locations examined, a detailed 

survey was also made. The rock at this dam site consists of a mixed 

volcanic product, there being strata of gravel deposited between various lava flows. This was considered sufficient in itself to condemn 

this site for construction purposes. A railroad passes through the 

length of the reservoir and through the dam site, and a change in its 

location would be a matter of difficulty and large expense.

The upper portion of Gila River and its principal tributaries were 

explored by Mr. Cyrus C. Babb, hydrographer, as well as the basin of 

San Pedro River. In both the Gila and San Pedro basins measurements of all canals were made in order to determine the amount 'of 

water returning to the river from irrigation and for purposes of general 

information. This return water has a particular bearing upon our 

project as contemplated in that the irrigation of 120,000 acres of land 

in the neighborhood of Florence and Sacaton may be expected to 

increase the flow of the lower portion of Gila River in a way similar 

to that of the cases investigated where irrigation has been practiced 

for a term of years. In other words, if 50 per cent of the water used 

for irrigation around Solomonville, on the upper portion of the river, 

returns to the river below the places where it is used for irrigation, and 

it may again be used for like purpose below, a similar action may be 

expected below the irrigated lands which are supplied from this proposed reservoir system. Measurements of return water, or "seepage 

measurements," were also made in the vicinity of Phenix, which show 

similar conditions.
16 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The canyon of the Gila, between the mouth of the San Pedro and 

the San Carlos dam site, was explored and found to be 31 miles in 

length. It is a narrow gorge, as shown on PL II, being thus an excellent conduit for the passing of the liberated water from the San Carlos 

dam site to the irrigable lands below. A traverse survey was made 

throughout its length. Observations for determining the average 

evaporation, the range of temperature, and the volumes of suspended 

silt in the river have beeiLinaintained at the Buttes during the period 

of the survey. A canal line has been surveyed from the Buttes dam 

site past the head of the Florence canal, a distance of 4 miles. This 

canal would be used in connection with the Buttes reservoir site for 

the purpose of delivering its water to the irrigable lands, and largely 

for the development of power, which could be used, if desired, in the 

settlements that would spring up under this system.

Owing to the questionable character of the rock for building at the 

Buttes dam site, quarry tests were made, as described fully under the 

description of the Buttes dam. Mr. E. Duryee, chemist and cement 

expert, of Colton, California, investigated thoroughly the rocks of all 

the localities in question, in order to determine the feasibility of .the 

manufacture of a natural hydraulic or a Portland cement. His investigation, as shown in detail on later pages, also determined the possibility of using the siliceous rocks of the respective localities for blending with Portland cement in 'the manufacture of what is known as 

'' sand cement." The extent of public domain in the irrigable districts 

was determined from the land-office records at Tucson, Arizona.

Mr. J. H. Quinton was engaged to assist in the designing of the dams 

and other engineering works. He visited all the localities in question 

and made a careful field examination. Mr. James D. Schuylerwas employed for purposes of consultation in the planning of the work, in an 

advisory capacity, and for this purpose made detailed examinations 

of the various dam sites on two occasions during the progress of the 

field investigation. The service which Mr. Schuyler has rendered in 

this capacity has been of prime importance to the work, owing to his 

very extended experience in the construction of dams for irrigation 

purposes.

The general plans for dams at all points have been matters of discussion during a period of months by all the engineers connected with 

this investigation. Each has contributed his share toward the formation of the final plans which Mr. Quinton has prepared. The office 

work for the report has been done in Los Angeles, where the plans 

and estimates have been prepared. Numerous laboratory tests of 

material from the dams and of the sand cements have been made. 

Mr. Arthur P. Davis, hydrographer, was in charge of the organization 

of the field work and of its execution until May 1, 1899, when he was 

detailed to assist the Nicaragua Canal Commission in its work on the 

Isthmus. Mr. Davis practically outlined the field work, His ideas 

with reference to plans of construction have been given most careful
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. II

A. GILA RIVER CANYON, 15 MILES BELOW SAN CARLOS DAM SITE.

. GILA RIVER CANYON, 8 MILES BELOW SAN CARLOS DAM SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] AMOUNT OP WATER REQUIRED. ^ 17

consideration in reaching final conclusions, and to him is due the 

credit, in large part, for the successful carrying out of the work and 

for its breadth and scope.

AMOUNT OF WATER REQUIRED.

In order to determine the amount of water that will be required for 

the Indians on the Gila River Indian Reservation, Mr. Elwood Hadley, United States Indian agent at Sacaton, was requested to make a 

statement on the subject. In his reply, dated October 12, 1899, he 

writes:

It is estimated that there are nearly 4,500 Pima and Maricppa Indians on the 

reservation dependent for their subsistence upon its lands. South of this reservation, in the country lying between the Southern Pacific Eailroad and the border 

line of Mexico, it is estimated that there are nearly 2,000 nomadic Papagos, who 

derive much of their subsistence from the Pimas of this reservation (Gila Eiver) 

in exchange for their labor. The Pimas are liberal and kind to their more unfortunate brothers, and give them a share of their products in return for their labor 

in harvesting the crops.

The estimated number of Indians under my care is as follows: Pimas, 4,200; 

Maricopas, 350; Papagos, 2,700; total, 7,350.

The number named above who live on reservations away from here would 

gladly come here if they could be furnished with water. It is estimated that 2 

acres of land will sustain an Indian.

The report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1896 gives for 

the Pima Agency the following population: Pimas, 4,260; Maricopas, 

340; Papagos, 1,224; Papagos, nomadic, 2,046 total, 7,870. This does 

not state, however, whether these are actually on this particular reservation or on others.

In the report of Mr. Arthur P. Davis, of 1896, it is estimated that 

1.5 acres of ground is necessary for the support of each Indian. This 

estimate is thought to be liberal. In the irrigated districts of southern California an inhabitant to each acre is sustained. For the irrigation of grain probably 1.5 acre-feet of water is sufficient for the complete development of the crop for each season; but for the growth of 

alfalfa or orchards a lower duty of water will be^equired, and 2 acrefeet per acre is assumed in this report to be a satisfactory supply. If 

there are 7,250 Indians now located upon this reservation or deriving 

their subsistence from it, each requiring 1.5 acres of irrigated land, it 

would be necessary to supply 10,875 acres with water to meet present 

demands. At the rate of 2 acre-feet of water for each acre irrigated, 

it will be necessary to furnish 21,750 acre-feet to the reservation to 

meet this requirement. There will doubtless be other Indians on 

neighboring reservations on the lower portion of Gila River, whom 

the Department would desire to move onto the Gila Reservation in 

case an abundant supply of water could be furnished to them. In 

view of these possible transfers, and of the natural increase in numbers 

of the tribes now dependent upon the reservation, a prospective demand 

on the reservoir system of 40,000 acre-feet is considered necessary. 

inn 33 2
18 STORAGE OF WATER ON GlLA RlVfiR, ARIZONA. [NO.

WATER SUPPLY.

PRECIPITATION.

Rainfall observations have been taken at thirty-one different points 

in the basin of Gila River above the Buttes, as shown on PL III, A, the 

earliest record beginning at Fort Bayard, New Mexico, in 1867. Undoubtedly the greatest precipitation of the basin occurs in the 

higher mountains, in its northeastern portion. The records for these 

mountain districts are rare, most of them being taken in the valleys 

where settlements and agriculture occur. It is probable, therefore, 

that the actual rainfall for the basin is greater than that indicated by 

the tables and diagrams. For the purpose of this report the rainfall 

observations in the basin of Gila River above the Buttes have been 

grouped in three classes in the following table first, the Gila Basin 

proper, exclusive of the basin of the San Pedro; second, the basin 

of the San Pedro; and third, a series of observations at three stations 

in the vicinity of Florence, five stations in the basin of Santa Cruz 

River, which stream enters the Gila below the mouth of the Salt, and 

three sets of observations in the vicinity of Phenix. The segregation 

of the records into the groups named is for the purpose of comparing 

the relative amount of water available for storage purposes at the 

reservoir site at San Carlos and at the Buttes.

Annual rainfall, in incJies, in basin of Gila River above San Carlos, Arizona.

Elevation

Year:

1867...

1868...

1869...

1870...

1871 ...

1873...

1873...

1874...

1875 ...

1876...

1877...

1878...

1879...

1880...

1881...

1883...

1883...

1884... 

1885...

1886...

1887...

1888...

1889...

1890...

1891...

1893...

1898...

1894... 

1895... 

1896...

1897 u.

1898...

1899...

Fort Bayard.

6,023

13.87

15.33

12.84

10.07

5.79

13.61

33.18

30.38

19.66

18.94

13.13

13.59

13.43

7.31

10.30

8.80

8.67 

14.45

M os ir.oo

18.31

14.08

3

3

.......

.......

"is.'ii"

17.87

14.44

15.33

14.98

03

a 

<

5,500

-

.......

.......

"ia."5i"

15.09

15.68

17.36

16.13

d ^ 

O

3,610

.......

15.94

10.90

"13.99"

10.69

16.14

13.33

Sanimon.

3,611

6.50

7.15

10.37 

3.39

3.03

.99

4.55

8.43

4.04 

3.57

5.65

3.34 

3.78 

4.36

4.65

Willcox.

4 ' 164

13.11

8.58

8.73

14.38 

8.51

9.37

16.49

11.93

13.68

7.36 

8.01

3.95

5.88 

8.04 

9.33

5.66

8.16

9.43

Grant. For 

4,860

17.99

17.81

30.91

10.13

16.46

13 83

15.74

18.96

15.43

15.48

35.67 

9.31

34.33

14.30

13.33

15.88

13.31 

T.90

13.85

13.53 

13.30 

15.99

13.87

14.36

15.34

Cedar Springs.

i onn

.......

16.44

.......

.......

Thomas Frt 

<> 7nn

11.41

8.66

10.85

18.16

8.70

10.86

16.35

13.34

10.89

13.93

.......

13.33

San Carlos,

3,450

15.37

13.31

30.41 

8.19

10.44

8.68

13.04

13.40 ir.se

Jl.OO 

13.05

13.53

10.15 

14.41 

13.88

7.90

7.79

13.31

Fort Apache.

5,050

19.74

13.50

38.61

18.58

14.77

81.12

37.63

31.65

39.47 

15.58

31.06

17.84

18.89

17.10

36.73

13.36 

13.70

15.08

17.43 

18.03 

16.09

14.93

30.55

19.54

Mean above San Carlos.

18.40

13.69

13.68

19.74

8.76

10.75

14.04

]2.77

13.60

16.46

9.88

8.67

10.31

9.81 

13.48 

13.84

13.52

14.45

*

13.87
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WAfEfc-SUPPLY PAPtft NO. 63 PL. Ill

A. LOCATION OF RAINFALL STATIONS IN BASIN OF GILA RIVER.

Rainfall stations:

1. Fort Bayard.

2. Gila.

3. Alma.

4. Oro (Clifton).

5. San Simon.

6. Willcox.

7. Fort Grant.

8. Cedar Springs.

9. Fort Thomas. 1 7. Fort Huachuca. 25. St. Helena Ranch.

10. San Carlos. 18. Huachuca Mountains. 26. Calabasas.

11. Fort Apache. 19. Bisbee. 27. Lochiel.

12. Dudleyville. 20. Buttes. 28. Phenix.

13. Oracle. 21. Florence. 29. Fort McDowell.

14. Benson. 22. Casa Grande. 30'. Pinal Ranch.

15. Dragoon. 23. Tucson. 31. Silver King.

16. Tombstone. 24. Pantano.

700,000

600,000 "S 

<£

i 500,000

S 

~ 400,000

<£ 

o

J 300,000

200,000

100,000

0

Capacity of San Car/ps reservoir

-Capacity of fheButfes resen/o/r

Z4/.396 acre-feet

/74-.O4-O acre-feef

B. RAINFALL AND RUN-OFF IN GILA BASIN.
LIPPINCOTT.] PRECIPITATION. 19

Annual rainfall, in inches, at stations in basin of San Pedro River, Arizona.

Elevation 

(feet)... 

Year:

1881 .......

1882.-- ...

1883.......

1884 

1885---..-.

1886.- .

1887 

1888----

1889 

1890.......

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898 

1899 

Mean . . .

Dudley-ville.

2,360

8.59

10.29

8.37

15.12

15.93

15.45

10.03

14. Ofi

13.34

Oracle.

4,500

18.36

14 44

19 62

14.43

20.89

17.55

Benson.

3,580

8.60

9.64

10.57

8.69

4.24

6.27

8.19

7 JU

7.78

13.83

5.81

7.71

4.57

16.78

18.60

9.21

Dragoon.

5,436

17.38

16.03

8.41

11 44

13.31

Tombstone.

13.44

13.50

13.47

3 . M§ -

I1

fa

5,100

11.47

15.28

19.95

15.89

19.60

10.84

11.50

20.16

13.95

14.15

01 27

16.68

21.82

16.31

Huachuca Mountains.

5,000

15.87

12.04

12.24

16.58

16.48

20.39

22 01

26.38

17.75

J

" 

.

5,500

20.23

14.34

13.92

14.79

14.80

20.86

17.59

25.87

17.67

Mean SanPedro Basin.

8.87

11.73

13.89

13.01

17.88

11.50

11.74

13.52

13.69

14.83

18.63

15.15

19.36

14.13

Mean above Buttes. th 

16.44

13.11

12.38

18.16

8.11

10.21

13.53

13.02

12.72

16.93

10.63

9.90

11.87

11.58

13.26

15.93

13.83

16.69

13.24

Annual rainfall at stations in basin of Gila River, in tJte vicinity of Florence, 

Tucson, and Phenix, Arizona.

Elevation ... 

Year: 

1887 ........

1868. .

1869 

1870 1871 

1873

1878 

1874 

1875 

1876 

1877 

1878 

1879 

1880 

1881 1883 

1884 

1885. ......

1886.- 

1887 

1888 

*|QQQ

1890.... 

1891. ...... 

1892 

1893 

1894 

1895 

1896 

1897 

1898....... 

1899.......

Florence vicinity.

Buttes.

1,600

 ...

.......

-------

"7."59"

Florence.

1,493

9.33

5.35 

13.49

12.02 

5.35

12.14

. ......

12'. 70 

8.24 

9.95 

9.63

9.74

Casa Grande.

1,396

.......

1.73

3.01 

9.71

2.02 

5.12 

7.71

4.30 

4.25 

10.70 

3.62 

8.75 

4.-92 

5.83

"sfos"

5.33

Santa Cruz Basin.

Tucson.

3,404

1

14 02

13.77 

16.66

12.01 

6.61

14.92 

15.59

7.78 

15.03 

5.26 

8.59 

12.95

10.60 

18.37 

14.16 

7.30 

9.61 

13.12 

7.29 

11.07 

11.39 

10.77 

13.72

11.68

d

3,538

........

15.65 

15.73

"8."96' 

10.36

"i5."50 

18.71 

9.87 

10.79 

3.35 

18.84 

11.40 

14.58 

10.73 

13.16

13.62

St. Helena ranch.

.......

.......

 ...

.......

"Is.'sV

Calabasas.

3,445

 - 

.......

.......

.......

1L83 

10.28 

10.29 

15.14 "io'ss"

11.34

Lochiel.

5,100

.......

.......

..:....

.......

.......

26.90 

15.10

19.38

Phenix vicinity.

Phecix.

1,068

5.17

8.52

6.40 

6.83

8.91 

6.94

7.40

12.83

3.77 

5.78

.......

5.50 

7.68 

5.50 "io.'is"

9.87 

5.95

7.35

1 

1

fa

1,250 

15.36

15.22 

7.69

5.45

4.94

20.01 

8.13

16.84

4.97 

7.73

9.88 

11 92

8.34 

6.61

7.24 

9.10

9.89

20.B5 

8.30 

8.08 

10.32

11.91

12.78

-----

10.48

Final ranch.

4,400

.......

.......

.......

.......

.......

lass"

33.23 

19.84

21.15

Silver King.

3,800

......

......

.....

......

......

......

......
20 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The records in the vicinity of Florence and Phenix apply to the 

districts where the water stored will-probably be applied for irrigation, 

and indicate the need of an artificial supply. In the case of the San 

Pedro Basin, the greater portion of its water supply is furnished near 

the headwaters of that stream. The lower portion of the river, 

which constitutes the greater part of its area, being low in elevation, 

has a relatively lighter rainfall, and, owing to the flat nature of the 

valleys, a low per cent of run-off. The observations of precipitation 

in the San Pedro Basin have, with one exception those of Dudleyville been made in this upper portion of the basin and at points of 

high elevation. They indicate, therefore, a water supply in excess of 

conditions as they really exist.

In connection with the study of the increase of rainfall with an 

increase in elevation, the following table is of interest:

Increase of rainfall with each 100 feet of rise in elevation, with Fort McDoioell as

a base.

Station.

Lowell ----__._.-.----..--,..

Breckenridge . . .. . ...........

Fort Grant ._..--..-......._.

Fort Buchanan ..............

Fort Apache _ . . _ __....____.

Verde ..^.. ................ -

Prescott ........... ..... ...

Length of 

record.

Yr. mo. 

23 10

19 5

6 10

17 2

3 11

18 10

22

23 11

Elevation.

Feet. 

1,250

2,400

3,800

4,860

5,330

5,050

3,160

5.390

Elevation 

above 

McDowell.

Feet.

1,150

2,550

3,610

4,080

3,800

1,910

4,140

Measured 

rain.

Inches. 

10.38

13.37

17.03

16.85

21.58

21.04

13.13

17.06

Constant 

increase 

per LOO 

feet rise.

Inches.

0.17

.86

.18

.27

.28

.15

.16

1.47 

.21

Comparing the stations given in this table with the record at Fort 

McPowell, which is a very old one,'extending from 1867 to 1888, it is 

found that in eastern Arizona the rate of increase for each 100 feet 

of rise in elevation is 0.21 of an inch of rain. It is probable that, notwithstanding the fact that the mean rainfall as measured above San 

Oarlos for all stations is 12.87 inches, and that the mean for the San 

Pedro Basin is given as 14.13, the average rainfall of the basin of the,- 

Gila above San Carlos is greater than the average for the entire San 

Pedro Basin, and consequently the run-off per square mile of the San 

Pedro Basin, owing particularly to the flat valley lands through whfch 

the river flows in the greater portion of its course, is less than the 

run-off per square mile of the Gila above San Oarlos. This is sustained by observations of flow of both streams during a period of five 

months.

A diagram is given (PL IV) showing the precipitation, in inches per
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

00 00 CO 00 CO 00

01 ^- 

oo 01

co oo oo co oo

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO.

Ot *

co at

co co

00 CO 00 OO 00 OO 00 00 CO 00 00 OO 03

ANNUAL RAINFALL AT EIGHTEEN STATIONS IN THE BASIN OF GILA RIVER.
LIPPINCOTT.] SUBDIVISIONS OF THE DRAINAGE BASIN. 21

annum, during the years when observations of the rainfall were made 

at various typical stations. For 1899 the figures are estimated after 

September 1. Data were had from the records of the Signal Service 

and of the Weather Bureau showing the amount of precipitation: 

each month at each of the eighteen stations named in the table, but 

they are considered too voluminous for publication. The table of 

annual rainfall in the basin of the Gila is compiled from this mass of 

detail. After careful consideration it was deemed impossible to give 

an average rainfall for the basin based on probable rainfall at various 

elevations. The'means given in the table and diagrams are the direct 

means of the stations at which observations were made, each being 

given equal weight in the years when its record occurs. In the case 

of the upper portion of the Gila the mean has not been extended back 

of 1881, as sufficient data do not exist upon which to base an accurate 

deduction. The few points at which observations were taken prior 

to 1881 would probably indicate a greater rainfall for the basin than 

existed, owing to their relatively great elevation. In like manner, 

the record of the San Pedro is not extended back of 1836.

SUBDIVISIONS OF THE DRAINAGE BASIN.

The outlines of the Gila River Basin have been marked on the Land 

Office maps of Arizona and New Mexico and the areas measured by 

planimeter. The basin of the southern tributary, the San Pedro, 

extends into the Republic of Mexico. From the best obtainable data 

the area in Mexico has been determined to be 120 square miles. The 

following table classifies the drainage basin of the Gila above the 

Buttes into three parts: First, the area above the San Carlos dam 

site, which would be tributary to a reservoir if located at that point; 

second, the area of the basin of San Pedro River; third, small intermediate basins below San Carlos. The San Pedro Basin is dimcult of exact determination, owing to the excessive flatness of the 

Sulphur Springs Valley, extending from near Camp Grant to the 

Mexican line and varying from 30 to 40 miles in width. This valley 

js a great sink from which little or no run-off occurs, and it has been 

eliminated from consideration in this estimate south of the Graham 

County line. A small area between San Carlos and the Buttes is 

directly tributary to Gila River, independently of the San Pedro. 

The principal stream in this last-named district is Mineral Creek.

Drainage area of Gila River above tJie Buttes, Arizona,

Drainage above San Carlos: Square ndies. 

In Arizona..._ ..^........................................... 7,378

In New Mexico.. ..................^........................... 6,077

Total.--... -....-...-.....__.,.._-.....----------_-------------- 13,455

San Pedro above mouth:

In Arizona...__..._.... _.__...._..__...__.__..-...-. - . 3,336

in Mexico...............,____.___._._.__._____._.__._._.-__..- 120

Total................................ __.__.....__.._..,---.:-~77I 3,456

Small tributaries between San Carlos and the Buttes _.-.,_............... 933

Total area of Gila Basin above the Buttes................. ...... 17,834

Total area below San Carlos,................_._..._.._.......... 4,879
22 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The total accepted area for the basin of Gila River above the Buttes 

is 17,834 square miles. The total area below San Carlos and above 

the Buttes is 4,379 square miles, which is practically 25 per cent of 

the entire area above the Buttes.

RELATIVE FLOW AT SAN CARLOS AND THE BUTTES.

In the Twelfth Annual Report of the Survey, Part II, page 305, is 

given a tabulation of the observations made on San Pedro River at 

its mouth, at Dudleyville, Arizona, from May to August, inclusive, 

1890. Duringthis period there was discharged from that stream 19,488 

acre-feet of water. During the same period of time, as measured at 

the Buttes below the mouth of San Pedro River, there was a total 

discharge from the basin of 207,936 acre-feet. This shows that 9.4 

per cent of the total discharge of the basin above the Buttes came 

from the San Pedro, and that 90.6 per cent came from other portions 

of the stream. There are 923 square miles tributary to the Gila 

above the Buttes and below San Carlos other than the San Pedro 

drainage.

From the above figures it is considered fair to estimate that 90 per 

cent of the water of Gila River comes from above San Carlos and 

that a reservoir located at the last-named point would only lose 10 

per cent of the total amount flowing by the Buttes. Moreover, the 

amount which enters the stream below San Carlos would not necessarily be entirely lost to a reservoir at that point, as the discharge 

from the reservoir could be regulated, at least in part, so as to take 

advantage of the amount of water available from the San Pedro. 

The synchronous observations which have been made from July 19 to 

September 23, 1899, at San Carlos and at the Buttes have not yet 

been of sufficient duration to admit of drawing general conclusions.

During the month of July the record indicated that 91 per cent of 

the total flow at the Buttes passed San Carlos. During the month 

of August there was deficient rainfall throughout Arizona in general. According to the statement of the Weather Bureau-(report for 

August, 1899, Arizona section), "The average precipitation for the 

Territory for the month of August was 85 per cent less than the normal. The average determined from the measurements of 59 stations 

was 1.26 inches, which is 1.75 inches less than the average for August, 

1898. The greatest amount measured at any station during the month 

was 5.77, at Fort Huachuca, and no precipitation was reported at several stations." Fort Huachuca is in the headwaters of the basin of 

the San Pedro, and the rainfall at other stations in that neighborhood 

was abnormally large for August. As might be expected, therefore, 

during the month of August the discharge from the San Pedro has 

been proportionately great. The record of stream measurements 

indicates 60 per cent of the total flow as measured at the Buttes passing San Carlos during August. From September 1 to 23, inclusive,
EELATIVE FLOW AT SAN CARLOS AND THE BUTTES. 23

there was 59 per cent at San Carlos. No rainfall records for September, 1899, are at present (October 3, 1899) available.

The record for the four months given in 1890 indicates 90 per cent 

of the total flow at the Buttes available at San Carlo®, and during 

the two complete months (July 19 to September 23) when the measurements were maintained in 1899 at both places a mean of 74 per 

cent was available at San Carlos, or an average for the entire period 

of six months of 83 per cent at San Carlos.

The following figures are the result of comparative measurements at. 

the Buttes and San Carlos during July, August, and September, 1899:

Comparative discharge of Gila River at San Carlos and the Buttes, in cubic feet

per second. 

i

I. ................ ..............

2

3.. .......................... ,....

i. ................................

6. .............................. ..

6..... ...................... ......

7.................................

8. ............................. ...

9. ............................ ....

10. .......................... ......

11. ...............................

12 ...,........-.....-......__.......

13. ...................... ..........

14.................................

15. ............................ _.._

16. .......................... ......

17...... ......................... ...

IS.................................

19. ............................ ....

20. ............................ ....

31...1.............. ..............

22

33. ................................

34

25. ................................

26

27................................

28. ................................

29

30.................................

31. ...............................

July.

San Carlos.

11,976

6,568 

3,174 

1,836 

1,836 

1,498 

960 

780 

840 

750 

960 

590 

520

3,407 

91

The

Buttes.

1,800 

8,700 

4,100 

2,260 

1,900 

1,550 

1,445 

1,550 

1,550 

3,640 

2,440 

2,475 

995

2,647

August.

San Carlos.

780 

3,188 

960 

780 

530 

520 

590 

460 

680 

530 

370 

330 

330 

260 

260 

200 

200 

140 

140 

140 

140 

140 

110 

110 

110 

110 

80 

80 

140 

80 

80

405 

60

The 

Buttes.

1,850 

2,850 

4,100 

3,260 

1,040 

930 

660 

1,380 

905 717

460 

515 

397 

397 

280 

215 

315 

310 

270 

175 

135 

100 

113 

90 

89 

80 

80 

70

n

60

77

671

September.

San Carlos.

80 

80 

80 

80 

80 

230 

290 

7,920 

780 

530 

410 

330 

290 

230 

200 

200 

200 

200 

170 

140 

110

110 

110

555

59

The 

Buttes.

60 

50 

45 

42 

24 

31 

1,300 

10,187 

2,923 

1,950 

1,383 

734 

510 

399 

357 

288 

249 

205 

202 

147 

130 

126 

99

933

-

The inspection and study of the basin of the San Pedro,- as well as 

of the Gila proper, by members of this Survey, and the study made of 

the relative values of their drainage areas, justify the conclusion drawn 

from all the measurements that 90 per cent of the total flow as measured at the Buttes is available at San Carlos. The larger part of the 

water of Gila River comes from the San Carlos, the San Francisco, the 

Blue, and the extreme eastern branches of the stream, and a small 

per cent enters from the San Simon Plains, which lie between Solomonville and Bowie station on the Southern Pacific Company's railroad.
24 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

Wherever irrigation is practiced a certain portion of the water is 

permanently lost by evaporation from the surface of the ground or 

from the leaves of the growing plants. Another portion of the water 

used for irrigation, varying in amount from 20 to 50 per cent, depending upon the nature of the soil and the slopes of the irrigated lands 

toward the drainage lines, sinks into the ground. This is known as 

seepage or return water. It fills the pores in the soil, gradually raising the water plane until it flows into natural drainage lines and 

becomes again available for irrigation. In the Solomonville Valley, 

in the Gila River Narrows, below the Sanchez ditch, there was, on April 

15, 1899, 237 second-feet of water. Within a distance of 40.7 miles 

below this point there was diverted in ditches 429.8 second-feet of 

water. A small amount of water is wasted back into the river from 

these ditches, but the actual amount used for irrigation is 64 per cent 

in excess of the amount available for that purpose at the highest point 

of diversion. In other words, an amount equal to 64 per cent of the 

water found at the head works on April 15,1899, found its way through 

underground courses back into the river.

In the valley of the Salt River, near Phenix, there was 40 per. cent 

more water used for irrigation in June, 1899, than was flowing in the 

river at the highest point of diversion at the head works of the Arizona 

Canal. It must be remembered in this connection, however, that 

during the months of July and August there is a much larger volume 

of water diverted for irrigation than on the dates when these measurements were made, and that a larger amount of water is used on other 

occasions for the irrigation of these lands than is indicated in this 

report.

In order to determine the actual ratio between the return water and 

the amount applied to irrigation the average annual quantity used 

for irrigation for a term of years should be determined. This amount 

is at present unknown. It is, however, fair to assume that a substantial percentage of all water used for irrigation finds its way back into 

the channel of the two streams named above. This may be as high as 

25 per cent, as it is known to be greater in other localities. Because 

of the exceedingly slow movement through soil the discharge is regulated and is of a constant nature. For instance, the flow of Los 

Angeles River, in California, which receives its water supply from 

the sand and gravel beds of the San Fernando Valley, which underground reservoir is charged with intermittent floods, has not varied 

in amount during the last three years to exceed 15 per cent.

It may be confidently expected that as a result of the irrigation of 

120,000 acres of lands in the Gila River Valley between Florence and 

Sacaton 20 or 25 per cent of the water used in this irrigation will 

return to the channel of Gila River and will be available for further 

use at lower points on this stream. This would be sufficient to irri-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. V

BUTTES DAM SITE, LOOKING UPSTREAM; PROPOSED QUARRIES ON LEFT; 

SPILLWAY ON LEFT OF CENTER OF FIELD.

B. BUTTES DAM SITE, LOOKING UPSTREAM FROM UPPER TOE.
MEASUREMENTS OP GILA EIVEB. 25

gate from 24,000 to 30,000 acres of land, in addition to the areas estimated as capable of being served from a reservoir on Gila River.

MEASUREMENTS OF GILA RIVER AT THE BUTTES, ARIZONA.

Gila River leaves the mountains and enters the plains at a point 

15 miles above Florence, known as the Buttes. At this place the 

river is in a canyon, which, is approximately 450 feet wide, its bed 

being covered with sand and gravel to a maximum depth of 123 feet. 

Beyond this point, until it forms a junction with its principal tributary, Salt River, it loses in volume. A gaging station was established 

here and the amount of water available from the basin was accurately 

determined by the Geological Survey from August 26,1889^ to August 

31, 1890, but the work was stopped at the end of this time by lack of 

available funds. The results of these measurements are given in the 

Twelfth Annual Report, Part II, Irrigation, pages 306 to 309, and following tables, and are shown graphically on PI. VI, B. A gap occurs 

in the record from August, 1890, to August, 1895. In the Ml of 1895 

measurements were begun by the reestablishment of a station at the 

Buttes above Florence, at the same point that observations were made 

during the years 1889 and 1890.

From August 1,1895, to December 10,1895, gage heights and depths 

were observed by W. Richins, and occasional estimates of velocity were 

made, and with these data and the measurements made subsequent 

to the middle of December the daily discharge for the months of 

August, September, and November, and the early part of December, 

1895, has been ascertained. These results can be regarded only in 

the light of approximations and do not compare in value with those 

following December 10. Measurements were continued throughout 

the year 1896 by W. J. Brash, daily readings of the gage being taken 

and current-meter measurements made from one to three times a week. 

The data obtained for the period following December 10, 1895, and 

extending to October, 1896, are of a high degree of accuracy.

During the year 1897 measurements were continued at this station 

by W. J. Brash and Albert T. Colton, forty-nine measurements of 

discharge being taken, the last measurement being made on October 

24, 1897. Mr. Brash, who was connected with this work in 1896 and 

1897, died in the fall of 1897, and no other person residing in that 

immediate locality, it was not possible, with funds available, to have 

the gage rod read daily.

Measurements were made between March 7 and October 10, 1898, 

by Albert T. Colton, and subsequent to November 14 by Cyrus C. 

Babb and others connected with the present investigation. Sixteen 

meter measurements of discharge were thus made, as shown by the diagram, PL VI, B, prior to.November 25,1898. After this time a contin-
STORAGE OF WATER ON GtLA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

uous record was maintained to the end of the year. In order to make 

the best possible use of the sixteen observations made prior to November 25, 1898, the volumes as measured on those dates were plotted in 

diagram, the vertical axis representing volumes measured in cubic 

feet per second and the horizontal axis representing intervals of one 

day's time each. The points thus determined were connected by 

straight lines, and from this diagram monthly estimates of discharge 

were made. Subsequent to November 25, 1898, daily observations of 

gage height and area were taken and frequent meter measurements 

of volume made. As daily measurements of areas in square feet were 

made, the rating curve graphically shown on PI. VI, A, is in terms of 

areas of cross section and discharge.

During the year 1899, until October 20, measurements of area were 

made daily and frequent observations of velocity were taken with a 

meter. The results are shown graphically on PL VI, B. The rating 

table applying from November 25,1898, to July 10,1899, is used for the 

first portion of this year. The meter which was in service at the Buttes 

got out of order July 20, 1899, and until August 10 observations of 

gage height and area were taken daily. The discharge during this 

interval has been computed by using values corresponding to the gage 

heights determined from the rating curve shown on PL VIII, A. This 

exhibits the relation between gage height and discharge, and also, by 

the position of the small dots, the values determined by meter measurements. The following table expresses numerically the values given 

in the rating curve:

Rating table for Gila River at the Buttes, Arizona, from July 11,1899, to August

10, 1899.

Gage 

height.

1.5

1,6 i.r

1.8

1.9

2.0

2.1

2 2

as

2.4:

2.5

3.6

Discharge.

Sec.-ft.

0

1

5

9

15

25

40

60

90

130

180

Gage 

height.

2.7

2.8

2.9

3.0

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

Discharge.

Sec. -ft.

250

320

410

500

605

710

815

920

1,025

1,130

1,235

1,340

Gage 

height.

3.9

4.0

4.1

4 2

4^3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.8

4.9

5.0

Discharge.

Sec.- ft.

1,445

1,550

1,670

1,800

1,950

8,100

2,260

8,440

2,625

2,810

2,995

3,180

Gage 

height.

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

6.0

6 5

7.0

7.5

8.0

8.5

9.0

Discharge.

Sec.-ft.

3.3B4

3,548

3,732

3,916

4,100

5,020

5,940

6,860

7,780

8,700

9,620

10,540

From these daily measurements of area and frequent measurements 

of discharge, together with the rating tables mentioned above, the 

following table of volumes of discharge for Gila River at the Buttes 

from November 25, 1898, to September 30,1899, has been prepared.
0. 8. GEOLOGtCAL SURVfeV WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. VI

Bischarge in second-feet. 

200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,4002,6002,8003,0003,200

A. RATING-CURVE OF GiLA RIVER AT THE BUTTES, ARIZONA. APPLIED FROM 

NOVEMBER 25, 1898, TO JULY 10, 1899.

JB. DISCHARGE OF GILA RIVER AT THE BUTTES, ARIZONA, 1889-1899.
LIPPINCOTT.] MEASUREMENTS OF GIL A EIVEE.

Estimated daily discharge of Oila River at the Buttes,

27

Day.

1898.

November.

CJ'S C8 60 

December.

cb'3

rd

.53 fc 

PJ

January.

es so °

*

PJ

February.

OJTI S3

March. April.

10. 11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

Mean

2.32

2.35

2.35

2.40

2.40

2.40

2.45

2.45

2.50

3.10

2.20

2.20

2.10

3 22

2.30

105

165

135

165

150

195

2.60

2.72

2.50

2.70

2.75

2.73

2.80

2.85

2.90

2.90

2.87

2.90

2.90

2.95

2.80

2.80

2.85

3.75

2.80

2.80

195

195

215

255

235

255

255

255

375

275

275

410

300

330

275

320

330

390

480

480

435

410

435

390

335

275

300

345

320

300

320

2.80

2.771

2.80

2.72

2.70

2.65

2.60

2.62

3.67

2.60

2.72

2.95

3.30

3.15

3.00

3.00

2.95

2.93

2.80

2.72

2.70

2.70

2.80

2.80

2.75

2.75

2.70

2.75

2.70

2.70

320

345

370

255

300

275

255

275

255

235

275

480

800

500

435

390

345

345

320

375

255

235

330

370

255

300

235

255

235

170

185

2.72

2.88

2.94

2.90

2.77

2.69

2.71

2.72

2.70

2.77

2.80

3.80

3 77

2. 75

3.70

2.67

2.67

2.66

2.62

2.65

2.60

2.60

2.60

2.60

2.60

2.50

170

200

550

455

345

410

235

235

200

300

255

300

375

275

375

255

170

170

140

170

170

170

155

200

155

155

170

135

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.50

3.50

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.40

2.40

2.40

3.40

2.50

2.55

2.55

2.60

2.60

2.60

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.50

3.50

2.50

2.50

135

155

155

110

110

110

155

155

110

140

140

140

140

100

100

100

110

155

155

155

155

140

140

140

140

140

125

110

135

110

100

2.50

2.45

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.50

2.45

2.45

2.45

2.45

2.40

2.40

2.40

3.40

2.40

2.40

2.35

2.30

2.30

2.30

2.30

2.30

2.30

3.30

2.25

2.25

90

90

90

100

100

100

80

70

60

60

50

70

70

70

60

60

50

60

50

50

60

50

40

30

30

30

30

152 305 318 130.5 62.3

Day.

height.

May.

Discharge

Gage

height.

June. July.

Discharge

Gage 

height.

Discharge.

August.

Gage Discharge, height.

September.

Gage Discharge.

Mean.

2.25

2.20

2.20

2.20

2.20

2.15

2.15

2.15

2.10

2.10

3.10

3.10

3.05

3.05

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

3.00

1.95

1.95

1.90

1.90 4

18.2

1.90

3.20

2.10

3.00

1.95

1.90

1.90

1.90

1.85

1.80

1.80

1.80

1.80

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

1.75

5

30

20

16

12

11

16

6

5

5

4

4

3

1.75

1.75

1.70

1.70

1.70

1.70

1.70

1.70

1.80

3.75

3.80

3.70

2.50

3.40

2.70

3.40

4.30

8.00

5.50

4.50

4.00

3.90

4.00

4.00

5.35

4.50

4.20

4.00

5.4

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.3

0.2

2

300

330

350

130

90

170

250

920

1,800

8,700

4,100

2,260

1,900

1,550

1,445

1,550

1,550

3,640

2,440

2,475

990

1,188.0

4.0 

4.7 

5.5 

4.5 

4.0 

3.7 

3.3 

4.5 

3.7 

3.3 

3.3 

3.1

2. 8 

2.7 

2.6 

2.5 

2.5 

2.4 

2.4

2.3

2.3

2.3

3 1

2.1

2.1

2.0

3.0

2.0

2.0

1,850

2,850

4,100

2,360

1,040

905

717

515

397

215

315

210

207

175

135

100

130

90

70

71

60

77

671.8

2.0 

2.0

1.9

1.9

1.9

8.28

8.3

4.95

4.3

3.5

3.0

2.8

2.7

2.6

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.3

2.2

2.2

2.2

2.1

2.1

2.05

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

60

50

45

43

24

81

1,300

10,187

2,923

1,950

1,382

734

510

399

357

149

130

126

99

108

1 93

72

77

IRE 33-
28 STORAGE OF WATER ON GIL A RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

Estimated monthly discharge of Grila River at the Buttes, Arizona. 

[Drainage area, 17,834 square miles. 1

Month.

1889.

October ............................

November ....................

1890.

February ...... _ ........

July ................................

1895.

November ........................

Total.. ...................

1896.

May .............. .._. __

July...............................

Per annum ...................

1897.

February. ..........................

April....... ........................

1898.

July ...... ....-..-. ........

November

Discharge in second-feet.

Maximum.

210 

210 

250 

890

2,100 

1,514 

710 

333 

150 

35 

3,112 

6,330

3,910

2,880 

13,000 

7,500 

1,150

560 

340 

356 

340 

68 

32 

11,708 

3,150 

3,850 

11,793 

3,375 

710

11,793

4,310 

1,580 

920 

800 

440 

83 

2,360 

3,370 

5,590

480

Minimum.

90 

140 

156 

124

310

405 

300 

158 

35 

27 

11 

1,115

536 

300 

400 

300 

518

250 

175 

153 

68 

12 

1 

1 

175 

455 

1,030 

696 

576

1

400 

560 

530 

530 

94 

20 

00 

160 

106

195

Mean.

138

157

313 

375

680 

5T8 

387 

238 

87 

38 

130 

3,137

503

1,583 

812 

1,577 

1,103 

751

396 

209 

243 

180 

32 

5 

1,441 

810 

980 

4,145 

1,037 

639

842

1,386

883 

702 

694 

234 

53 

565 

799 

2,371 

800

640

485 

473 

547 

393 

353 2,023

537 

270 

79 

101 

305

Total for 

month in 

acrefeet.

7,616 

9,655 

12,614 

16,909

41,813 

32,100 

23,795 

14, 161 

5,a50 

1,666 

7,995 

192,888

366,561

97,336 

48,317 

96, 966 

65,633

46,177

354,429

24,349

12,037 

14,880 

10,711 

1,968 

298 

88,604 

49,805 

58,314 

254,868 

61,706 

38,676

616,306

79,074 

49,039 

43,165 

41,296 

13,773 

3,094 

34,741 

49,139 

141,084 

49,190

503,585

39,352 

36,936 

39,083 

32,549 

17,954 

14,995 

124,338 

33,018 

16,066 

4,858 

6,010 

18,753

363.903

Run-off.

Depth in 

inches.

0.010 

0.013 

0.017 

0.033

0.056 

0.043 

0.033 

0.019 

0.307 

0.003 

0.010 

0.363

0.447

0.133 

0.065 

0.133 

0.089 

0.056

0.033 

0.016 

0.021 

0.014 

0.002 

0.000 

0.121 

0.068 

0.079 

0.347 

0.083 

0.053

0.839

0.108 

0.066 

0.059 

0.056 

0.018 

0.004 

0.047 

0.067 

0.193 

0.067

Secondfeet peisquare 

mile.

0.009 

0.011 

0.015 

0.030

0.049 

0.043 

0.028 

0.017 

0.306 

0.002 

0.009 

0.238

0.115 

0.059 

0. 115

0.080 

0.055

0.038^ 

0.015 

0.018 

0.013 

0.003 

0.0(10 

0.105 

0.059 

0.071 

0.301 

0.075 

0.046

0.062

0.094 

0.064 

0.051 

0.050 

0.016 

0.004 

0.041 

0.058 

0.173 

0.058
LIPMHCOTT.] MEASUREMENTS OF GILA RIVER. 29

Estimated monthly discharge of Gila River at the Buttes, Arizona Continued. 

^Drainage area, 17,834 square miles.]

Month.

1899.

April. --- .- ....-............

July ...............................

Discharge in second-feet.

Maximum.

800 

550 

155 

100 

38 

30 

8,700 

4,100 

10,187

Minimum.

170 

135 

100 

30 

4 

1 

0.2 

60 

24

Mean.

318 

239 

130.5 

62.3 

18.2 

5.4 

1,188.2 

671.8 

733.1

Total for 

month in 

acrefeet.

19,552 

13,273 

7,993 

3,689 

1,107 

307 

73,060 

41,307 

43,632

203,910

Run-off.

Depth in 

inches.

0.0309 

0.0135 

0.0080 

0.0040 

0.0010 

0.0003 

0.0767 

0.0437 

0.0460

O.S141

Secondfeet per 

square

mile.

0.0178 

0.0130 

0.0070 

0.0036 

0.0010 

0.0003 

0.0666 

0.0376 

0.0411

From the foregoing data the following tables of annual discharge 

of Gila River at the Buttes and at San Carlos have been compiled:

Estimated annual discharge of Gila River at the Buttes and San Carlos, Arizona.

Seasonal year 1889-90, Sept. 1 to Aug. 81 ...........

Fractional year 1895, Aug. 1 to Dec. 31. ............

Year 1896 ............................ .I.... ......

Fractional year 1897, Jan. 1 to Oct. 8 ..............

Year 1898, approximate..... -..---.., ..............

Fractional year 1899, Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 ...........

Buttes.

Acre-feet. 

866,561

354,429

616,206

503, 585

363,902

208,910

San Carlos.a

Acre- feet. 

329,905

318, 986

554, 585

453,227

827,512

183,519

a Ninety per cent of volume at the Buttes.

In order to get the greatest possible value from the records which 

have been compiled, and more particularly to make comparison with 

the annual rainfall records, the table given below has been prepared. 

In this statement every month in which measurements were taken is 

considered in the determination of an average monthly discharge for 

each month of the year. There are sixty months in all during which 

observations were made, there being five different years in which the 

fiow was observed between January and September, inclusive, and 

four years in which November and December observations were 

made. From this table the mean monthly discharge is determined, 

and where a year has seven or more months of measured record, the 

remaining portion of it being deficient, the mean monthly discharge, 

as determined, is substituted for the months in which the record is 

defective. In this way a complete estimated record for five years is 

obtained, four months having been supplied for the year 1890, two 

for the year 1897, and three for the present year, 1899. A mean 

annual discharge is obtained by adding the mean monthly discharges 

actually measured, so that the mean annual discharge, which is 485,545 

acre-feet, is determined only from actual measurements, and includes
30 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

all measurements that have been made. According to the census of 

1890, there were but 6,619 acres irrigated from this great water supply, or less than 3 per cent of its possible utility. Practically the 

same area is irrigated at present as in 1890.

Estimated monthly mean, annual, and mean annual discharge, in acre-feet, of 

Oila River at the Buttes, Arizona.

[Drainage area, 17,834 square miles. Sixty months of observation.]

Year.

1890.... ......

1896...........

1897 ...._......

1898...........

1899...........

Mean .....

Year.

1889............

1890.............

1895............

1896............

1897............

1898 ...........

1899............

Mean......

January.

41,812 

24,349 

79,074 

39,352 

19,553

40,838

July.

7,995

88,604 

34,741 

134,338 

73,060

65,745

February.

33,100 

12,037 

49,039 

26,936 

13,273

26,675

August.

192,888 

97,336 

49,805 

49,129 

33,018 

41,307

77,347

March.

23,795 

14,880 

43,165 

29,083 

7,993

23,783

September.

7,616 

a 52, 503 

48,317 

58,314 

141,084 

16,066 

43,622

52,503

April.

14,161 

10, 711 

41,296 

33,549

3,689

20,481

October.

9,655 

a 83, 109 

96,966 

254,868 

49,190 

4,858 

a83, 109

83,109

May.

5,350 

1,968 

13, 773 

17,954 

1,107

8,030

November.

12,614 

a 36, 491 

65,633 

61,706 

a 36, 491 

6,010 

a 36, 491

36,491

December.

16,909 

a 30, 129 

46,177 

38,676 

a 30, 139 

18,753 

a30,129

30,129

June.

1,686 

398 

3,094 

14,995 

307

4.073

Total.

523, 775

616,306 

570,205 

363,903 

353,639

469,093

a Approximate.

Using the data obtained from the above table to determine the probable conditions which would exist at San Carlos and at the Buttes, the 

table given below has been prepared. The amount of water measured 

at the Buttes is the basis of comparison, 90 per cent of the volume 

being taken as available at San Carlos during the years in which the 

observations were made. This table is given in order to determine 

the proper heights of dams to be constructed either at San Carlos 

or at the Buttes. From the volumes available annually have been 

deducted the contents of the reservoirs with the dams agreed upon for 

consideration in this report, and a column both for the Buttes and 

for San Carlos is given, showing the surplus water each year.

Volume, in acre-feet, available at the Buttes and at San Carlos, and surplus above 

capacity of respective reservoirs.

[Capacity of the Buttes reservoir, 174,040 acre-feet. Capacity of San Carlos reservoir, 341,396

acre-feet.]

Year.

1890....................................

1896....................................

1897 .......... .... ................

1898

1899...................................

The Buttes.

Available.

533,775 

616,206 

570,205 

363,902 

353,639

469,093

Surplus.

349,735 

442,166 

396,165 

189,862 

179, 599

395,053

San Carlos.

Available.

471,398 

554,585 

513, 185 

337,512 

318,375

433,184

Surplus.

330,003 

313,190

271,789 86, lie

76,879

180,788
LTPPINCOTT.] MEASUREMENTS OP GILA EIVEE. 31

In order to make a comparison between the years in which observations of volumes discharged at the Buttes were made and years in which 

rainfall records were taken in the basin of Glla River, the diagram on PI. 

Ill, B, is given. The rainfall data for this diagram is taken from the 

summary given on page 19, and is the mean for the entire basin of 

Gila River above the Buttes. The record begins in 1881 and extends 

to 1899, inclusive, covering eighteen years of rainfall record, that for 

1899 being estimated for the period after September 1. Below the 

record of rainfall, which is in inches of depth, is given, for corresponding years, the volume discharged in acre-feet. It is desirable to determine whether years in which discharge measurements were made were 

years of excessive or deficient rainfall. It will be seen that the year 

1897 is one of approximately average rainfall, and that in this year 

twice as much water was available for storage, either at San Carlos or 

at the Buttes, as the reservoirs could hold. The year 1898 was one of 

excessive rainfall, but it shows less run-off than the year 1897. This 

is probably accounted for by the nature of the storms occurring in 

the basin during that period, a greater portion of the water being 

absorbed by the ground and evaporated in 1898. The run-off from a 

hard rain is relatively higher than the run-off resulting from a slow 

rain or a gentle shower.

There is no record of discharge for the years of markedly deficient 

rainfall, unless it be the present year, 1899, for which the record is 

incomplete. During the first eight months of the year 1899 the rainfall for the portion of the basin above San Carlos was 6.40 inches, or 

75 per cent of the mean. During this same period the precipitation 

for the San Pedro stations was 96 per cent of the mean. To August 1 

the rainfall for the entire basin was 80 per cent of the usual precipitation. This would indicate for the present year a probable mean rainfall of 10.59 for the basin. The year for which we have the lowest 

record, as determined by our table, is 1885, when the average rainfall 

for the basin was 8.11 inches. This comparison is quite rough, but it 

gives some idea of the general conditions.

It will be seen from the above that the year 1899 is among the years 

of low run-off and rainfall. Numerous people were asked concerning 

the relative dryness of the year 1899 in Arizona. There was a unanimous verdict expressed to the effect that it was the driest year which 

they have had in the last ten, as regards both rainfall and the amount 

of water in the streams. From the table of volumes available at the 

Buttes and at San Carlos, the surplus which is estimated for the year 

1899 is seen to be 179,599 acre-feet at the Buttes and 76,879 acre-feet 

at San Carlos. There is still a margin for drier years than the ones 

through which we have just passed.

It is, of course, impossible to predict absolutely that either of the 

reservoirs as projected would always be filled, but there is probability, 

if not certainty, that in all ordinary years, in all years of excessive 

rainfall, and in all years of ordinary drought the reservoirs will be
32 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

more than filled, and that only in conditions of excessive drought, 

surpassing those of record and of memory, is there a possibility that 

the reservoir as planned either at the Buttes or at San Carlos will 

not be completely filled. Even should it not be completely filled, 

it is certain that a partial supply will always be available, so that the 

irrigated lands supplied from this source can readily be brought 

through one season of drought without serious damage. These periods 

of excessive drought are not likely to occur oftener than once every 

fifteen years.

From the data and tables given in the previous paragraphs, it is 

considered that, as far as the water supply is concerned, a dam 170 

feet high at the Buttes, storing 174,040 acre-feet of water, or a dam 

130 feet high at San Carlos, storing 241,396 acre-feet of water, can be 

built with every assurance of success. The statement is ventured 

that there are no reservoirs in arid America that have a more certain 

water supply, proportional to their capacity, than these proposed reservoirs on the Gila River.

EVAPORATION.

In the Twelfth Annual Report of the Survey, page 308, there is 

given a table showing the probable monthly evaporation from a water 

surface in Arizona, from observations made in the Southwest by the 

Survey. This is accepted as the basis of estimates for evaporation in

this report:

Loss by evaporation from a water surface.

Month.

July .........................

Quantity.

Inches. 

3

4

6

1

10

11

13

Month.

Total.....................

Quantity.

Inches. 

13

10

6

5

4

91

It is obvious that in order to obtain an approximate idea of the loss 

by evaporation from a reservoir, an estimate must be made of the area 

that will be exposed to evaporation. For this purpose the following 

table has been prepared. It is assumed that 100,000 acre-feet of 

water should be in the Buttes reservoir at the end of the irrigation 

season, or on November 1, of each year. The amount of water, in 

acre-feet, that will probably flow into the reservoir during November 

has been obtained from the table of the estimate of monthly mean, 

annual, and mean annual discharges of the river at the Buttes. The 

amount of inflow for each month is added to the amount of water 

available from the previous months. The annual consumption from 

the reservoir is assumed to be the capacity of a completely filled reservoir, which in the case of the Buttes is 174,040 acre-feet. The 

amount of this water consumed each month has been estimated in the 

column marked "Portion of reservoir used."
LIPPINCOTT.] EVAPORATION.

It is assumed that a certain amount of water will always be required 

in the canals, even in winter time, for the irrigation of annual plants 

and to provide for domestic and stock water. The fifth column of 

the table is entitled "Outflow for irrigation," and is given for each 

month of the year. This is obtained by multiplying the annual consumption by the per cent used each month. This monthly consumption is deducted from the amount available in the reservoir at the end 

of each month, and from these figures the mean area of the water 

surface in the reservoir each month is obtained and given in column 

six, entitled "Area exposed to evaporation." The depth of evaporation for each month is then taken from the above, and the resulting 

loss by evaporation is shown in the eighth column, entitled "Loss by 

evaporation." The next column shows the total loss from the reservoir from evaporation and irrigation; the tenth column, the remainder 

in the reservoir at the end of each month, and the eleventh column, 

the amount that is wasted from a full reservoir, the capacity of the 

reservoir being 174,040 acre-feet, and the annual outflow of the basin 

at the Buttes being estimated as 469,093 acre-feet, as shown in the 

table on page 30. In an average year the total waste is 198,590 acrefeet of water.

The loss by evaporation under the above conditions would be 22,370 

acre-feet, but there still would be available from the reservoir for irrigation its full capacity of 174,040 acre-feet of water. It is of interest 

to note that under the above conditions there never would be less than 

132,320 acre-feet of water in the reservoir, which is sufficient to provide for a complete summer irrigation, in case the stream should be 

entirely dry for a period of five months.

Hypothetical summary of amount of water in the Buttes reservoir each month, with 

use, evaporation, and surplus.

Month,

January...

February .

March...-.

April ..... .

July.......

August....

September

October . . .

Total

Contents of 

reservoir at beginning of

month.

Acre-ft. 

100,000

133,030

157,950

174,040

174,040

174,040

174 040

155,200

132,3'JO

172,660

174,040

174,040

Inflow.

Acre-ft. 

36,500

30,100

40,800

26,700

33,800

20,500

8,030

4,070

65,740

77,300

52,500

83,100

469,040

For

tion 

of 

reservoir

used.

P.ct. 

2

2

2

5

7

9

14

14

13

13

11

8

100

Outflow 

for irrigation.

Acre-ft. 

3 480

3 480

3,480

8,700

12, 180

15,660

24,370

24.370

22,630

22,630

19,140

13,920

174 040

exposed 

to 

evapoAcres. 

2,350

2,800

3,070

3,150

3,150

3,150

3,000

2,800

2,770

3,150

, 3,150

3,150

Depth 

of 

evaporation.

Feet. 

0.42

.333

.25

.333

.50

.58

.833

92

1.00

1.08

.833

.50

7.58

Loss 

by 

evaporation.

Acre ft 

990

700

770

1,050

1,580

1,830

2,500

2,580

2,770

3,400

2,620

1,580

22,370

Total

loss 

from 

evaporation 

and irrigation.

Acre ft 

4,470

4,180

4,260

9,750

13,760

17,490

36,870

26,950

25,400

26,030

21,760

15,500

196,410

Balance 

in reservoir at 

end of 

month.

Acre-ft. 

132,030

157,950

174,040

174,040

174,040

174,040

155,200

132,320

172,660

174,040

174,040

174,040

Amount 

wasted 

over 

dam.

Acre-ft.

20,460

16,950

10,040

3,010

49,790

30,740

67,600
34 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

As the conditions above named are all assumed, the figures used 

are round numbers. It is probable that a more complete knowledge 

of'the stream will permit of a greater annual consumption by irrigation than the capacity of the reservoir alone would indicate. ' The 

driest year of which we have any record would permit the use of 

174,040 acre-feet of water from the Buttes reservoir, with a substantial reserve.

Accurate observations of evaporation are always difficult to obtain, 

owing to variation in wind velocities and general exposure of the evaporating pan. The effort should be made to have conditions in the 

evaporation pan that would be similar to those existing in the reservoir, from which the loss from this source is to be determined. For 

this reason it is necessary to float the evaporation pan in the river or 

in a canal, and the fluctuations of the water surface are often so 

great that the pan is frequently either upset or entirely lost. Rain 

falling on the pan has also to be considered, and it is known that the 

amount of catchment in a pan 3 feet square is relatively larger than 

the catchment in a standard rain gage, the diameter of whose cup is 

8 inches. In the Twelfth Annual Report of the Survey, page 235, is 

given a statement of some evaporation observations made in the 

Southwest. These do not cover complete months and may be misleading.

Observations of evaporation from graduated tubes were made at 

the Buttes from January to July, 1899. These tubes were exposed 

in the shade, and the wind was prevented from acting directly on the 

water's surface. The results obtained are of doubtful value and are 

not used. In July, 1899, an evaporating pan was floated in. the river 

at the Buttes, but the record was so much interfered with by high 

water upsetting the pan that it is considered unreliable. Later the 

attempt was made to float the pan in an artificial pond.

SPILLWAY PROVISIONS.

The accompanying illustrations, Pis. V, IX, and XII, exhibit the 

conditions at the Buttes dam site, and show the principal features of 

the proposed spillway. In the report by Mr. Davis, of 1896, he determined the maximum flood that would have to be provided for at the 

dams in this stream, as follows:

The first consideration in plans for a dam under the circumstances here presented is the provision for a safe and adequate spillway. The large catchment area 

of this stream, its mountainous character, the paucity of soil and vegetation on 

these mountains, exposing considerable area of bare rock on steep slopes, and the 

sudden and violent nature of the summer rainstorms indicate the necessity of a 

spillway of large proportions. What this capacity should be is recognized as one 

of the important and difficult problems. The best evidence thus far obtained 

regarding past freshets on this river was kindly furnished by Mr. Albert T. Col-
LIPPINCOTT.] SILT. 35

ton. The greatest rise so far recorded on the Gila River occurred on the 22d 

of February, 1891. Considerable evidence was obtained that no such flood has 

occurred since a date many years before the advent of the white man. Irrigating 

ditches supposed to be extremely old were overflowed and destroyed. Lands were 

overflowed that had retained no evidence of any previous inundation.

On June 12, 1892, about sixteen months after this flood, Mr. Golton found marks 

of high water on both banks of the river far above any of the ordinary freshets, 

which he attributed to the great flood. This point was about 3J miles below the 

head of the Florence canal, or approximately 6 miles below the Buttes. With 

his level he took a cross section of the river at this point and measured the slope 

of the channel. The cross section He obtained was 6,600 square feet. The slope 

measured was 10.56 feet per mile. The channel was sandy and free of brush or 

large bowlders or other obstructions for a distance of 300 feet above and 300 feet 

below the cross section. This information, meager as it is, is the best we have 

upon which to estimate the discharge of the river at that time.

The difficulty in obtaining correct results of this discharge lies in the uncertainty of the retarding effect of the channel upon the flow of the water. This 

retarding effect in a rough river bed is very great. Assuming this quantity as 

small as it could possibly be, a computation of the discharge was made, using 

Kutter's formula. The factor of roughness designated in the formula as " n " was 

taken as 0.025. Not that this was considered the correct factor, as it is almost 

certainly too small, but by assuming the smallest possible value of "n" we obtain 

the largest discharge, and it is the largest discharge that should be provided for 

in the construction of a spillway. It is thought, therefore, that this computation 

will give conservative results, and that a spillway based upon the discharge 

obtained would be safe. The result obtained was 102,566 cubic feet per second. 

And it is to accommodate this discharge that the spillway is planned. It will be 

seen at once that no such spillway could be economically provided artificially, and 

that the accommodation of the topography to the provision of this spillway is one 

important determining feature of the location and height of the dam.

SILT.

The following further quotation is made from the same report of 

Mr. Davis:

The amount of solid material carried by such a stream as the Gila can be learned 

only by impounding ib. As it is considerable, it is obvious that a reservoir built on 

this water course will eventually fill with solid matter unless means are provided 

for its removal. No entirely sufficient plan for this purpose has ever been put in 

eperation. It is usually assumed, and often with truth, that the life of the reservoir is sufficiently long to justify its construction even though it will eventually 

fill and have its usefulness destroyed. This disposition of the problem, however, 

is not applicable to the present case. The amount of material carried by this 

stream is too large and the necessity of the reservoir to the life of the district to 

be irrigated from it is too vital to justify this convenient solution or, rather, evasion of the problem.

The most astonishing accounts are obtained from the inhabitants of this region 

of the quantity of silt carried in suspension by this stream when in flood. Many 

people in their emphatic expressions place the quantity at one-half the volume, 

though, of course, this is impossible. It is said, however, that in the months of 

July and August, when the surface of the ground is exceedingly dry, when it has 

been ground to powder even in the most isolated and apparently inaccessible
36 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

localities by range cattle and horses in search of grass, when the great torrential 

"cloud-bursts," to which this country is subject, fall upon such ground and rush 

off the steep slopes into the stream with prodigious velocity, the amount of silt 

carried 

*******

in suspension by the roaring torrent is very great.

Attempts have been made, however, by private parties from time to time to 

measure the amount of suspended material. The most important and reliable of 

these measurements were those made by Mr. Albert T. Colton in the month ending 

August 7, 1893, and by Mr. W. Richins at the Buttes. Mr. Colton found the percentage of silt by volume averaged 2.2 per cent. As these observations were taken 

and reduced by Mr. Colton, who is a competent engineer, they are adopted as correct. The observations by Mr. Richins extended from July 29 to December 31, 

1895. They were taken by the following method:

A sample of the water was poured into a slender glass tube until it reached 

the height of 100 divisions on a convenient scale, and was then allowed to settle 

several days, until the main portion of the water was clear. The height of the 

sediment on the same scale was then read and the result recorded as the percentage of mud carried by the water. The existence of this record, and the ease with 

which more of such observations could be taken, made it important that an 

approximate relation be established between the volume of this mud and that of 

the actual solid matter it contained. For this purpose several laboratory determinations have been made with muddy sampJes of Gila water by settling and reading the volume of mud as above and then drying the residue at 100° C. and determining its volume.

These observations indicate an average ratio of dry matter to mud of about onefifth, and this factor has been used to reduce the mud observations of Mr. Richins 

to solid 

*******

matter.

It should be remembered that these observations take no account of material 

that is rolled on the bottom of the stream.

On page 32 of Mr. Davis's report of 1896 a table is given showing 

the percentage of mud and solid matter carried each day from July 

29 to December 31 in Gila River at the Buttes. The following table 

gives, in columns Nos. 3 and 4, this percentage of mud and of solids. 

In column No. 2 the number of acre-feet discharged on corresponding 

dates is given, and columns Nos. 5 and 6 give the number of acre-feet 

of mud and solids for the same dates. During this period the volume 

of water discharged at the Buttes was 360,523 acre-feet, and from the 

table it is found that 37,984 acre-feet of mud was carried in suspension, 

by this water. This, reduced by the ratio of 5 to 1, as adopted by Mr. 

Da vis, gives 7,704 acre-feet of solids. The average amount of mud 

during this period is 10.5 per cent.
tiTPPINCOTT.] SILT. 37

Discharge of sediment of Oila River at the B*tttes/or 1895+ 

[Observer, "W. Richins.]

Day.

1.........

2

3. ........

4.........

5. ....

6.. ....

7. ...... ..

8.........

9. ...... ..

10. ........

11.........

12.........

13.........

14.........

15. .....

16.........

17.........

18.........

19.........

30.........

21 .........

32.........

23.........

24.........

25.........

36.........

27.........

28.........

39.........

30.........

31.........

Total .

Day.

1. ........

2

3.........

4.........

5.........

6.........

7 .......

8.........

9.........

10. .-..

11. 

12-.....-..

13 

14. ...... ..

15. 

16.........

17. . 

18- ....

19.. ....

20

31. . 

33. ....

23..... 

24... ......

25. 

26

27. .

38 .

29

30. ....

31 ........

Total.

July.

Water.

Acre-ft

2,851 

2,039 

1,304

6,094

Mud.

Perct.

20

20 

17

Solids.

Perct.

4 

4 

3.4

Mud.

Acre-ft

570 

408 

205

1,183

Solids.

Acre-ft

114 

82 

41

337

September.

Water.

Acre-ft 

1,683 

1,683 

1,465 

1,386 

1,367 

1 109 

990 

891 

793 

990 

1,980 

1,624 

1,367 

1,367 

792 

594 

634 

634 

1,386 

1,634 

3,960 

2,099 

1,782 

1,783 

1,327 

1,228 

634 

1,327 

4,356 

5,703

48,317

Mud.

Perct. 

17 

17 

15 

15 

12 

10 

5 

4 

1 

5 

15 

15 

12 

13 

13 

12 

8 

15 

30 

30 

20 

20 

20 

20 

17 

17 

17 

20 

20 

30

Solids.

Perct. 

3.4 

3.4 

3.0 

3.0 

2.4 

3.0 

1.0 

.8 

.2 

1.0 

3.0 

3.0 

2.4 

3.4 

3.4 

3.4 

1.6 

3.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

3.4 

3.4 

3.4 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0

Mud.

Acre-ft 

286 

386 

220 

208 

153 

111 

50 

36 

8 

50 

397 

244 

153 

153 

95 

71 

51 

95 

277 

325 

792 

420 

356 

356 

236 

209 

108 

265 

871 

1,140

7,809

Solids.

Acre-ft 

57 

57 

44 

43 

30 

32 

10 

7 

2 

10 

59 

49 

30 

30 

19 

14 

10 

19 

55 

65 

158 

84 

71 

71 

45 

42 

33 

53 

174 

328

1,579

August.

"Water.

Acre-ft 

1,161 

1,631 

1,505 

2,479 

1,733 

1,806 

1,956 

6,861 

3,347 

3,406 

3,326 

2,554 

2,273 

2,475 

2,178 

3,168 

2,178 

2,030 

1,881 

2,109 

2,709 

7,742 

7,346 

2,485 

2,257 

6,376 

3,802 

3,326 

6,376 

2,851 

2,030

-97,336

Mud.

Perct. 

15 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

15 

30 

15

B

12 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

7 

17 

15 

15

Solids.

Perct. 

3.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

3.0 

4.0 

3.0 

3.0 

3.0 

3.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

1.4 

3.4 

3.0 

3.0

Mud.

Acre-ft 

159 

336 

301 

496 

347 

361 

293 

1,372 

487 

511 

499 

307 

159 

173 

152 

323 

153 

142 

132 

148 

190 

542 

514 

174 

158 

446 

266 

233 

1,084 

428 

302

11,076

Solids.

Acre-ft 

32 

65 

60 

99 

69 

72 

59 

374 

97 

103 

100 

61 

33 

35 

30 

44 

30 

38 

26 

30 

38 

108 

103 

35 

32 

89 

53 

47 

317 

86 

60

2,213

October.

"Water.

Acrr.-ft 

13,860 

1,683 

1,980 

33,760 

5,940 

11.-880 

7,920 

3,960 

1,980 

1,634 

1,465 

1,386 

1,367 

1,367 

1,109 

1,109 

1,109 

1,109 

1,109 

990 

990 

990 

792 

792 

792 

793 

793 

792 

1,782 

990 

793

96,966

Mud.

Perct. 

30 

15 

15 

30 

30 

20 

20 

15 

1? 

10 

10 

5 

3 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

15 

10 

5

Solids.

Perct. 

4.0 

3.0 

3.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

4.0 

3.0 

2.4 

2.0 

2.0 

1.0 

.6 

.6 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

3.0 

2.0 

1.0

Mud.

Acre-ft 

2,772 

353 

397 

4,753 

1,188 

2,376 

1,584 

597 

338 

163 

147 

69 

38 

38 

33 

- 33 

33 

33 

32 

20 

30 

30 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

267 

99 

40

15,182

Solids.

Acre-ft 

554 

50 

59 

950 

338 

475 

317 

119 

48 

32 

39 

14 

8 

8 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

53 

30 

8

3,033
38 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33. 

Diselwrge of sediment of Gila River at the Suites for 1895 Continued.

Day.

1. ....... .

2. ........

3.........

4. ........

5-- . 

6

7.........

8.........

9. ........

10.........

11. ........

12.........

13........

14.........

15.........

16.........

17 .........

18.........

19. ........

30.........

31..... .

22

23..... ...

24.........

25

26. ........

27

38

39.........

30-.....,..

31. ........

Total -

November.

Water.

Acre-ft 

792 

792 

793 

1,980 

1,823 

1,823 

1,328 

1,228 

1,238 

1,109 

1,109 

1,833 

1,980 

1,833 

1,228 

990 

792 

792 

634 

634 

634 

594 

2,277 

14,850 

4,753 

4,753 

4,158 

3,366 

2,970 

3,574

65,633

Mud.

Per ct. 

5 

3 

3 

5 

5 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 '3 

3 

3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3 

5 

5 

5 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3

Solids.

Per ct. 

1.0 

.6 

.6 

1.0 

1.0 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.6 

.6 

.4 

.4 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.6 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.6 

.4

Mud.

Acre-ft 

40 

34 

34 

99 

91 

55 

37 

37 

25 

32 

33 

55 

59 

36 

35 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

18 

114 

743 

338 

143 

135 

101 

89 

51

3,273

Solids.

Acre-ft 

8 

5 

5 

20 

18 

11 

7 

7 

5 

4 

4 

11 

12 

7 

5 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

4 

23 

149 

148 

38 

25 

30 

18 

10

 554

December.

Water.

Acre-ft. 

2,277 

3,020 

1,833 

1,833 

1,823 

1,832 

1,663 

1,663 

1,663 

1,525 

1,527 

1,471 

1,471 

1,471 

1,416 

1,416 

1,416 

1,360 

1,360 

1,360 

1,305 

1,349 

1,360 

1,471 

1,360 

1,305 

1,249 

1,192 

1,137 

1,081 

1,036

46,177

Mud.

Per ct.

2 

3 

o

2 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0

1 1 1

0

0 

0

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0

Solids.

Per ct. 

0.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.2 

.2 

.2 

.3 

.2 

.3 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.3 

.2 

.2 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.4 

.4 

.2 

'.2 2

.0 

.0 

.0

Mud.

Acre-ft

40 

36 

36 

36 

36 

17 

17 

17 

15 

15 

15 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

14 

14 

14 

0 

0 

0 

39 

37 

13 

13 

12 

0 

0 

0

461

Solids.

Acre-ft 

9 8 ' 

7 

7 

7 

7 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3 

3 

3 

0 

0 

0 

6 

4 

3 

2 

3 

0 

0 

0

89

Beginning on January 1, 1899, and continuing until July 31, 1899, 

silt, observations were again maintained at the Buttes, the amount of 

mud and silt being determined as was done in 1895. The results are 

shown in the following table. T-his^differs slightly in construction 

from the previous table, but gives results which correspond with it. 

Column No. 2 gives the daily discharge of the river in second-feet, 

column No. 3 the per cent of solids, and column No. 4 the solids in 

second-feet. From the mean monthly discharge in second-feet of 

water and of solids, the acre-feet of each for each month is determined, 

as indicated. The total amount of water discharged during the first 

seven months of 1899 was 118,981 acre-feet, and the amount of solids 

determined was 1,893 acre-feet, or 1.6 per cent of solids or 8 per cent 

of mud.

Adding the total number of acre-feet of water during the period of 

silt observations in 1895 to the acre-feet of water discharged in 1899 

gives 479,504 acre-feet of water and a total amount of solids during the 

entire period of 9,597 acre-feet. From these figures an average of 2 

per cent of solids for the entire period of observation is determined. 

It will be noted that the observations in 1895 began on July 29 and 

extended to December 31, while the observations of 1899 began January 1 and extended to July 31, inclusive, making one complete year 

and three days. The total mean annual discharge of water of Gila
UPPINCOTT.] SILT. 39

Discharge of sediment of Gila River at the Buttes for 1899. 

[Observer, C. "W. Lemon.]

Day.

12-.

13..

14..

15..

16..

17..

18..

19.. 

30.. 

21.. 

33.. 

33..

24:..

35..

36..

37..

29.

30.

31.

Mean,sec.-

feet.-__-

Acre-feet

January.

Water. Solids. Solids.

Sec.-ft. 

330 

345 

370 

255 

300 

375 

355 

375 

355 

235 

375 

480 

800 

500 

435 

390 

345 

345 

330 

375 

255 

235 

320 

370 

255 

300 

235 

355 

235 

170 

185

Per ct. 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0 

1.0

'.2 

'.32 

.2

318

19,552

Sec.-ft. 

0.64 

.69 

.74 

.51 

.60 

.55 

.51 

.55 

.51 

'.47 

.55 

.96 

1.60 

1.00 

.87 

.78

.16 

.10 

.09 

.19 

.15 

.10 

.13 

.14 

.15 

.14 

.03 .04

30

February.

Water. Solids. Solids

Sec.-ft. 

170 

200 

550 

455 

345 

410 

235 

235 

300 

300 

255 

300 

375 

375 

375 

355 

170 

170 

140 

170 

170 

170 

155 

200 

155 

155 

170 

125

Per ct. 

0.1 

.1 

.3 

.3 

.2 

.2 

.1 

.2 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.5 

.8 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.4 

.3 

.3 

.3 

.3 

.3 

.2 

2

e) '.2

13,273

Sec.-ft. 

0.03 

.04 

.33 

.39 

.16 

.16 

.05 

.09 

.04 

.06 

.05 

.06 

.05 

.37 

.44 

.30 

.14 

.14 

.11 

.10 

.10 

.10 

.09 

.13 

.06 

.06 

.07 

.05

.13

7

March.

Water.

Sec.-ft. 

135 

155 

155 

110 

110 

110 

155 

155 

110 

140 

140 

140 

140 

100 

100 

100 

110 

155 

155 

155 

155 

140 

140 

140 

140 

140 

135 

110 

135 

110 

100

Solids. Solids.

Perct. 

0.1 

.1 

.1

ll 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1

130.5

8ec.-ft. 

0.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03

.03 

.03 

.03

.03

.03 

.02 

.03 

.03 

.02 

.02

.12

1.0

Day. Water Water. So1' So1- 

April.

Water.

May.

Solids. Solids. Water.

June.

Solids. Solids.

July.

Water. ;

Solids. Solids.

_

10..

11.. 

13..

13 _.

14

15..

16..

17 ..

18 __

19..

20.. 

31 .. 

32__ 

33._ 

24._ 

25__

27........

28........

39........

30........

31..... 

Mean,

sec.-ft.

Acre-feet

Sec.-ft. 

90 

90 

90 

100 

100 

100 

80 

70 

60 

60 

50 

70 

70 

70 

60 

60 

60 

60 

60 

50 

60 

50 

50 

60 

50 

40 

30 

30 

30 

30

P.ct. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T.

S.-ft.

0.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01 

.01

Sec.-ft. 

38 

34

30

. 30

31

28

26

35

24

24

34

23

23

20

16

14

13

13

13

14

ItW

10

8

9

11

13

13

10

P.ct.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T. -T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

Sec.-ft. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0

Sec.-ft. 

5

36 

28 

16 

13 

11 

16 

6 

5 

5 

4 

4

P.ct. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T. 

T.

Sec.-ft. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0

8ec.-ft. 

5 

5 

5 

3 

3 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2

300 

330 

250 

130 

90 

170 

350 

930 

1,800 

8,700 

4,100 

3,360

900

, 550

1,445

1,550

1,550

3,640

2,440

3,475

990

P.ct.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T.

T. 

27 

26 

30 

30 

18 

13 

24 

10 

22 

14 

10

14

15

10

10

8

7

10

15

10

13

Sec.-ft.

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

16.20

18.64

10.00

5.20

3.24

4.08

12.00

18.40

79.30

343.60

82.00

63.28

57.00

31.00

28.90

24.80

21.70

73.80

73.30

49.50

33.76

63.3 .01 

1.0

18.3

1,107

T. Trace.

5.4

30.7

1,188.3

73,060

30.21

1,854
40 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. INO. 33.

River at the Buttes has been determined as 469,093 acre-feet. If 2 

per cent of this volume be considered as solids, it will indicate an 

annual discharge of solids of 9,382 acre-feet, which corresponds very 

closely with the 9,597 acre-feet determined in the twelve months during which observations occurred.

The capacity of the Buttes reservoir, with the dam 150 feet high to 

the spillway, is 174,040 acre-feet. If 9,711 acre-feet of solid matter is 

delivered to the reservoir each month, and it all settles in passing 

through the basin, this reservoir would fill with solid matter in 

eighteen and six-tenths years. The mean annual flow of water of 

Gila River at San Carlos has been determined as 422,184 acre-feet. 

If 2 per cent of this volume is solids, there would be delivered to the 

reservoir 8,443 acre-feet of solids per annum. The capacity of the 

San Carlos reservoir, with the dam as planned, 130 feet high to the 

spillway, is 241,396 acre-feet. If 8,443 acre-feet of solid matter 

should be delivered to this reservoir each year and should be deposited therein, it would fill in twenty-eight and five-tenths years.

These figures show the exceeding gravity of the silt proposition on 

Gila River. No other stream is known in America which carries such 

large volumes of debris. It is evident that some provision must be 

made to avoid the destruction of the reservoir or the building of the 

dam would be useless. It would be cruel to develop a civilization 

upon irrigation which would have to be destroyed at the end of a generation. It is extremely fortunate that there is more than one reservoir site on Gila River the water from which would be available for 

irrigation in the neighborhood of the Gila River Indian Reservation. 

If a dam should be constructed at San Carlos and the reservoir become 

filled with silt, it would be possible to construct at the end of the 

twenty-eight and five-tenths years a second dam at Riverside of equal 

capacity, and after that reservoir became filled with silt the dam at 

the Buttes could be built. A fourth reservoir site of considerable 

value may be found at Guthrie, above the Solomonville Valley, on 

the same stream, and of large capacity. In the case of all these dams 

the capacity increases very rapidly with an increased height of dam. 

For instance, if the Buttes dam should be raised 10 feet above the 

150-foot contour, its capacity would be increased 33,755 acre-feet; and 

if raised 20 feet, its capacity would be increased 72,355 acre-feet. If 

the San Carlos dam should be increased in height 20 feet, its storage 

capacity would be increased 135,780 acre-feet. It would therefore 

be possible to very greatly increase the storage capacity of these reservoirs by building the dams to greater heights as the basin filled with 

mud. The spillways of the San Carlos dam, as planned, could be 

raised 1.24 feet in height, increasing the capacity of the reservoir to 

that extent at .small cost, without endangering the structure.

The silt which is carried by Gila River is exceedingly light and 

requires a number of days to settle in a test tube, and it is believed that
LIPPINCOTT.] SILT. 41

a portion of it will remain in suspension until it is carried over the spillway or through, the gates. As irrigation is practiced on the flat lands 

of the Gila Valley the water plane in that district will be raised 

much nearer to the surface than it is now, and less irrigation will be 

necessary. Numerous points are known in the San Joaquin Valley, 

in California, where water could not be obtained in wells prior to irrigation, and where now, after twenty years of irrigation, water is standing at the surface. Near Fresno, California, the water plane has risen 

to such an extent that but one irrigation a year is needed on the 

vineyards.

When the irrigation country has developed to the extent that all 

water available from the reservoir is required, and when the reservoir 

has reached the point where the silting endangers the community, it 

probably will be advisable to construct a large storm channel around 

the margin of the reservoir and above the maximum water line to 

carry as much as possible of the water of the river. Such portion of 

the water as is needed for irrigation below can be passed through this 

canal without stopping in the reservoir and may be diverted at the 

proper point near the irrigated fields. This canal could be constructed 

of large section for the first portion of its course and the section afterwards reduced. A spillway should be located at the point where the 

canal is reduced in capacity and the excessive water be drawn from 

the top of the canal into the reservoir. A larger portion of the sediment which would travel in the bottom of the channel would remain 

in the conduit, and the clarified water would be discharged into the 

reservoir. A velocity may be maintained in the remaining portion of 

the canal sufficient to carry the silt through it to the river below the 

dam.

The suggested canal, being above the maximum water line, would 

provide an effective head for hydraulic giants for sluicing the silt 

which had previously been deposited in the reservoir. On favorable 

occasions, when the reservoir was practically empty, this sluicing or 

washing out of the basin could be practiced. On July 11,1899, there 

was 27 per cent of mud in Gila River at the Buttes. This is the 

greatest amount of sediment ever observed in this river. From this 

it will be seen that the suspended matter is exceedingly light, and it 

would therefore be possible to move large quantities of this loose mud 

with hydraulic giants and carry it in temporary flumes, or even in the 

river channel itself, through openings in the dam. Experience with 

light silt in constructed reservoirs elsewhere shows the greatest deposits 

to occur where the water is deepest, which is near the dam. Here is 

also the greatest storage capacity of the basin.

The drop from the storm canal to the bed of the river below the 

dam would probably be not less than 150 feet. If 500 cubic feet of 

water per second should be discharged through this canal, over 8,475 

theoretical horsepower could be developed. During certain periods
42 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

of the year Gila River is almost dry, and this power would not be 

available from the canal; but when such occasions existed in the river 

the reservoir would necessarily be drawn upon for irrigation, and 

power could be obtained from the discharge from the reservoir. It is 

possible that from 2,000 to 5,000 horsepower could be developed in 

this manner. The section of Arizona in the neighborhood of San 

Carlos is highly mineralized. Copper mines of great value are to be 

found at Globe and at Riverside. New and effective processes have 

been discovered for reducing copper matte electrically. Fuel is high 

priced. On the above basis it is reasonable to presume that when the 

time arrives for the building of the storm canal around the reservoir 

sufficient revenue can be obtained from power to pay the interest on 

the cost of construction of the storm ditch. This power could also be 

used in cleaning out the reservoir with hydraulic dredges.

While the deposit of silt in the reservoir is probably the most serious question in connection with the impounding of water on the Gila, 

it is believed, on the basis of the above arguments, that the situation 

could be controlled and that the reservoir may be made to do service 

through a long period of years, if not indefinitely.

EXPLORATIONS FOB BED BOCK AT THE BUTTES.

The material that covers the bed rock at the Buttes and at Queen 

Creek is a sand and gravel saturated with water in the bed of a canyon, through which varying volumes of water might be expected to 

be discharged, ranging from 100 cubic feet per second to 1,000 cubic 

feet per second during the periods of low water on the river. These 

low stages of the river might be expected to exist from the 1st of April 

to the 1st of July, after which violent floods of much greater volume 

would probably occur at the Buttes dam site.

On Queen Creek large bowlders occur at the surface, and although 

the stream might be expected to be entirely dry during corresponding 

dates, after that time violent floods might occur any day. Great 

reticence was felt on the part of everyone in giving figures that should 

be regarded as even roughly approximate for this work. Numerous 

well drillers were interviewed in San Francisco and in southern California, and none cared to bid, under the conditions. Two methods of 

going to bed rock were suggested one by means of open shafts, and 

the other by the use of the diamond core drill. Only one bid was 

received in reply to proposals, and that at the rate of $15 per linear 

foot. This was rejected as too high. It was admitted by all that the 

diamond core drill would work accurately and easily in solid rock, 

but when it came to going through bowlders of varying size it was 

conceded to be exceedingly difficult, if not wholly impracticable.

As stated above, the one bid was rejected, and the Geological Survey 

carried on this work at the points in question, and succeeded in 

thoroughly solving the problem, largely owing to the experience which 

Mr. Arthur P. Davis had acquired in work in Nicaragua.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. VII

A. DIAMOND-CORE DRILL PARTY AT WORK.

_B. BUTTES RESERVOIR SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] EXPLORATIONS FOR BED ROCK AT THE BUTTES. 43 

DIAMOND CORE DRILL.

As this work was somewhat unique, it will be of interest to give its 

progress in detail, together with a description of the tools employed. 

In considering the matter of going down with a shaft the most serious 

problems would be the water encountered. In working with a shaft 

the river would have to be carried in a flume by the works for a long 

distance. A large pump would have to be kept going constantly in 

the shaft, and it is doubtful if under the most favorable conditions it 

would be able to handle the amount of water which would be encountered. Pumps with valves would be barred on account of the large 

amount of sand suspended in the water. It was estimated that it 

would cost $46 per vertical foot to sink shafts under these conditions. 

This would permit of putting down about four holes at the Buttes 

with the funds available, with bed rock at from 75 to 123 feet. The 

actual cost of sinking 170 linear feet of shaft at the mouths of one of 

the canyons of a southern California river, in an attempt to determine 

bed rock, was $35.87 per foot, the depths in this case varying from 15 

to 30 feet, and the material through which the shafts were sunk consisting of sand and bowlders. This included the labor of building 700 

feet of flume, but not the cost of the lumber, which was furnished by 

the company for all work. There was pumped from these shafts with 

a 100-horsepower boiler and engines over 100,000 gallons per hour, 

and yet the water could not be kept down, and the deepest shaft had 

finally to be abandoned before bed rock was reached.

The best estimate that could be obtained of the cost of sinking by 

means of the diamond core drills, as furnished by San Francisco contractors, was $12.69 per linear foot, 400 feet to be sunk, but they 

would not offer a bid even on these figures.

The following letter from Mr. T. F. Richardson, department engineer, dam and aqueduct department, metropolitan water board, of 

Boston, is of interest as bearing on this subject:

We had two diamond drills, one manufactured by the M. C. Bullock Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, called the Badger drill. This drill was intended for 

prospecting in tunnels, but was fitted up especially for us for surface work. This 

machine cost us $900, which included one set of diamonds worth about $200, and 

the necessary fittings to put down a If-inch hole about 200 feet.

Our second machine was bought from the Sullivan Machinery Company, of Claremont, New Hampshire, and was called "S-510." This cost was $1,132.80, but no 

diamonds were included. The two machines were fitted for and were capable of 

doing about the same amount of work, but the net cost of the Sullivan machine 

was over $400 more than that of the Bullock machine.

Our work here was very difficult, as the bottom of our gorge was blocked up 

with large bowlders, and we found it necessary to use several sizes of bits, namely, 

££-inch, If-inch, If-inch. We also had to fit up so as to be able to put down 

li-inch casing, using diamond bits to bore it down, the purpose of the casing being 

to bore through bowlders and gravel, so as to be able to work a ^f-inch bit inside 

of it. Altogether we had two quite complete outfits for doing all kinds of work 

up to If-inch bits.

IRE 33 4
44 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The repairs necessary to the machines were not very large, the principal cost of 

repairs being for new bit blanks and for core lifters; but in order to do the work 

successfully it is necessary to have quite a number of appliances outside of the 

actual machines, and these cost considerable money. Our total outlay for machines 

was $3,625. In addition to this we spent $3,873 for diamonds, but we have at thee 

present time about $700 worth of diamonds on hand, leaving the net cost of the diar 

monds about $3,173.

When we started in on our diamond-drill work the cost of diamonds was $19 per 

carat; but at the time we finished the cost of diamonds had risen to $36 per carat, 

and I believe the price is about $36 at the present time (August, 1898).

The total amount which we drilled was 2,814 feet, the deepest hole being 286 

feet deep, and the average depths of holes about 60 feet. The amount accomplished per day was from 0 to 32 feet,'the average amount being probably about 10 

or 12 feet per day.

The cost of drilling varies very largely, both with the hardness of the rock and 

the condition of the rock as to being seamy.

Following is the cost of labor, diamonds, and coal for drilling, principally with, 

If-inch bits, through three different kinds of rock:

Drilling 324.2 feet of rather hard, tough diorite rock:

Labor .............. ................................._.......... $341.25

Diamonds..--.-....-._._........................... ............ 74.30

Coal.........................._ ...... ._._...__..-........._...._ 17.50

Total...... ........ .... ......................................... 433.05

Cost per foot ....................................................... 1.34

(86.6 feet of this was drilled with If-inch bit, and 237.6 feet was drilled

with 1-S-inch bit.)

Drilling 150.7 feet of very hard syenite rock:

Labor.....,.-.-.......:......-........-.........--.........,.-..... 158.00

Diamonds..._......_..............._...._..--.... ............ 298.69

Coal.....--..--...........-.-.---..--..--..--.--....-..--..-.--.-... 10.50*

Total............................................. ............. 467.19

Cost per foot...---..---.. ..-.-..-.-....-._..-...-..-..,.. ..._. 3.10

(Size of drill, If inches.)

Drilling 286.1 feet of soft schist rock:

Labor.......... ....... .--.-..-_....-...........-....___..-....- 190.00

Diamonds..-.--.--.--...-.-..--...-------.--,------....-..--..----. 87.75

Coal.........-..-..-.-.-....-.--.-------.-.-.---.-.-..---..--....... 11.50

Total......................... .............. ..................... 289.25

Cost per foot........ ____..._--.-_-.___.._..--._...-.-....... ...... 1.01

(Size of drill, If inches.)

You will notice that- there is a large variation in the cost of drilling through 

different kinds of rock. The costs as given do not include more or less lost time, 

and the depreciation on diamonds due to their being of smaller size after being 

used. Finally they get so small as to be valueless. Depreciation of plant is also 

not included.

Regarding the best size of hole for prospecting purposes, this depends largely 

on the work which you have in hand. If I were fitting up for similar work to 

what we did here, and only expected to fit up one size of hole, I should fit up probably for If-inch bit.

When I speak of If-inch bits, I mean bits that give cores of about this size, 

though generally the cores are somewhat smaller than the sizes noted.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. VIII

Discharge in second-feet. 

500 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 10,000

10

A. RATING CURVE FOR GILA RIVER AT THE BUTTES. USED DURING PERIOD 

FROM JULY 11 TO AUGUST 10, 1899.

3. LOCATION OF BORINGS AT BUTTES DAM SITE.
MPPINCOTT.] DIAMOND CORE DRILL. 45

Diamond-drill work is expensive amusement at the best, and I think you will be 

safe to conclude, whether you do the work yourself, buying the machines, or do it 

by contract, that the cost will be somewhere in the neighborhood of three or four 

dollars per running foot.

It was decided to attempt to explore for bed rock by means of 

diamond core drills, and, through Mr. Arthur P. Davis, who was in 

charge of the work, machines for this purpose were obtained from the 

Nicaragua Canal Commission. These machines had been used in 

Nicaragua in exploring foir bed rock along the route of the proposed 

canal, and had done efficient service. Two foremen, Mr. P. Tierney 

and Mr. T. J. H. Archambault, were employed to run the machines. 

These men had previously used them in Nicaragua, and were entirely 

competent to do the work efficiently. The machinery is in two 

distinct parts: First, a pile-driving apparatus for putting pipe or 

casing down through quicksand or earth; the pipe is afterwards 

washed out, and inside of it the shaft with the diamond bits is operated. 

The second part is the drilling apparatus proper. The machinery 

is very light, and made so that it can be knocked down to weights 

that will admit of the sections being carried on the backs of men. 

. The hammer is in sections and can be increased or lessened in weight. 

The bottom section is cored out and filled with wood, so that the blow 

of the hammer will not abrade the head of the pipe. It is raised by 

means of a hand winding drum, and is tripped when it reaches the 

tops of the guides, and falls upon the pipe. The maximum lift is 

11£ feet and the maximum weight 190 pounds. A tool-steel head is 

screwed into the top of the drive pipe for the hammer to fall upon.

The pipe is shod at its lower end with, a tool-steel shoe, which is 

thicker and heavier than the pipe, but equal to it in interior diameter. 

The size of the pipe used is 3^-inch, 2i-inch, and 2-inch extra heavy 

screw pipe, with extra heavy couplings which have beveled corners. 

The smaller diameter pipe is in each case made to fit into the larger 

diameter if required. It, however, requires a special make of 2^-inch, 

pipe to go inside of the 3^-inch pipe. The pipe is driven through the 

sand and gravel until bed rock is reached. This is indicated by the 

refusal of the pipe to go any farther under driving. The pipe is cut 

in 5-foot sections, and as it is driven into the ground new sections are 

put on until the desired length is reached. When the drive pipe has 

reached bed rock, what is known as a chopping bit, which is a bit 

with openings for water to flow through its point, and to which is 

screwed a f-inch pipe, is worked into the drive pipe. The top of this 

f-inch pipe is connected with a small, double-action hand force pump 

by a hose.

The chopping bit is churned around in the sand which is inside of 

the drive pipe, and the water which is under pressure is discharged 

through the point of the chopping bit, and floats the loosened sand 

out over the top of the drive pipe. In this manner a hole can be 

readily cleaned to depths as great as 130 feet of sand and small gravel.
46 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. lwo.33.

The diamond-drilling machine^ is put to work when the drive pipe 

is cleaned out, and it is possible that it may demonstrate that, instead 

of being on bed rock, the drive pipe has stopped upon a bowlder. 

As soon as the diamond bit passes through a bowlder it drops, which 

is an indication that bed rock has not been reached. The diamond 

drill is then drawn and four or five sticks of giant powder are lowered 

through the pipe to the bowlder. The drive pipe is then pulled up 

four or five feet, and the powder discharged by means of an electric 

firing battery. This shatters the rock, and the drive pipe may then 

be forced through the splintered bowlder. In this manner pipe of 

these varying diameters were driven to bed rock at five different 

dam sites, and at every location successful results were obtained.

COST OF OPERATING.

The diamond-drilling machine used was built by the American 

Diamond Rock Drill Company, of 123 Liberty street, New York. 

One-inch bits were usually employed. The diamond drilling machinery is shown on Pis. I and VII, A. The. drill is operated by hand 

power, six men being economically employed on this work, as well as 

on the driving of the pipe. The machine is capable of going 200 feet 

into the rock, and will make from 6 to 8 feet a day in hard rock, 

and from 10 to 15 feet a day in softer rock. The cost of the machinery 

complete is approximately $1,000, including two bits, which are 

worth about $200 each, set with six diamonds each. The diamonds 

are known as black diamonds, and should weigh approximately 1 

carat each. Two machines were used on work in southern Arizona. 

There was paid for the pipe $590, including tools and fittings, 

delivered in Arizona; $100 of this amount being freight from New 

York. This would make a total cost of outfit complete of $1,590.

Cost of operation per month of bed-rock exploration.

Foreman.--.....----...--... .........-.......... ........... $150.00

6 laborers, at $1.50 per day, 28 days............................ 234.00

1 cook....................................................... 45.00

 $429.00 

240 rations, at 60 cents................ ................................ 144.00

Total repairs, pipe and lumber for one party for ten months... 500.00 

Total commissary charges for team, feed, etc... --.--.---.-.. 350.00 

Total moving.... ........................................... 670.00

Total sundry incidentals.......__......._...-._......... 200.00

Total supervision....-.---.....----.-----..,.--.---.----..-... 350.00

Total,ten months...---.._-..--.-.---_----------.----.- 2,070.00

Sundry expenses per month...._-.-_....._....._.....-.. _.----.------- 230.00

Total cost per month...... ..................................... 803.00

Ten months, at $803 .................................................. 8,030.00

Total number of feet sunk ..........................__.............. 3,254.2

Total cost ........^......................^...,........................ $8,030.00

Cost per foot-.-----.-.-.......----...--... .................... ,... 2.46

Costperhole, 7,227-5-52 ............................... ............... 154.48
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. IX

CONTOUR MAP OF BUTTES DAM SITE, SHOWING PLAN OF DAM AND LOCATION OF QUARRY TESTS.
LIPPINCOTT.J COST OF DIAMOND COSE DRILLING^ 47

If the original cost of machinery be distributed over this work, the 

results would be as follows:

Operation............................................................ $8,030.00

Machinery .......................................................... 1,600.00

Total cost.--.._.,_..

Or average cost per foot,

9,630.00

Both machines are still in good repair after having been used in 

Nicaragua and in various localities in Arizona and California.

The total depths penetrated in all materials at the various dam sites 

are:

The Buttes.-----.---.. ..... ......

Queen Creek ......... _ ...........

Riverside ....--.__---.._...-... ...

Dikes.... ...... .....-..--_--.....-.

San Carlos. .--...-.----. -._.-.-..--

Total ........................

Covering.

1,621.3

357.8

729.8

80.0

143.2

2, 932. 0

Rock.

196.0

55.6

40.2

0.0

30.4

322.2

Total.

1,817.2

413.4

770.0

80.0

173.6

3, 254. 2

The work at the Buttes at the last three holes and at the Dikes was 

very greatly delayed, owing to the loss of the original drive pipe by 

breaking beneath the surface. The pipe that was next obtained broke 

continually under the hammer, and a month's time of one party was 

lost by these interruptions. The expense of this work is included in 

the above estimate. Owing to the long move by teams of the outfit 

to San Carlos dam site and the constant interruption by floods of the 

work at that point and the consequent small amount of driving done 

there (173.6 feet), the cost of that portion of the work was about $6 

per linear foot. If San Carlos is not included in the estimate, the 

average cost per foot for the remaining portion of the work would be 

reduced about 10 cents.

The advantages of this class of work over the shaft method are 

manifest. It is probable that not over five or six shafts could have 

been put down with the total funds available in case that method 

was practiced, and it is problematical even then if it could have been 

accomplished. By the drilling method employed the location of bed 

rock is not only determined, but an actual sample has been brought 

up, which can be tested for specific gravity, crushing strength, texture, 

quality, or in any other manner desired. The work was entirely successful, except at San Carlos, where the floods became so violent during 

the month of August, 1899, that the machinery could not be kept
48 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

standing in the river, and but two holes reached and penetrated the 

bed rock.

BUTTES RESERVOIR.

EXPLORATION FOR FOUNDATIONS OF DAM.

As recommended in the report by Mr. Arthur P. Davis, made in 

1896, explorations have been made to determine the depth of bed rock 

and the quality of the rock at the Buttes dam site. By this survey 

of 1899 the diamond core drill demonstrated the fact that the soundings which were made by rods and which are described in the report 

above mentioned were misleading. There is proved to be a limit 

beyond which it is impossible to drive rods in gravel and sand, and 

this limit, which is found to be approximately 60 feet in the material 

composing the bed of the Gila, prevented the correct determination of 

bed rock in 1896 by the rod method. Twenty-four holes were put down 

by the diamond core drill at various points in the canyon at the Buttes, 

the effort having been made to find some point where the bed rock 

would be shallow. The following table shows the depth and character of the bed rock determined.

Log of Tmrings at the Buttes dam site, (Mla River, Arizona.

Line 

No.

3

3

2

3

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

4

4

4

4

4

. 4

4

4

4

4

5

5

5

Hole 

No.

33

34

3

4

5

1

g

6

7

31

33

14

13

9

30

10

15

16

17

18

19

8

11

13

35

Depth to 

bedrock.

Feet.

57.0

46.4

31.4

70.0

133.6

65.0

80.0

105.0

70.0

53.0

13.5

8.0

62.1

71.4

68.6

66.8

64.0

63.7

70.0

68.7

36.4

78.0

83.0

(a)

(6)

Depth to 

bottom 

of 

boring."

Feet.

63.0

53.5

28.3

77.5

133.0

83.0

95.0

113.3

79.0

64.0

30.3

13.6

68.9

78.7

74.5

84.1

70.7

70.7

. 79.0

79.1

34.0

95.0

94.0

Depth 

drilled 

in rock.

Feet.

6.0 r.i

6.9

7.5

9.4

17.0

15.0

7.3

9.0

11.0

6.7

4.6

6.8

7.3

5.9

17.3

6.7

8.0

9.0

11.4

7.6

17.0

13.0

Correct 

elevation 

of surface 

June, 1899.

Feet.

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,591.53

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,589.00

1,594.00

1,596.63

1,603.13

1,610.63

1,589.00

1,589.00

Correct 

elevation 

of 

bed rock.

Feet.

1,533.00

1,543.60

1,570.33

1,519.00

1,466.40

1,534.00

1,509.00

1,484.00

1,519.00

1,536.00

1,575.50

1,581.00

1,536.90

1,517.60

1,530.40

1,533.20

1,535.00

1,533.10

1,536.62

1,533.42

1,584.22

1,511.00

1,507.00

Bed-rock

elevations 

reduced to 

datum of 

contour 

map

(= +13.38).

Feet.

1,545.38

1,555.98

1,583.60

1,532.38

1,479.78

1,537.38

1,522.38

1, 417.38

1,533.38

1,549.38

1,588.88

1,594.38

1,540.28

1,530.98

1,533.78

1,535.58

1,538.38

1,545.48

1,540.00

1,546.80

1,597.60

1,534.38

1,530.38

a Not reached at 77 feet. 6 Not reached at 101 feet.

The contour maps of the Buttes dam and reservoir sites, which were 

surveyed in 1896, were based upon a datum which was taken from the 

local records of the Florence canal. Subsequently a line of levels
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. X

A RESULT OF QUARRY TEST AT CLIFF ON RIGHT BANK BELOW BUTTES

DAM SITE.

B. DAM SITE ON QUEEN CREEK.
LIPPINCOTT.] BUTTES EESERVOIR. 49

was run from the railroad station of Casa Grande, on the Southern 

Pacific line, to the Buttes dam site, and upon this datum the topographic map -of the irrigable lands in the vicinity of Florence was 

made. Upon this corrected datum the canal surveys were made, and 

a bench mark was established at the Buttes dam site, The elevations 

given on the large contour map of the dam site, which is on a scale of 

50 feet to the inch, are based upon the first elevation of Florence canal 

datum, which the subsequent levels show to have been 18.38 feet too 

high. The elevations given on the plans and sections of the Buttes 

dam correspond to the elevations of the contour maps of the dam and 

reservoir surveys and do not correspond with corrected elevations.* 

The elevations given in the above table are both the corrected elevations and the elevations on the same datum as that used for the 

contour map and plans of dam.

The holes whose surface elevation is given as 1,589 are those' bored 

in the immediate bed of the stream. Those of higher elevations 

started on the alluvial benches above low-water level on either side.

QUALITY OF BED ROCK.

At each one of these points a core was brought up showing the 

quality of the bed rock. The following table is a description of the 

cores obtained at the Buttes:

Cores obtained from borings at the Buttes,

Number 

of hole.

23...... 

34...... 

3-.. .

4-.-....

5.......

I.......

6.......

7--. .

21...... 

32 TA-"."~.

13...... 

9.......

30..... 

10.....

15... . 

16... .

17... . 

18... . 

19... .. 

8.......

U...... 

13......

35

Depth 

drilled in 

rock.

Feet. 

6.0 

7.1 

6.9

9.4

17.0

15.0

7.3

9.0

11.0 

6.7 

4.6 

6.8 

7.3

5.9

17.3

6.7 

8.0 

9.0 

11.4 

7.6 

17.0

13.0

316.5

Length of 

core 

obtained.

Feet. 

4.00 

4.40 

3.40

1.30

4.35

9.00

1.40

3.40

5.30

3.40 

5.00 

3.00 

1.80 

5.30

4.50 

4.10

.85 

5.00 

2.50 

1.66 

4.00 

2 35

5.00

* '-

81.71

Quality of rock.

Pearlifce. 

Pearlite and ash.

Hard, volcanic ash. 

Pearlite. 

Volcanic ash. 

Volcanic ash, very porous.

Volcanic ash. 

Volcanic ash, quite hard, but badly 

pitted. 

Very porous volcanic ash. 

Volcanic ash. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Hard, volcanic ash.

feet.
50 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The location of these borings is shown on PI. VIII, B, these being 

arranged in five different rows. At the relative location of each hole 

a figure has been placed on the diagram corresponding to the number 

given in the above tables. The point marked "B. M." shows the position of the bronze bench mark set in the face of the cliff. It is the 

initial point of the survey for the location of the borings. At the point 

marked "Gr" is a steel gad seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, set 

in the rock.

In taking out many of the cores it was found that, while the drill 

had entered the rock for distances of from 6 to 12 feet, the cores 

extracted were very much less in length, owing to the crumbling of 

the rock as it was cut. The bed rock varies between a volcanic glass, 

or obsidian called pearlite, and a porous ash. The obsidian is exceedingly hard, but the ashy material is full of holes, quite soft, being 

readily cut with a knife, and of a crumbling nature. A total depth 

of 216.5 feet was bored into the bed rock, and but 81.71 feet of core 

obtained therefrom, or only 38 per cent of the total length of the core 

was of such material as would permit of its extraction from the holes. 

It is but fair to assume that the remaining 62 per cent is of a poorer 

class of material than that which was extracted.

The following table gives crushing tests which were made in the 

laboratory of the city engineer's office at Los Angeles, California. 

The crushing limit of the machine used is 2,565 pounds per square 

inch. This would be equivalent to 184.7 tons per square foot. A good 

many of the samples could not be crushed on the machine, but it has 

been considered that all rock which could not be crushed with this 

pressure is reliable and could be accepted as a satisfactory foundation material. The poorest rock is undoubtedly that portion of the 

core which has gone to pieces under the action of the diamond drill, 

and which could not be extracted. Tests were obtained from the 

samples as low as 79.5 tons per square foot. It may therefore be 

assumed that the tests made are of the better class of rock, and that 

if any of the samples indicate a weakness below the limit of safety it 

would justify the abandonment of the bed rock as a proper foundation 

for a cement-masonry dam. The assumed maximum height of the 

dam being 170 feet above the bed of the stream, and 123 feet to bed 

rock below the same, or a total height of 293 feet, the base would have 

to be made so wide in order to keep the pressure at the outside toe 

within safe limits that the cost would be prohibitory. Some of the 

cores having crushed with 80 tons pressure per square foot, a rubblemasonry dam is abandoned for this site. Crushing tests were made 

by J. W. Kobinette and S. G. Bennett. Specimens were 1 inch long 

and 1 inch in diameter.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. S3 PL. XI

A. ELEVATION OF END WALL OF BUTTES DAM.

-312 #.. 

S. MAXIMUM CROSS SECTION OF PROPOSED DAM AT THE BUTTES, ARIZONA.
LIPPINOOTT.] BUTTES RESERVOIR. 51

Specific gravity, weight per cubic foot, and crushing tests of diamond-drill core 

from bed rock at the Buttes, Arizona.

No. of specimen.

1. .

2.....

3.. 

4.....

5.....

6.....

7.....

8.....

9.....

10.. 

11.....

Weight 

in air.

Ounces.

1.10

0.75

1.30

0.95

0.90

0.82

0.70

0.85

0.90

0.95

0.86

Weight 

in 

water.

Ounces.

o.eo

0.30

0.75

0.45

0.4,7

0.40

0.30

0.40

0.45

0.46

0.45

Loss.

Ounces.

0.50

0.45

0.55

0.50

0.43

0.42

0.40

0.45

0.45

0.49

0.41

Specific

gravity.

1.86

1.66

2.39

1.93

1.79

1.95

1.75

1.86

2.0

1.855

2.10

Weight 

per 

cubic 

foot.

116.4

103.0

149.5

120.5

112.0

133.0

109.0

116.4

125.0

116.0

131.0

Crushing test, 

pounds 

per cubic 

inch.

2,565+

1,035

2,565+

2,565+

2,565+

2,469

2,288

2,565

2,088

2,565+

2,077

Crushing test, 

tons 

per cubic 

foot.

184.7+

79.5

184.7+

184.7+

184.7+

177.0

164.7

184.7+

150.0

184.7+

149.5

Remarks.

Stood 2,000 pounds.

Crushed at 807

pounds.

Stood 2,000 pounds.

Do.

Do.

Crushed at 1,926

pounds.

Crushed at 1,785

pounds.

Stood 2,000 pounds,

but developed longitudinal crack

after being taken

out of testing machine.

Crushed at 1,629 .

pounds.

Stood 2,000 pounds.

Crushed at 1,620

pounds.

QUARRY TESTS.

The rock at the Buttes appearing to be of a questionable quality 

for concrete or rubble masonry work, it was decided to be necessary 

to make quarry tests, in order to determine accurately its nature. 

Mr. D. Anderson, mason and quarryman, of Los Angeles, California, 

made the following quarry tests:

At the first cliff on the right bank below the dam site at the Buttes, 

12 feet back from the edge, two holes were put down, 5 feet 6 inches 

and 3 feet in depth, respectively. This location is marked by the 

figure 1 on contour map of the Buttes dam site (PL IX). Eight 

sticks of giant powder started the rock and one 25-pound keg of black 

powder pushed it off. The result was one 10-ton rock, one 2-ton rock, 

and numerous small rocks ranging from 25 to 500 pounds. The rock 

is a pearlite, heavy, close grained, and fairly free from seams. It 

dropped from 150 to 175 feet, to the foot of the cliff, falling partly on 

earth and partly on rock, without badly shattering it. It drills easily, 

two strikers going 18 inches an hour with 1^-inch bit, but large quantities of powder are required to start the rock.

The second test, at figure 2 on PI. IX, was on east face of same 

cliff. Five-foot holes were put down in a step series, 2£ sticks of giant 

powder being used to spring each. Afterwards holes 2£ feet deep 

were filled with black powder, 3 kegs being used in five holes. The 

result is hard to estimate probably 100 to 200 tons of rock were 

thrown down. There were one 2-ton, two 1-ton, and about twenty 

quarter-ton rocks. The large pieces are pearlite; the smaller ones 

are a hard ashy rock.
52 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The point west of the left spillway, at figure 3 on PI. IX, was 

opened on June 10,1899, and a hole was put down 4 feet 4 inches and 

four sticks of giant powder were exploded therein. The rock exposed 

seems to be a partly solidified pearlite, light and brittle. Soft streaks 

and spots are found throughout the mass, and it does not seem suited 

either in weight or structure to bear a rubble-masonry dam. About 

one-third of it is a white-colored ash and two-thirds is a gray, hard 

substance, brittle and light. The ashy material cuts readily with a 

knife, while the gray is hard to scratch. These white spots are often 

eroded by wind action when occurring at the surface, holes being thus 

formed as large as 2 feet in diameter.

At a point 100 feet northeast of the left-hand spillway (bench 

mark), at figure 4 on PI. IX, a hole 4 feet 6 inches was put down onJune 7 and five sticks of giant powder were used (three and one-half 

sticks to the pound). The rock is similar to that previously noted, 

but harder and ashy white, and usually resists a knife, but there are 

spots that cut like chalk. In the lower portion of the spillway, at 

figure 5 on PI. IX, a blast was put off which showed that the material 

is softer and more fragile in the spillway than elsewhere and of a very 

questionable nature for cement-masonry work. On the southwest end 

of the low butte, at the left dam abutment, at figure 6 on PL IX, a 

hole 6 feet deep was put down June 10, and three sticks of giant powder were used to spring it. Twelve pounds of black powder were then 

used to throw down the rock. This revealed a high-grade, heavy, 

volcanic glass, resembling the first, tested across the river. Overlying 

the pearlite is a streak of ashy gray, but harder and darker than at the 

spillway.

The prevailing rock at the dam site is an indurated ash. It is 

found in the cliffs of the left bank, east of the spillway and at the proposed upper portal of the tunnel on the right bank. The lighter ash 

is liable to crush and erode. Probably enough of the pearlite could 

be selected to build a concrete or rubble dam, but it would be a matter of selection, and much of the lighter rock would have to be moved 

to get at the better rock. This probably would be 50 per cent of the 

mass. The rock in the left-hand spillway probably could not be put 

in a concrete dam. It could, however, be used for a core of a rockfill dam.

On the first cliff south of the dam site, on the right bank, facing the 

river, two large blasts were fired at the first projecting point, at figure 7 on PL IX. Three holes were put down, 14 feet, 15 feet, and 16 

feet deep, 18 feet back from the face of the cliff. The rock was hard and 

cut coarse. Three men could go down 10 inches per hour with a churn 

drill. Four pounds of giant powder were used to the hole. This 

sprung the cliff from one side to the other, about 30 feet deep. The 

crack was then charged with black powder, 3£ kegs being put down 

to each hole. The powder in hole No. 2 went into a crevice and did
U. 8. GEOLOSICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL XII

§li?^^f^Sip|^ Wasteway. Capac/ty /DO 000 second-feet

ELEVATION OF BUTTES DAM, LOOKING UPSTREAM.

MPPINCOTT.] QUARRY TESTS AT BUTTES RESERVOIR. 53

little good. The entire point sprung, but did not fall, but around the 

edge was revealed pearlite of a good quality. There were six men in 

all, including blacksmith and helper, who worked fifty-three hours at 

this point. The rock dips into the cliff, so that while the ledge was 

pushed off as much as 5 feet it did not fall.

On June 24 about 50 pounds of giant powder was placed in the key 

of this mass and shot. This brought it d own with the following approximate results: Length of fallen mass, 80 feet; height above sand, 10 

feet; depth in sand, 5 feet; width, 30 feet. This is about 440 cubic 

yards of loose rock. PI. X, A, gives a view of this test. There were 

approximately one 10-ton rock, ten 5-ton rocks, and thirty 1-ton rocks. 

The mass ranges from stone that would pass through a 3-inch ring to 

rocks 150 pounds in weight. It is of a mixed ashy structure, and not 

solidified glass. There are numerous flow lines or fissures which are 

contorted, and the rock has gone to pieces badly. This rock fell 180 

feet upon the sandy river bed. The pearlite is not so pure as was 

indicated by the first test; it seems to be stratified, and changes often 

from pearlite into an ash, or the reverse. Numerous chips knocked off 

the corners of base of this cliff with a hammer show it to be a hard, 

volcanic substance, such as is frequently penetrated by the diamond 

drill as bed rock.

At the west end of the first bluff below dam site on right bank at 

figure 8 on PI. X five men worked fifty-three hours. The rock is 

softer than that at the middle of bluff, shown in last tests. It cuts 

very easily, but the drill holes clean hard and the dust from cutting 

forms paste when mixed with water. The average rate of progress 

with the churn drill is 10 feet an hour. Three holes, 8 feet apart, 

were put down approximately 16 feet in depth and 18 feet from the 

face of the cliff. Four pounds of giant powder were used to the hole, 

and the cliff was cracked across the point. The crack was opened by a 

second charge, consisting of 2 pounds of giant and 5 pounds of black 

powder to the hole. This resulted in a crack 2 inches wide, extending 38 feet. There seems to have been an error in judgment on the 

part of the quarryman in springing the rock too much before using 

the black powder, which expended its energy, in a large part, through 

the fissures of the .rock. This crack was then charged with, ten kegs 

of black powder, and a portion of the cliff in front of one of the 

holes was thrown off, knocking down about 300 tons of rock. The 

other portions on the cliff were not thrown off, but sufficient material 

was revealed to show the nature of the rock. In this, as in the former case, the rock fell 180 feet. There were from 8 to 10 large rocks 

displaced, ranging from 6 to 8 tons in weight, but a large portion of 

the fragments range from 100 to 200 pounds, while much of the rock, 

possibly 25 per cent, is in pieces weighing less than 50 pounds. 

There is a large amount of rock buried in the sand. This rock is a 

reddish or fused ash, rather light and brittle, but hard, and with 

IKE 33- 5
54 STORAGE OF WATEE ON GILA EIVEE, AEIZONA. [NO. 33.

many seams. It ranges in a very intricate way from glass bo ash, and 

back again to volcanic glass. Fully 66 per cent is glass. At a point 

25 feet south a smaller blast showed pure glassy pearlite, which falls 

without shattering. The first grade pearlite is rather rare and can 

not be obtained in large quantities. The ashy material is the prevailing rock and is of inferior grade for construction purposes.

A block of the poorer class of the volcanic ash from the spillway 

on the left bank, containing soft spots of light, chalk-like material, 

was immersed in water in June, and continued under water until the 

first of October, over three months. At the expiration of this time 

the softer portions of the rock indicated, if anything, a hardening, 

but still could be cut with a knife. It would be between 2 and 3 in 

the scale of hardness.

In conclusion, it may be stated that it would be difficult to select a 

sufficient amount of rock of first-class quality for concrete work or 

rubble masonry to build a dam of that type of the size required from 

bed rock to a line 170 feet above the bed of the stream, a total height 

of 223 feet, without large expense. The rock at the Buttes would be 

suitable for the construction of a rock-fill dam, the poorer class rock 

being placed in the center of the dam and selected rock on the two 

faces and at the spillway weir on the right bank.

It is probable that the dam could be most economically constructed 

from quarries at the cliffs on the right bank of the canyon below the 

dain, tramways being used for delivering the rock to the structure. 

The tramways would vary in length from 500 to 1,000 feet. If cableways were used they could not properly be placed on lines which would 

be near or parallel to the axis of the dam, and if they were not so 

located it would require a double system of cables for handling the 

rock, one to bring it from the quarries to the dam site, and a second 

set to distribute the rock at the dam.

The conclusion reached from the investigation of bed rock with the 

diamond core drills and from the quarry tests leads to the adoption 

of a rock-fill dam for the Buttes as the only class of structure which it 

would be feasible to build with the material available and on the 

foundation there existing. For this reason the estimate of cost has 

been made solely upon this type of dam.

TYPE OF DAM ADOPTED.

It is evident that the desired type of dam must have a very broad 

base, reducing to a minimum the pressure per square foot on each 

portion of its foundations. A dam with this breadth of base would 

call for a heavy expenditure for the excavation to bed rock if the 

entire section were taken out. In order to be stable and to retain the 

water impounded above it, the dam must have an impervious connection with bed rock. The style of dam selected (PI. XI, B) is of the rockfill type, with concrete retaining walls and with a concrete spillway weir
I). 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. S3 PL. XIII

CROSS SECTIONS OF TOWER AND OUTLET TUNNEL OF BUTTES DAM.
LIPPINGOTT.] BUTTES DAM. 55

on the right side. It is proposed to put a wall down to bed rock at the 

upper toe of the dairi sufficient in thickness to withstand the pressure 

of water against its upper face when excavations are made behind it. 

At the lower toe of the dam it is proposed that a similar wall shall be 

put down to bed rock in order to protect the structure from erosion 

from the spillway on the right bank and to retain the inclosed mass 

of sand and gravel as a foundation for the riprap or dry-laid rock.

The section and rear view, looking upstream, of this proposed 

structure are shown on Pis. XI and XII.

Between these two walls there will be held a mass of sand, gravel, 

and bowlders, which constitute the natural bed of the river and which 

will not be excavated. The distance between these two walls is 234 

feet. It is proposed that they shall be carried up above the bed of 

the stream to an elevation of 58 feet on the lower wall and 63 feet on 

the upper wall. Loose rock will be deposited between them as they 

are raised in elevation, and the river will be allowed to flow a portion 

of the time over the masonry walls onto the mass of rubble lying on 

the sandy bed of the stream. The churning action which will result 

therefrom will permit the heavy rock to settle into the bed of the 

river, it being desirable to have this take place as much as possible. 

In case this does not occur naturally, it is proposed to pump water 

onto this rock and force a settlement in that manner. The rock forming this portion of the dam will be as large as can be handled.

An outlet tunnel will be constructed through the point of rocks at 

the right abutment of the dam at the lowest possible elevation, as 

shown on PI. XII. This tunnel (PI. XIV, A) will be 15 feet high, 10 

feet wide, and 139 square feet in area. It will discharge under pressure 

and with high velocity and will carry the river at all stages of low 

water and in ordinary floods. It will be about 1,000 feet in length 

and have over 1,000 second-feet capacity. This tunnel will permit, 

during all usual occasions, of the regulation of the river as may be 

desired during construction. Afterwards it can be used to carry off 

flood waters, and it will not ordinarily supply water for the irrigation 

canals. On the left bank the delivery tunnel (see PI. XII) will be 

located 30 feet above the natural bed of the stream and will discharge, if desirable, in* o the main irrigation and power conduit.

A serious problem in connection with the construction of this dam 

will be the handling of the great floods which possibly may occur in 

the river during its erection. If such a flood should occur during 

construction, and be permitted to pass over the dam while it is in 

an incomplete condition, the loose rocks would probably give way 

under the violence of the current and destroy the work already performed. There would then be added to the flood the volume of water 

resulting from the bursting of the reservoir, and disaster would follow not only to the structure itself, but to settlements and towns 

along the Gila River below the dam. In order to prevent this the
56 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

two masonry retaining walls (PI. XI, B) are carried above the bed of 

the river to the elevations named. If when these walls have reached 

their ^maximum height and the intervening space is filled with, riprap 

a flood of great magnitude should pass over the dam the structure 

«rould stand, the loose rock being held between the two retaining 

walls would settle down into the sand bed between them. This 

would be exactly what would be desired. An examination of Pis. 

V, A, and XII shows that the bed rock has a very flat slope on the 

right abutment. It is proposed that a wall (PI. XI, A) should be built 

from this bed rock, as shown on PL XII, 20 feet in thickness, as a 

retaining wall for the right end of the loose-rock portion of the dam, 

connecting the upper and lower toe walls. The purpose of this wall 

is to retain the loose rock and to protect it against the attacks of 

floods. This end wall will be made of concrete, and an excessive 

thickness will not be necessary, because it will be reenforced by the 

secondary rubble-masonry weir to its right.

A cut (shown by the crosshatching on PI. IX) will be made into the 

sloping rock at the right abutment down to an elevation of 40 feet 

above the natural surface of the river bed and to a width of 100 feet 

at the bottom. This cut would be carrying water at a depth of 30 

feet when the water reached the elevation of the top of the higher toe 

wall of the dam, and a corresponding head on the large tunnel of 70 

feet would then exist. This would probably carry any ordinary flood 

which might occur in the river.

The effort should be made during the first year of construction to 

complete the two retaining walls from the bed rock to the surface of 

the stream. During the second season these walls can be completed 

and as much of the rock-fill dam as possible constructed. In the 

third year the rock-fill dam should be completed and the concrete 

weir constructed.

As the work on the rock-fill portion of the dam advances and its 

crest rises in elevation, the construction of the concrete weir on the 

right abutment, which is to act as the spillway for the structure, can 

be begun and carried on with the remaining portion of the work. 

The two faces of the central dam are to be laid up by hand in dry 

wall, and the slopes which have been accepted for the dam are practically the natural angles of repose, so that little tendency to slide is 

likely to exist.

In order to make this structure water-tight it is proposed to cover 

the upper face with an apron of concrete 5 feet in thickness, which 

will be connected with the upper toe wall and the two abutments of 

the dam. In this apron of concrete a continuous riveted steel plate 

will be embedded 4 feet beneath the water face of the dam and 1 foot 

from the dry-laid rock wall. Angle irons will be riveted horizontally 

and vertically on both sides for the purpose of stiffening the plate 

and insuring a better connection with the concrete. The steel plate
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. Xftf

A. CROSS SECTION OF LOW-WATER TUNNEL, B. MAXIMUM CROSS SECTION OF WASTEWAY, 

BUTTES DAM. . BUTTES DAM.

O. LOCATION OF BORINGS AT RIVERSIDE DAM.
IJPPINCOTT.] BUTTES DAM. 57

will make the dam additionally impervious and lend strength to the 

concrete.

Gates will be placed at the upper portal of the flood tunnel and will 

be operated from the surface of the ground. The gates for the tunnel which is to discharge into the irrigation conduit will be operated 

from a tower (PI. XIII)

Quarry tests were made of the spillway on the left bank, and the 

rock was found to be of such nature that it would not stand the 

erosion of a great flood. It is of a volcanic, ashy character, porous 

in spots, light in weight, and portions of it can be readily whittled 

with a knife. A flood approaching 100,000 cubic feet per second 

passing over this material would tear it to pieces, it is believed, and 

erode great channels. It would be exceedingly expensive to cover 

this spillway with concrete so as to protect it or to build a series of 

checks to mitigate the erosive action of the water.

On the right abutment, however, the rock is of a harder nature. It 

is, to a large extent, an obsidian, or pearlite, and it is believed that it 

will resist erosion. This bed rock on the right abutment is practically 

at the surface from an elevation of 20 feet or more above the bed of 

the stream. A concrete weir of the section shown on PI. XIV, B, will 

be constructed on this abutment, the elevation of the top being 20 feet 

lower than the top of the loose rock dam, and of a length of approximately 650 feet. Any flood occurring will pass over this portion of 

the dam only. This concrete weir will be built into the excavation 

which was made for the flood waters and connected with the retaining 

wall at the right end of the rock-fill dam. Its section will be such that 

any flood may pass over it without injuring it. The dam will be protected on its flank and at its lower toe with solid walls of concrete, 

and the floods passing over the weir will be discharged away from the 

main dam into the canyon below.

As a further protection against any churning action of the water 

which may occur, large blocks of riprap should be laid against the 

lower toe wall of the dam to prevent the scouring of a large cavity in 

the bed of the canyon at that point. The lower toe wall should be 

provided with weep holes, so that hydrostatic pressure against the 

wall can be avoided. It is believed that the body of sand and gravel 

between the two toe walls of the dam, which is 234 feet in length and 

approximately 400 feet in width and which is rigidly sustained by two 

masonry retaining walls, will be a foundation of a very substantial 

and satisfactory character for the loose rock embankment composing 

the dam.

It is a frequent practice in sinking iron caissons for bridge piers to 

build concrete upon a retained sand foundation of this nature. When 

the foundations of the retaining walls are uncovered and examined, 

if the bed rock should prove unsuited to sustain the vertical pressure 

due to their weight, which will amount to a maximum of 12 tons per
58 STORAGE OF WATEK ON GILA KIVEK, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

square foot, then the walls will have to be broadened at their base to 

the proper width to reduce the pressure to the desired limits

It is believed that a dam could be constructed at the Buttes on the 

plan outlined that would be a reliable and creditable engineering 

structure, but the expense would be great, as is shown in the estimate.

METHOD OF EXCAVATION FOR FOUNDATIONS.

The most serious difficulty in connection with the construction of a 

dam at the Buttes will be in the excavation for foundations. The 

plan suggested is the sinking of a series of open caissons. These will 

be put down as for bridge pier work. They would be weighted on 

top, and the excavation made probably below water by means of 

buckets on an endless chain or some similar method. As the excavation in the sand and gravel would progress, the caissons would sink 

on account of the superimposed weight, and new sections would then 

be fitted to the top as it went down. The borings with the diamond 

core drill did not indicate bowlders of large size, and it is believed 

that these caissons could be put down without serious trouble. The 

attempt would not be made to keep them pumped out until they 

reached bed rock, when pumping would be resorted to, the bed rock 

would be cleaned and examined, and after everything was clear they 

would be filled with concrete.

A row of these caissons, tangent to each other, would be put down 

at the upper face of the upper toe wall, and another at the lower face 

of the upper toe wall, each row being braced against the other. The 

bed rock where the upper toe wall would be put down is at a maximum depth of 71 feet, and is better than the average bed rock which 

intervenes between the two retaining walls. At the lower toe wall the 

bed rock is largely pearlite, and is at a maximum depth of 122.6 feet. 

The principal trouble in putting down these foundations will be in 

handling the volume of water to be encountered. Bed rock is nearer 

the surface at the upper toe than elsewhere. The wall would be 

naturally put down first here, and this would greatly relieve the volume of water to be handled at the lower toe wall. The two rows of 

caissons liaving been placed, the sand and gravel intervening would 

then be excavated. When the excavation is completed for the upper 

toe wall between the cylinders, the concrete to constitute the wall would 

then be placed in solid mass. A similar construction would be followed 

at the lower toe wall. With the two toe walls completed, the riprap 

would be placed between them and allowed to sink to the greatest 

depth possible into the sand.

BUILDING MATERIALS, SAND AND GRAVEL.

A drainage line enters the Gila River at a distance of about 2,000 

feet above the dam site, which carries the discharge from an area 

lying south of the reservoir site. This drainage line for a distance of
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XV

TOTAL AREA OF RESERVOIR 5651 ACRES

KEY MAP OF RESERVOIR

BUTTES RESERVOIR SITE, ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA.
CAPACITY AND COST OF BUTTES RESERVOIR. 59

3 or 4 miles varies in width from 100 to 400 feet and is filled to an 

unknown depth with a high-grade, coarse building sand, the voids 

constituting 35 per cent of the mass. This sand would have to be 

washed, and would then be of good quality for concrete. The cement 

forthedam must be shipped, probably, from California to Casa Grande, 

at a cost for railway transportation of $12.20 per 2,000-pound ton. 

The wagon haul from the railroad to the Buttes is 40 miles. The amount 

of cement used should, therefore, be reduced as much as possible. An 

examination was made for materials from which a natural hydraulic 

cement could be made, without successful results. Limestone exists 

3 or 4 miles below the Buttes dam site, but no good clay was found. 

Fuel also would be an expensive element. Coal would have to come 

from New Mexico, if used, and wood from the neighborhood of the 

Indian reservation.

A test, as noted on page 16, was made to determine the possibility 

of making a silica cement with the Portland cement, which might be 

brought in, and finely ground pearlite. By mixing one portion of 

finely ground cement with an equal bulk of pearlite, so that no residue 

would remain on a 200-mesh sieve, and adding two parts of coarse 

sand, not ground, making a mixture of one part finely ground Portland cement and five parts sand and ground silica, a tensile strength 

of 80 pounds per square inch was obtained at the end of seven days 

and of 300 pounds at the end of twenty-eight days. When the same 

cement was mixed with sand on the ratio of 1 to 2, 33 per cent being 

left on the 200-mesh sieve, a tensile strength of 170 pounds per square 

inch was obtained at the end of seven days and of 385 pounds at the 

end of twenty-eight days. The same pure cement mixed on a ratio of 

1 to 3 has a tensile strength of 140 and 240 pounds per square inch at 

the end of seven and twenty-eight days, respectively. The ground 

pearlite and finely ground cement mixed on the ratio of 1 to 7 has a 

tensile strength of 185 pounds per square inch at the end of twentyeight days.

CAPACITY AND COST OF THE BUTTES RESERVOIR.

The basin of this reservoir site, shown on PL XV, embraces little 

agricultural land, and it is estimated that $10,000 will cover all the 

damages that would be incurred by appropriating it for reservoir purposes. Some copper prospects have been discovered in the reservoir 

site at a point known as the Dikes, but it was subsequent to the filing 

on all of this land under the United States laws for reservoir purposes. 

No further antagonistic interests can become vested here.

The capacity of the Buttes reservoir site is 174,040 acre-feet, and 

the estimated cost of constructing this dam is $2,643,327, or an average cost of 115.19 per acre-foot of capacity. The Buttes reservoir site 

has the advantage of being closer to the irrigable lands than any other 

of the reservoir sites considered on this river.
60 STORAGE- OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. 

Area and capacity of the Buttes reservoir site.

[NO. 33.

Contour 

flow line.

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

300

Area.

Acres. 

20 

71

533

741

938

1,105

1,329

1,566

1,769

3,039

3,367

3,746

3,149

3,603

4,118

4,609

5,133

5,651

Capacity, 

section.

Acre-feet.

100

450

1,500

3,130

4,650

6,370

8,345

10,165

12,170

14,475

16,675

18,990

31,980

25,565

29,475

33,755

38,600

43,635 48, no

53,920

393,660

Capacity, 

total.

Acre-feet.

100

550

2,050

5,180

16,300

24,545

34,710

46,880

61,355

78,030

97,030

119,000

144,565

174,040

207,795

246,395

290,030

338,740

392,660

Estimate for the Buttes dam.

Bock excavation for dam and riprap, 305,805 cubic yards, at $1........ $305,805

Masonry in walls above ground, 137,033 cubic yards, at $6........-._.. 822.192

Concrete tower. 37,328 cubic feet, at 50 cents. ........_,.....-_.._..._. 18,664

Towerhouse... ...... ... ...._,.._.__ ..._.._.....,._,..__. 750

8 jnlets, at$500each.-.-.............................................. 4,000

~~£ balance valves, at $1,000 each..................-.........-.-.--_.._._ 4,000

Footbridge, 120 feet, at $10 per foot....... -..-.-...-._.-......_..--.-. 1,200

Masonry below water:

Lower wall, 478,800 cubic feet, at 90 cents......................... 430,920

Upper wall, 798,800 cubic feet, at 70 cents.,....................... 559,160

Steel plates in face wall:

1,152,000pounds, at 7 cents........................................ 80,640

Low-water tunnel, 1,000 feet, at $15..-----.-----.....-..-.--...-.-.--- 15,000

Tower for flood gate _..-...._--._..-_.__..-.-...-._..--....---....._.. 18,664

Towerhouse...-__....-.--.........._.........-................,.... 750

Right of way.............. ........................................... 10,000

Upper outlet tunnel, lined, 320 feet, at $15....,........................ 4,800

Bulkhead for same, 200 yards concrete, at $10 ......................... 2,000

Woodcrib diversion dam at head of Florence canal, 500 feet, at $40 per

linear foot...................................... ................... 20,000

2,298,545 

Engineering and contingencies, 15 per cent.-----------.........-..--.- 344,782

Total .......................................................... 2,643,327

Cost per acre-foot of water stored, $15.19.
0. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEV WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 38 PL. XVI

CONTOUR MAP OF RIVERSIDE DAM SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] PLANS FOB DIVERSION CANAL. 61

DIVERSION CAJSTAL BELOW THE BUTTES DAM.

A topographic map was made on a scale of 100 feet to the inch, 

with 5-foot contours, showing possible locations of a diversion canal 

from the Buttes dam site to a point near the head of the Florence 

canal, which is practically at the head of the irrigable lands to be 

supplied from this reservoir. This topography was mapped by Mr. 

Bradford Wheeler, of Los Angeles, California. A grade line for the 

proposed conduit was computed. Flags were then set with a level 

upon the 10-foot contour nearest the grade from the dam through to 

the head of the irrigable lands. A transit stadia line was then run 

between these contour flags, transit points being set at intervals not 

to exceed 500 feet. This transit line was then plotted upon planetable sheets, which were taken into the field, and the topography was 

filled in by means of the plane table. Instructions were to keep the 

accuracy of the map within the limit of the contour interval. The 

elevation of the contour flags was the vertical control for the work 

and the angular transit line was the horizontal control.

Upon this topographic map the canal location has been studied. 

The outlet tunnel, on the west bank of the reservoir, is placed at an 

elevation of 30 feet above the bed of the stream, the storage capacity 

lost below this elevation being immaterial. This would afford a bedrock diversion and no loss by seepage. The capacity of the proposed 

canal is 500 cubic feet per second. The grade of the canal being 

 lighter than that of the river permits of a gain in relative elevation 

and the possible development of power. The principal point gained 

by the construction of a canal as planned would be one of power.

A drop of 18.11 feet could be obtained at station 79+80, which, with 

500 second-feet in the canal, would develop about 800 horsepower. 

If this horsepower could be sold at $50 per horsepower per annum, 

it would pay 5 per cent on a capital of $800,000. In a settlement such 

as would be built up upon the irrigation of 100,000 acres of land this 

power might be sold. When the time arrives that would make the 

power of sufficient value to justify the construction of the canal, it 

may then be built. Prior to that time the water from the outlet tunnels can be discharged into the bed of the Gila River and diverted at the 

present head of the Florence canal, where projecting ledges of rock are 

suitable for that purpose. The cost of the construction of this canal, 

therefore, should not be an element in estimating the cost of the 

Buttes dam. The water from either the Riverside or San Carlos reservoirs, which would be discharged directly into the Gila River, would 

necessarily be diverted for irrigation purposes at the head of the Florence canal, which is the point where water from the Buttes reservoir 

site could also equally well be diverted.
62 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

Cost of tlie Buttes canal.

15,510 lineal feet of lined canal, in rock, at $8.80 per lineal foot......... $136,488

400 lineal feet of lined canal, in loose rock, at $6.73 per lineal foot.... 2,692

5,120 lineal feet of earthen canal, 57 cubic yards excavation, per lineal

foot, at 30 cents per cubic yard, $1.71 per lineal foot............ 8,755

580 lineal feet of lined tunnel, at $10.65 per lineal foot....--.....-...- 6,177

610 lineal feet of earthen canal, lined, at $7.94 per lineal foot......... 4,848

1,960 lineal feet of flume and trestle, at an average cost of $17 per lineal

foot .......................................................... 33,320

24,180 lineal feet of conduit,,.....................................-. 192,275

Engineering and contingencies.................................. 28,840

Total..................................................... 221,115

4.59 miles, or about $48;000 per mile.

EXPLORATION AT THE DIKES.

Four miles above the Buttes dam site, on the Gila River, a dike of 

volcanic rock, apparently of more recent geological origin than the 

remainder of the country, crosses the stream. After the depth to bed 

rock at the Buttes was determined to be disappointingly great, it was 

thought possible that the depths might be less at the Dikes. A test 

was therefore made to determine this. Pipe was driven to a depth of 

96 feet and 3 inches in the center of the canyon without reaching bed 

rock. As the width of the canyon at this point is 459 feet between 

the rock croppings at the two sides of the canyon, and as the better 

portion of the Buttes reservoir site in the way of capacity lies between 

the Buttes and the Dikes, this depth to bed rock is considered as having condemned that location for the construction of a dam.

RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR.

The Riverside reservoir site is located on the Gila River, in Final 

County, Arizona, between the mouth of the San Pedro and a point onehalf mile below the mouth of Mineral Creek and 12 miles above the 

Buttes (PI. XVIII.) The dam site is in a canyon one-half mile below 

the mouth of Mineral Creek. A view of this canyon, looking downstream, is shown on PI. XVII, A.

The water supply at this point will be practically the same as that 

at the Buttes. There are no streams or drainage lines of consequence 

entering the river between the Buttes dam site and the dam site of 

the Riverside reservoir. The discussion of the water supply in the 

previous pages of this report will apply equally to the Riverside reservoir site and the Buttes.

The bed,of the canyon between the projecting ledges at the two 

abutments is 350 feet in width. A bench mark is located on the right 

bank, 20 feet above the bed of the stream. It is a bronze tablet, set in 

the rock, such as is used to designate elevations by the Geological 

Survey. It is considered 100 feet above the datum plane of the dam 

and reservoir surveys.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XVII

A. RIVERSIDE DAM SITE, LOOKING DOWNSTREAM.

B. RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR. 63

This elevation of 100 feet is equivalent to 1,763.30 feet above sea 

level. The rock at this location is a granite, well suited for building purposes. The topographic survey of the dam site was made by 

Gerard H. Matthes, assistant hydrographer, United States Geological 

Survey, in 1899, on a scale of 100 feet to the inch, and with a contour 

interval of 10 feet. A dam has been projected upon this map as a 

basis for an estimate for this report at the point where bed rock was 

determined by the diamond core drill. The height of the dam above 

the bed of the stream as estimated is 133 feet; the maximum depth 

to bed rock is 78 feet, or a total height of structure of 211 feet. Large 

ledges of rocks are available for construction purposes at an elevation 

above the dam on either side of the canyon.

The accompanying map (PL XVI) shows by means of contours the 

walls of the canyon and also the location of the dam described above. 

This has been prepared from the detailed map made by Mr. Matthes, 

the 20-foot contour lines only being given. The dotted lines in the 

center of the map indicate the depth to bed rock as shown by the 

drill holes. The point marked " B. M. 100 " on the map is at an altitude of 1,763.3 feet above sea level. The surface elevation of the bed 

of the stream immediately above the proposed dam is 76.8 feet, and 

immediately below, 76.1 feet. Five borings to bed rock were made 

along the upper face of the dam and six along the lower side, the position of these being shown on PL XIV, C.

PROPOSED DAM AT RIVERSIDE.

The dam at this point should be an overflow weir, as the topography 

is not suited to the artificial construction of spillways on either side. 

The bed rock developed by the borings is a heavy granite, suited to 

withstand any pressure that may be put upon it by a dam. The 

quality of the building material, the topography, compelling an overflow weir, and the substantial character of the bed rock, determine a 

masoniy structure as the best suited for this site. The section of dam 

proposed for San Carlos (PL XXII), described in detail under the discussion of that reservoir site, is the one selected as the basis of the 

estimate for the Riverside reservoir.

Eleven holes were" put down with the diamond drills, their position 

being shown on PL XIV, (7, at the point selected for the dam, and 

cores of bed rock were obtained. These borings are distributed 

across the canyon on two lines 150 feet apart, the holes in each row 

being between 50 and 60 feet distant from one another. The specific 

gravity of the rock is -2.51 and its weight per cubic foot is 157 pounds. 

Its strength to resist pressure was beyond the limit of the testing 

machine used, 2,565 pounds, which is equivalent to 184 tons per 

cubic foot. This guarantees it to be strong enough for the purpose 

required. The following table gives the log of the holes at this dam 

site. Two additional holes were put down 380 feet above the accepted 

IRR 33 6
64 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

dam site, in order to determine whether bed rock was nearer the surface at this point. One hole went down to an elevation of 6 feet 

above the datum plane, or 76 feet in depth, and the other to an elevation of 11 feet, or a depth of 68 feet. Bed rock was not encountered at either one of these points, and as the canyon is wider here 

than below, it is evidently inferior to the site where the principal 

borings were made. Hence no alternative selection was attempted.

Log of Jioles at Riverside dam site.

Line.

A.... 

A.... 

A... 

A-- 

A... 

B...

B...

B-_.

B 

C . 

O - 

C-. 

C . 

C. 

CC.-..

Hole

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1

2

3

4

1 

2 

3 

4 

5

6

7

Depth to 

bed rock.

Feet. 

74.0 

75.5 

37.00 

33.75 

16.00 

48.00+

44.334-

31.004-

73.504-

84.00 

49.00 

69.00 64. as

65.004-

37.00 

63.00

Depth 

drilled 

in bed 

rock. -

Feet. 

1.33 

5.00 

4.00 

4.35 

.66 

3.00

3.00 

3.00 

3.35 

5.16

3.35 

10.75

Elevation of 

bedrock.

Feet. 

1,667.3 

1,664.7 

1,713.1 

1,713.3 

1,734.1

1,716.9 

1,690.4

1,670.7 

1,673.7

1,739.0

1,683.9

Quality of rock.

Hard driving. 

Hard driving at 50 feet; bowlders.

Do.

Gravel and sand. 

Bowlder. 

Bowlders. 

Do.

cliff.

NOTE. Add 1,663.3 to elevation on contour maps for sea datum. 

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION.

As the quarries from which the material for the dam may be obtained 

can be properly located approximately on the axis of the structure, 

cableways could probably be best used for putting the rock in place. 

The method of excavating to bed rock at this point might be that recommended at the Buttes, although it is possible that further investigation may determine that simpler methods of excavation will be 

sufficient. Sand suitable for concrete work may be found in large 

beds throughout the canyon. Along the wagon road from the Riverside stage station to Globe large ledges of quartzite occur. Masses of 

this material have rolled down the drainage line practically to Gila 

River and at distances not exceeding 4 miles from'the darn site. This 

quartzite whon ground is suited for mixing with finely ground Portland cement for making silica cement. This would cheapen the cost 

of cement for the construction of a dam. The railroad station to which 

material for the dam will be shipped is Casa Grande. The freight on 

cement from Los Angeles to Casa Grande is $12.20 per ton, or $2.32 

per barrel.. There would then be a wagon haul of 50 miles over fairly 

good roads from Casa Grande to the dam site. This haul would cost 

approximately $1.35 per barrel. With cement at $2.85 per barrel at 

Los Angeles, the cost delivered at the dam would be $6.52. A dam 133 

feet in height across the bed of the stream, as described above, would 

require 186,147 cubic yards of masonry.
O. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XVIII

CONTOUR MAP OF RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR SITE,
LIPPINCOTT.] RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR. 65 

CAPACITY AND COST OF RIVERSIDE RESERVOIR.

The Riverside reservoir site was surveyed by Gerard H. Matthes, 

assistant hydrographer, U. S. Geological Survey, and mapped on a 

scale of 1,000 feet to 1 inch, with contour intervals of 10 and 20 feet, 

reaching an elevation of 214 feet above the bed of the stream at the 

dam site, which is the 290-foot contour of the reservoir survey. With a 

height of dam of 133 feet, or to the 210-foot contour, the length of the 

reservoir would be approximately 14 miles, and to the 230-foot contour, 

or a height of dam of 153 feet, approximately 15|- miles. The width 

varies at different points from a half mile to a mile. The principal 

breadth is from 3 to 6 miles above the Riverside stage station. A dam 

130 feet in height to the spillway at the Buttes would store 206,000 

acre-feet. A dam 133 feet in height at Riverside will impound 221,134 

acre-feet, which is almost double the capacity of the Buttes reservoir 

site. A dam 130 feet high to the spillway at San Carlos will impound 

241,396 acre-feet, which is the best of the three for this size of dam. 

With a dam 150 feet high to the spillway at the Buttes, which is the 

height upon which the estimate is based, 174,040 acre-feet would be 

impounded. A dam at Riverside of a height of 153 feet would impound 

344,398 acre-feet, which is double the capacity of the Buttes, and a 

similar dam of 150 feet at San Carlos would impound 377,176 acre-feet.

The Riverside reservoir site is situated in a mineral district. Copper is found in large quantities in this neighborhood, and in August, 

1899, there were 29 copper claims that would be wholly or in part 

flooded in case a dam 150 feet in height should be built. These claims 

are not being worked commercially, but are at present "prospects." 

With a railroad built.to this mineral field, it is quit© likely that a 

number of these claims could be worked at a profit. The Ray mine, 

which is being actively worked, is a short distance above the reservoir site on Mineral Creek. The owners are Ei&Ki»g an effort for the 

construction of a railroad to the mines. It would b« undesirable to 

interfere with mining operations, which might develop valuable properties if interference could be avoided. The condemnation of right 

of way would be one of the greatest expenses in connection with the 

utilization of this reservoir site for storage purposes. It is probable 

that it would cost $200,000 without court expenses, which would easily 

amount to $50,000 more. There are under cultivation at present in 

the reservoir site 332 acres of land. These fields are irrigated by a 

small ditch. There is held in private ownership in the reservoir site 

1,800 acres. This land would probably cost $20 an acre to condemn, 

or a total of $36,000.
66 STOEAGE OP WATEE ON GILA EIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

Capacity of proposed Riverside reservoir.

Contour 

flow line.

80

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

230

Height of 

dam above 

bed of 

stream.

Feet. 

3

13

33

53

73

93

113

133

153

Area.

Acres.

28

197

600

1,311

2,316

3,967

5,395

6,924

Capacity of 

section.

Acre-feet.

196

2,252

7,972

18,005

36, 270

62, 832

93, 607

133, 174

344, 308

Total capacity.

Acre feet.

196

2,447

10, 419

28, 424

64, 694

127, 526

221, 134

344,308

NOTE. Elevations based on datum of dam survey; 100 feet = 1,763.30 sea datum. 

Estimate of cost of Riverside dam.

Masonry (half large rock and half concrete), 186,147 cubic yards, at 

$4.10 per barrel for sand cement, or $3.74 per cubic yard for cement 

(see Duryee's ------- report), at $5.50 per cubic yard.'...................... $1,023,809 -- - - - - --........ 450,000

.......... 12,000

.......... 3,500

.......... 6,000

.......... 20,000

Excavating for foundations, 90,740 cubic yards. 

Towers and houses.....-.-..._.......................

Valves...................__.........................

Footbridges ............ ....._.........................

Wooden crib diversion dam at head of irrigation canal.

Total.-....-..-...,-...-.-----.--.........-..-,.-........ ..... 1,515,309

Contingencies, 10 per cent........... __................... $151,531

Engineering, 5 per cent.................,...-.-..---.-...... 75,765

 227,296

Total construction cost .................^.................. ... 1,742,605

Damage and condemnation proceedings.........._.--.---...-........ 250,000

1,993,605 

Total number of acre-feet stored is 231,134, at a rate per acre, stored, of $9.01.

SAN CARLOS RESERVOIR.

San Carlos reservoir site is located on Gila River, on the White 

Mountain Indian Reservation, at the San Carlos Agency, in Gila 

County, Arizona, at a point where San Carlos River joins the Gila. 

The Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway, which leaves the 

main line of the Southern Pacific at Bowie Station and runs to the 

town of Globe, passes across this reservoir site. The Gila River at this 

point traverses some spurs of the Final range of mountains, and for a 

distance of 31.5 miles below the dam site the river flows in a narrow 

box canyon. This canyon extends to Dudleyville, which point is the 

upper end of the Riverside reservoir site. The river then passes 

through the Riverside reservoir site for a distance of 15.5 miles, after 

which it again enters a canyon, which is the upper end of the Buttes 

reservoir site. This latter canyon extends to the Dikes, which'is 4 

miles above the Buttes dam site. The total length of river from Srn 

Carlos dam site to the Buttes dam site is approximately 60 miles; 

about 40 miles of this distance being box canyon, and the remaining 

portion being valley land, of from 1 to 3 miles in width,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XIX

SAN CARLOS DAM SITE, LOOKING UPSTREAM.
LIPPINCOTT.] SAiiT CARLOS RESERVOIR. 67

Six miles below the San Carlos Agency, where the river enters the 

box canyon and approximately a half mile below the beginning of the 

box, is a point where the canyon is about 90 feet wide at the water line 

and where its walls rise very abruptly directly from the river. PL 

XIX shows a view of the dam site looking upstream. The dam will 

be located at the point where the wall of the canyon is shown to be 

most abrupt. PI. XX shows the dam site as surveyed, with a contour 

interval of 10 feet. The dotted contours, show bed rock as indicated 

by the borings. At a point approximately 100 feet above the upper 

face of the location selected for the dam there has apparently been a 

fault in the rock of the canyon. If the dam were located above this 

fault, there would be the possibility of a leak occurring between the 

strata and of water passing through the fault to the channel of the 

river below the dam. If the dam is built where located, this will be 

obviated.

The narrowest portion of the canyon is approximately 400 feet in 

length, and immediately below this narrow point it widens out to 300 

feet at the low-water line. This admits of a spillway provision as 

shown in the plan of the dam (PI. XX) and described in the account 

of the dam proper. The dam is located at Ihe po'int shown in the 

plan, therefore, in order to obtain better spillway advantage, to secure 

better foundations and abutments, and to avoid the leakage through 

the strata above "the line of fault.

The question of water supply available at San Carlos has been fully 

treated in preceding pages of this report in the discussion of supply 

available at the Buttes and at San Carlos, to which reference is made. 

The supply is ample to fill the reservoir with a dam 130 feet in height 

to the spillway, as planned. The table on the following page shows 

the amounts probably available at the San Carlos reservoir for each 

month. In this table the inflow, consumption, and evaporation are 

treated in the same manner as in the table on page 33, under the discussion of water supply for the Buttes reservoir site. It has been 

determined that the difference between the amount of water available 

for storage at San Carlos and the Buttes was 10 per cent, and this 

deduction of 10 per cent has been made in all estimates for the supply 

at San Carlos as measured at the Buttes.

The water which is released from the San Carlos reservoir site will 

pass through approximately 40 miles of box canyon on its way to the 

irrigable lands where it is to be used. Comparative measurements 

made at the Buttes and San Carlos during the dry season of the year, 

when less than 10 second-feet of water was flowing in the river at San 

Carlos, indicate practically an equal amount of water at San Carlos 

and the Buttes. There undoubtedly is a substantial loss from evaporation between these points, but this loss is compensated for by the 

seepage water which returns from the Riverside Valley and from the 

valley above the Buttes dam site. In the case of the Riverside Yalley a few second-feet of water is used for irrigation, and the return
68 STOEAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

from this irrigation augments the stream. In both valleys, however, 

the high stages of the river undoubtedly charge the sand bars and 

gravel beds with water, and these are gradually drained Toff during 

the lower stages of the stream and, as has been stated, give practically an equal amount of water at San Carlos and the Buttes.

The San Pedro and the other drainage lines entering the Gila above 

the Buttes and below San Carlos will contribute their portion to this 

stream, unregulated by a reservoir built at San Carlos. This water 

can be used for irrigation around Florence if diverted below. If this 

volume of water and the return water from seepage is added to the 

water which is discharged for irrigation from the San Carlos reservoir 

site, it is probable that there will be available for irrigation at the 

point of diversion as much water as would be discharged from the San 

Carlos reservoir site.

If the Gila River from the San Carlos dam site to the Buttes dam 

site is 60 miles in length and 200 feet in width, it will expose to evaporation a water area of 1,454 acres. The depth of evaporation per 

annum has been previously determined as 91 inches, or 7.58 feet. 

With an area of 1,454 acres and a depth of evaporation of 7.58 feet 

there will be lost from this body of water 11,021 acre-feet. This would 

be 4.6 per cent of the total capacity of the San Carlos reservoir site, 

and, in order to make an allowance for all possible loss, 5 per cent of 

the water discharged from San Carlos is assumed as being lost for irrigation below the Buttes. The Riverside Valley and the valley above 

the Buttes are both largely public domain, and there is no reason why 

the water from the San Carlos reservoir should not be used for irrigation purposes at these points, as well as below Florence. This being 

the case, there will be but a slight disadvantage in storing water at San 

Carlos. A loss of 5 per cent in transmission is accepted in the following table and added to the amount to be liberated from the reservoir:

Estimated amount of water available from San Carlos reservoir,

[Capacity of reservoir is 341,396 acre-feet; 100,000 feet assumed to be in reservoir November 1.]-

Mouth.

November ...

December....

January.. .... 

February.. ...

April.........

May ..........

July..........

September...

October ... ...

Total. ....

i 

o

33 

&

Acre-ft.

32,843

37,117

36,745 

34,008

21,405

18,433

7,237

3,665

59,170

69,532

47,250

74,800

422,184

t-rt

'8 2

&id

0 O.g

O Kr,

go5

AH

Per ct.

2

2

2 

5

7

9

14

14

13

13

11

8

100

03

bfi

1

! * 

Ow

§

Acre-ft

4,838

4,838

4,838 is, on

16,898

21,735

33,795

33,795

31,381

31,381

26,554

19,313

241,396

aog

-u .2

§.2.1

h 02 h

cL00 -^

<H 00 -U

§£ft

Acre-ft

341

341

241 

604

845

1,086

1,690

1,690

1,569

1,569

1,328

966

12,070:

 S&

RS 53

ll§o so.2

ei'o bo

J°*

Acre-ft

5,069

5,069

5,069 

13,675

17,743

22,811

35,485

35,485

33,950

33,950

37,883

30,278

353,466

<fc

0

?

a

(S

Feet.

0.43

.333

.35 

.333

.50

.58

.83

92

1.00

1.08

.83

.50

7.58

o

 og

M O

<S p,

3

Acres.

3,650

4,100

4,690 

5,130

5,335

5,760

4,680

3,110

4,060

4,370

4,950

5,714

' fl

 J ^

g£

03 02

IIJ«

Acre-ft

1,533

I,o53

1,173 

1,710

2,612

3,341

3,884

2,861

4,060

4,720

4,109

2,857

34,211

J.6

 Si*

a > 

a o>

^1

o fl d ^00

^ a'43

g&^

Acre-ft

6,603

6,433

6,243 

14,385

20,355

26,152

39,369

38,346

37,010

37,670

31,991

23,135

287,477

A

>£ !§

si

p3 s

Acre-ft.

136,240

146,935

177,438 

187,061

188,109

180,390

148,348

113,567

135,737

16?, 579

183,838

034,501
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATEH-8Um.Y PAPER HO. 33 PL. XX

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

DIVISION OF HYDROGRAPHY

Gila River Storage Investigation 

R f V E R SAN CARLOS DAM SITE

ON

61 LA RIVER

MOKENCONTOUMINWCKn BEDROCK. CONTOUR INTtRVAL.IOftET

C.BA»»,H 

MAY. 1 899.

CONTOUR MAP OF SAN CARLOS DAM SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] SAN CAELOS RESERVOIR. 69

There is still an amount available for irrigation below the Buttes, 

on the basis of the above table, for a mean year, equal each year to 

the full capacity of the San Carlos reservoir, of 241,396 acre-feet, with 

a minimum reserve in reservoir of 113,567 acre-feet, and 234,507 acrefeet on November 1, for use during the following season. The discharge of the Gila River during 1899 was less >than during any other 

year of which we have record. The following table demonstrates 

that 241,396 acre-feet of water could have been delivered below the 

Buttes from San Carlos from November 1, 1898, to October 31, 1899, 

with a minimum reserve in the reservoir during that period of 12,269 

acre-feet and 96,088 acre-feet in reservoir with which to begin the 

season of 1899-1900:

Estimated amount of water available from San Carlos reservoir during 1898-99. 

[Capacity of reservoir, 341,396 acre-feet; 100,000 acre-feet assumed to be in reservoir November 1,

Month.

1898. 

November ...

December ....

1899. 

January.. _ . 

February .... 

March _ ....

April .........

May ..... _ ..

June..........

Julv -... ..

August .

September . - . 

October ......

TVvtale JLOucUD f ___

Inflow.

Acrefeet. 

5,409

16,878

17,555 

11,946 

7,194

3,320

996

276

65,754

a24,884

39,260

674,800

368,272

!>>H iS""1

*1

|B

o|§

-W IU*rH si~§

i'^

oJ oA 

PH

Per

cent.

2

3

-5

7

9

14

14

13

13

11

8

100

d

.2

t

"13

g

1

rrt 33

0

Acrefeet. 

4,828

4,828

4,828 

12,071 

16,898

31,735

33,795

33,795

31,381

31,381

26.554 

19,312

341,396

 Sa

-w'o 

a P.

IB O

ll|

«M i-sp

M §'^ 3-*°

Acrefeet. 

241

341

241 

604

845

1,086

1,690

1,690

1,569

1,569

1,338 

966

12,070

* o1

S j.

£p

O ss 1^53

S"-1 08 ^OM

^ g'S

00«

Acrefeet. 

5,069

5,069

5,069 

12,675

17,743

23,811

35,485

35,485

33,950

33,950

27,883 

20,278

253,466

.

§

"eg

1

1

"o

 s

&

Feet. 

0.43

.333

.35 

.333 

.50

.58

.83

.93

1.00

1.08

.83

.50

7.58

13

M

ftgM-g C "cS

S h

Si®

|o

%

Acres. 

3,460

3,560

3, no

3,700 

3,600

3,310

2,650

1,610

1,570

2,050

2,000 

2,750

B

_O

8o

^s

i5"

A

Acrefeet, 

1,453

1,185

938 

1,233 

1,800

1,920

2,200

1,181

1,570

2,214

1,680 

1,373

18,718

, .

boo

fcl

fl|

ItS"?

"-1 S 1 4 TO

^ fl O O

Acrefeet. 

6,522

6,254

5,997 

13,907 

19,543

24,731

37,685

36,666

34,520

35,164

39,543 

21,653

372,184

S-i 'S

£5

|§

 So

CD fl

1-8

Acrefeet. 

98,887

109,511

121,069 

119, 108 

106,759

85,348

48,659

12,369

43,503

33,333

42,941

96,088

o Measured discharge of Gila Basin at San Carlos.

6 Estimated mean discharge, in acre-feet, of Gila Basin above San Carlos for month of October,

1899.

PROPOSED DAM AT SAN CARLOS.

Iii determining the height of dam to be constructed at the San Carlos 

dam site two elements are to be considered. First, the amount of 

water available; second, the amount of expenditure which can be 

economically made. From a study of the water supply, shown on 

page 29, a dam 130 feet in height, storing 241,396 acre-feet, is justified. 

The year of lowest run-off of which we have a record is 1899. The 

discharge of the river for this year at San Carlos was measured until 

the 1st of October, and a monthly discharge for October, November, 

and December, as determined, has been added to complete the year.
70 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

This shows a surplus for the year 1899 above the capacity of the reservoir of 76,879 acre-feet. The mean surplus above the capacity of the 

reservoir at San Carlos is estimated at 180,788 acre-feet. The maximum 

height of the central portion of the dam above the bed of the stream 

is taken at 142 feet, and the maximum depth to bed rock below the 

surface of the stream at 74 feet. This would give a total maximum 

height of the central portion of the dam from bed rock at 216 feet. 

An increase of this height is considered unnecessary and as adding 

too much to the expense of the structure. The table on page 69 is 

believed to justify a dam of this size.

The San Carlos reservoir site was the last that was discovered upon 

the Gila River, and consequently the last point at which investigation 

for bed rock was made. After the completion of the borings at 

Queen Creek, the Buttes, and Riverside, the drilling outfit, in charge 

of Mr. Patrick Tierney, was sent by wagon from Riverside to San 

Carlos. This arrived at San Carlos in the latter part of June, 1899, 

and work was immediately begun at the dam site. The first flood on 

the Gila River in the summer of 1899 occurred on July 16 and was 

about 10,000 cubic feet per second in volume. This knocked over 

the drilling apparatus. It was restored to position, and frequent 

other interrupting floods occurred at intervals of two or three days 

during the remaining portion of July. The funds available for carrying on the work having become nearly exhausted, and the rivercontinuing its flood discharges, it was not considered practicable to 

continue the investigation for bed rock during the present season.

Two holes were put down approximately on the lower toe of the dam. 

No. 1 was 33 feet to the right of bench mark No. 4, which is located on 

the left abutment, and No. 2 was 66 feet from the left abutment and 

approximately 30 feet from the right abutment. The depth to bed 

rock at hole No. 1 was 23 feet. The bed rock encountered is a very 

fine-grained and flinty limestone. It was so hard that only 2 feet 9 

inches a day could be drilled into it with the diamond drills, which is 

about one-fourth the rate of progress in ordinary granite. The depth 

drilled into bed rock at this point was 12.5 feet.

Hole No. 2 determined the depth to bed rock to be 74 feet. Gravel 

was encountered at 72 feet. The rock at this hole is a blue limestone and is more easily drilled than the rock in hole No. 1. The 

total depth to the bottom of this hole was 81.82 feet, the depth drilled 

into bed rock being 7.82 feet. A third hole was put down in the center 

of the bed of the canyon 60 feet from the left abutment and 100 feet 

above line-No. 1. A 2-inch pipe was driven to a depth of 56 feet and 

2 inches, when it was found to be bent 2 feet from the bottom. The 

pipe was then pulled up and 2^-inch pipe driven to a depth of 51 feet 

in the same hole. No further progress could be made on account of 

the high water, and this hole was abandoned and all work stopped on 

July 31, 1899.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

ELEVATION OF SAN CARLOS DAM AND W
LIPPINCOTT.] SAN CARLOS DAM. 71

The information concerning bed rock is meager, but it is considered 

fair to estimate the maximum depth of bed rock at 74 feet. The bedrock itself is a very close-grained hard limestone and all that could 

be desired for foundation purposes. The location of the borings at 

San Carlos dam site is shown on PI. XX.

MATERIAL FOR DAM.

PL XXV, J5, shows a view of the left abutment of the dam. The 

strata dip downstream. It would be better if the dip were upstream, 

as there would be less danger of leakage beneath the foundation of the 

dam. The limestone, however, is exceedingly dense, not easily eroded, 

and, as will be seen on the right-hand side of the illustration, where 

a slide has occurred, the rock a few feet beneath the surface is relatively free from seams. The abutment on the right is of much the 

same nature as the abutment on the left.

The rock for the construction of the dam will be obtained near the 

top of the two abutments. It will be excavated in such manner as to 

form a channel for the flood waters to discharge over the two weirs, 

which are located at the two ends of the dam. Sufficient rock will be 

taken from these two channels, as shown by the plan, PI. XX, to 

build the entire structure, and this will be enough to furnish flood 

channels for tlte maximum flood at this point, which is estimated to 

be within 10 per cent of the maximum flood at the Buttes. These 

quarries will be located at the end of the dam and practically on its 

axis, and in such position that material can readily be handled by 

means of cable for construction purposes. The haul of the material 

will be on a down grade, and the average distance will not exceed 

200 feet. This is considered an ideal location for the economic use of 

cables. The quarry rock has a specific gravity of 2.7, or a weight of 

168 pounds per cubic foot.

On the left abutment it is an exceedingly fine-grained pink limestone, much resembling flint, but showing, by analysis, percentages 

as follows: 55.92 carbonate of lime, 31 carbonate of magnesia, 3.70 

silica, 6 alumina and ferric oxide, and 1 moisture. The gray limestone from the right abutment contains 96.65 carbonate of lime, 1.40 

silica, 1.30 alumina and ferric oxide, 0.65 moisture. From an engineering standpoint it has the appearance of being a first-class building rock.

The sand required for the construction of the dam could be obtained 

in the canyon within a few hundred feet of the dam site. It is a 

good building sand, but would have to be washed before its use with 

cement. Gravel in varying sizes is found in connection with the 

sand and could be separated from it by screening. The quartzite that 

would be used at San Carlos is found in large ledges within 1,000 feet 

of the dam site. Mr. Duryee's report on cement is given on page 82.
72 STORAGE OF WATER ON GlLA. RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

DETAILS OF DAM.

The dam selected for this site is shown in plan on PL XX, in section 

on PL XXII. The details are shown on Pis. XXI-XXVI. It is proposed to construct it of large irregular blocks of stone, bedded in 

concrete. The maximum height of this structure from deepest bed 

rock to the top of the central portion of the dam is 216 feet, and the 

maximum length is 617 feet. The total number of cubic yards contained in the dam, weir, and towers is 94,730. In order to avoid the 

erosion and shock which would result from a large flood passing over 

the central portion of the dam and falling 142 feet on its base, the 

middle part of the dam, for a length of 236 feet, has been planned to 

an elevation of 12.5 feet above the elevation of the wasteways on the 

sides. The section of the central portion of the dam (PL XXII) shows 

the line of pressure at B with 10 feet of water in depth passing over 

the crest, and also at A the line of pressure with an empty reservoir. 

Both these lines, for every portion of the dam, lie within the middle 

third, resulting in a safe gravity structure. The maximum pressure 

on the upper toe is 12 tons per square foot and on the lower toe 12J 

tons per square foot. The weight of the masonry is assumed to be 

150 pounds per cubic foot.

In addition to its strength as a gravity dam it is given an arched 

form. Expansion and contraction in a curved dam are more easily 

adjusted than in a straight dam. The spillway on the right bank 

(PL XXIII, A) would be 237 feet in length, and on the left abutment 

128 feet in length. With 3 feet of water passing over the central 

portion of the dam and a corresponding depth of 15.5 feet discharged 

through the spillways over the two end weirs, the total discharge past 

the structure, exclusive of discharge through outlets, as estimated by 

T. C. Clarke's formula, is 83,620 cubic feet per second. This is considered as the maximum flood discharge of the Gila River at this 

point. It is fair to assume that the reservoir will not be wholly full at 

the time such a maximum flood would occur, and that the capacity of 

the reservoir will tend to relieve this flood discharge.

Two training walls have been planned from the ends of the central 

portion of the dam to protect its toe from the erosion of water passing 

over the spillways. This water will be discharged into the canyon 

below the lower toe of the dam in such manner as to project the overflow down the canyon away from the dam. The section of the wasteway weirs proposed for the two spillways is shown in PL XXIII, A. 

These weirs are to be built upon the sloping ledge rocks, and will have 

a slope on their lower face of 3 feet horizontally and 2 feet vertically. 

They will be of an exceedingly substantial nature, the surface being 

protected by from 2 to 3 feet of extra strong concrete. The water in 

passing over them will never leave the face, and consequently there 

will be no pounding action.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXII

MAXIMUM CROSS SECTION OF THE SAN CARLOS DAM, WITH TOWERS REMOVED.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXIII

A. CROSS SECTION OF WASTEWAY OF SAN CARLOS DAM.

B. DETAILS OF TOWERS FOR SAN CARLOS DAM.

In the above figure sections are given of the outlet tower. At B to a horizontal section on the line 

EFof D; ft C is the vertical section on the line CD of B, and at D is a vertical section on 

the line GH°i B-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXIV

so rt.

CROSS SECTION OF SAN CARLOS DAM THROUGH TOWER.

33 7
LippiNCOTT.1 . " SAN CAELOS DAM. 73

The outlet from the dam will be through two towers located near 

the right abutment. These towers will be semicircular, a portion of 

the opening being recessed into the dam, as shown by the details (PL 

XXIII, B). A series of intakes will be placed in this tower at varying 

elevations, the valve (PI. XXVI, A) consisting of a plain cap or cover, 

as shown in the detail, which will be lifted by an ordinary wheel and 

screw. The intakes will be pipes 3 feet in diameter, and there will be 

six in each tower (PL XXVI, B). As the water should be drawn from 

near the surface of the reservoir at all times there will be very slight 

pressure to be overcome in lifting these valves, and this may be overcome by closing the balanced valves inside the tower, allowing the 

latter to fill with water through small by-pass valves, after which the 

pressure on the outer intake valves will be relieved. In case any one 

of the valves should become stuck, the water could be drawn into the 

tower from other valves, and when the general water plane fell below 

the elevation of the injured valve it could then be repaired. A second 

set of valves is to be located near the base of the tower. These valves 

will permit the water to discharge through two cast-iron pipes which 

will pass through the dam and which are to be 4 feet each in diameter. 

It will be possible to discharge water through four of these pipes, 

two being located in each tower, as shown in the elevation of the dam.. 

The discharge through these pipes will vary with the depth of water 

in the tower.

As the valves for the discharge pipes may have to be operated 

under a considerable head of pressure, a balance valve has been 

decided upon as preferable. This valve is shown on PL XXIII, B. 

The action of this balance valve is in the nature of a double piston head, 

which is driven by a screw gear from above. One of these valves, or 

piston heads, is seated on each side of the valve box. They are equal 

in area, consequently the downward pressure on the upper valve is 

balanced by the upward pressure on the lower valve. When the 

valve is wide open one of these piston heads will be 2£ feet below its 

seat, and the upper piston head will be in the center of the boxing. 

The water will therefore enter through both openings and discharge 

through the main pipe.

The towers were considered necessary in order to prevent the 

deposit of silt around the valves, or their clogging with drift. In 

case the inner valves become out of order the outer valves can be 

closed and the inner valves then repaired. Two towers have been 

designed, so that one complete set of valves can get out of order and 

the second set be used during the repair of the first. A bridge from 

each abutment to the towers has been planned, so that the dam may 

be crossed and all points on the top of the dam visited, even during 

maximum floods. Alternate designs for this crossing are shown on 

the elevation of dam and wasteways, one for an iron bridge and the 

other for a combination iron an4 concrete span.
74 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The safety of this structure, considering the remarkably hard bed 

rock on which it is to rest, the fine character of the building stone 

that mav be used, the heavy gravity section of the dam and the weirs 

that have been planned, the solidity of the abutments and the narrowness of the canyon, would be beyond question.

At a point 180 feet above the upper face of the dam, marked "B. M. 

No. 1" on the plan (PI. XX), the canyon is but 88 feet in width 

between the abutment walls. This is apparently an ideal place to put 

down sheet piling to. bed rock to intercept the underflow. The surface 

flow of the stream would then be diverted in a flume to a point below 

the dam. It is believed that the sand and gravel of the river bed 

could be solidified by injecting cement grouting through pipes into 

the voids of the sand between the sheet piling and the foundation 

excavation. This could be injected at various points and elevations 

and the mass sufficiently solidified to admit of the excavation to bed 

rock at the site of the dam.

CAPACITY AND COST.

The capacity of the San Carlos reservoir with the height of dam 

proposed is the greatest of any of the reservoir sites that were found 

on the Gila River by this survey. The elevation of the bed of the 

canyon at the dam site is assumed by the surveys as 100 feet and is 

equivalent to a sea elevation of 2,307 feet, as determined from the San 

Carlos railroad station. A United States Geological Survey brass 

bench-mark tablet has been placed at the dam site. The capacity of 

the San Carlos reservoir site is shown in the following table:

Capacity of San Carlos reservoir site.

Contour.

100

110

130

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

250

a 360

a 270

a 280

a290

a 300

Area.

Acres.

0

17.2

40.8

83.8

209.6

488.3

934.4

1,548.8

2,195.2

2,624.0

3,475.2

4,148.3

5,191.0

6,330.0

7.348.0

.-.- ......

...... ....

_.. _ » _

Contents 

between 

contours.

Acre-feet.

86.0

290.0

623.0

1,467.0

3.489.5

7; 113. 5

12,416.0

19,220.0

24,096.0

30, 496. 0

38,117.5

46,876.5

57,105.0

135,780.0

...... ... _

.--... ......

Total 

contents.

Acre-feet.

 86.0

376.0

999.0

2,466.0

5,955.5

13,069.0

25,485.0

44, 705. 0

68, 801. 0

99,297.0

137,414.5

184,291.0

241,396.0

377,176.0

444,000.0

512,000,0

580,000.0

650,000.0

700,000.0

Mean 

depth.

Feet.

5.0

9.2

12.0

11.8

12.2

14.0

16.4

20.3

26.0

28.6

33.1

35.6

39.2

42.1

... _ _.._

...... -.. .

Percent 

of maximum 

depth.

50.0

46.0

40.0

29.5

24.4

23.3

23.4

25.4

28.9

28.6

28.3

29.7

30.5

28.0

___. _ ....

.,..»- .--.

a Estimated.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXV

A SAN CARLOS DAM SITE, LOOKING DOWNSTREAM.

LEFT ABUTMENT OF SAN CARLOS DAM SITE.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL, XXVI

A. INLET VALVE FOR SAN CARLOS DAM.

10 Ft.

yt ... ___

B. HORIZONTAL SECTION OF MAIN TOWER OF SAN CARLOS DAM, SHOWING 

ARRANGEMENT OF VALVES.
CAPACITY AND COST OF SAN CARLOS RESERVOIR. 75

The area that will be flooded by the construction of a dani at the 

Narrows will be on the Apache Indian Reservation. The question of 

right of way would be the obtaining of the use of these reservation 

lands. A plane-table survey of the reservoir site was made by Mr. 

Cyrus C. Babb, on a scale of 2|- inches to the mile and with a contour 

interval of 10 feet. From this survey it was found that 587 acres of 

lands that have been irrigated and farmed by the Indians would be 

flooded; that of the remaining area, 4,405 acres are irrigable, the 

remainder, 3,360 acres, being nonirrigable. No improvements have 

been made by the Indians other than the building of brush fences 

and houses. The Apache Indian is of a roving nature and does not 

like to live for a long period of time upon one spot. It is said that 

when a death occurs in a family the house is abandoned and a new 

location is selected.

In order to provide for the damage which would be done to these 

Indian farms, the estimate includes $20,000 for the construction of a 

new irrigation system for the Indians above the reservoir site. There 

is as much water available from the Gila River at points between San 

Carlos and Geronimo as near the agency. Lands in that locality are 

unoccupied, are of equal fertility, could be irrigated with equal ease, 

and are on the reservation. ' If, therefore, a substantial irrigation 

system should be built for these Indians higher up on the river, and 

this should be given to them in lieu of their primitive and deficient 

systems that now exist, it is considered that the treatment would be 

fair.

When the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway built through 

the reservation they paid the Indians at the rate of $40 an acre for 

the irrigated lands that were used for right of way and in addition 

gave the tribe in general $8,000. These Indians are industrious and 

anxious to work for wages whenever opportunity is offered. They 

built the greater portion of the railroad through their agency. The 

work on the dam would extend over a period of two years or more, 

and the Indians may be given much employment in connection with 

this construction. It has been found in Mexico that as the water is 

run off from a reservoir crops may be raised upon the uncovered 

lands, which have been completely saturated by the retiring water. 

These lands are found to be most productive. The Indians of San 

Carlos would have the opportunity of raising crops upon marginal 

Lands and would doubtless avail themselves of this opportunity.

The agency grounds and military post were surveyed in detail on a 

scale of 200 feet to the inch, with 5-foot contours. The essential features of this map have been reproduced on PI. XXVIII.

While the elevation of the spillway at the dam is 130 feet above the 

bed of the stream, the flood line of the reservoir must be considered 

as being at the maximum elevation of the water passing over the weirs, 

or approximately 145 feet above the bed of the stream, or 245 feet
76 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

above the datum of the contour surveys. This contour, while it 

would not include all the buildings of the military post and oi tkfr 

Indian agency, would cover so great a portion of the grounds that tie 

remainder would be practically useless.

The agency and the post are both exceedingly dilapidated and old. 

It has been proposed that the entire agency be moved to a more 

desirable location about 8 miles above, on the San Carlos River, 

where, in fact, the greater number of the Indians are located. A 

handsome new school building, which has been provided for in recent 

appropriations, will not be located at the old agency, but at this point 

higher up on the San Carlos. There is a stone school building, storehouse, and blacksmith shop at the agency. The officer's quarters are 

adobe, the post trader's building is a frame structure, and there are 

twenty frame barracks. The quartermaster's department is a series 

of sheds, and the remaining buildings are either adobe or of rough 

lumber. They are all one-story structures except the schoolhouse, 

and are of a very ordinary type. There is a military ice and pumping plant and an agency flour mill, which would be flooded by the 

reservoir.

After a careful consideration of all the buildings, and a discussion 

of the situation on the ground with officers in charge and those 

familiar with the value of the property, a total price of $60,000 is 

considered as sufficient to provide for all damages done. This sum 

has been included in the estimate. In view of the probable moving 

of the agency to another location and the possible abandonment of 

the military post, and considering the general state of dilapidation 

which prevails, this figure of $60,000 for the building of a new post 

is considered as liberal.

As will be seen by reference to the map of the San Carlos reservoir 

site, the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway enters the reservoir 

basin near its head, on the Gila River, and passes up the valley of the 

San Carlos River, a total distance of 5.75 miles in the reservoir site. 

This railroad was built in the fall of 1898. A better location for the 

road, away from the river, was recommended by the locating engineer. It provided for the crossing of the neck of land between the 

Gila and the San Carlos. The location of this line is indicated by the 

topography on the reservoir map (PI. XXVII). The railroad could be 

changed from its present location, beginning at a point 2 miles above 

the Gila River bridge and crossing the Gila at that point, parsing over 

a divide on the point of land mentioned above at an elevation of less 

than 200 feet above the bed of the stream, crossing the San Carlos 5 

miles above the San Carlos station, and joining the present line at the 

last-named point. The length of new construction would be 5 miles. 

The roadway would cost about 18,000 per mile, or a total of $40,000. 

The material for the roadbed would cost, approximately, $4,000 per 

mile, but could be moved from the old location. There would be a
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 38 PL. XXVII

Scale

Contour- interval 10 feet

CONTOUR MAP OF SAN CARLOS RESERVOIR SITE.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXVIII

CONTOUR MAP OF THE GROUNDS OF THE SAN CARLOS INDIAN AGENCY AND 

MILITARY POST, SHOWING LOCATION OF BUILDINGS.

A, hospital; building of adobe and military tank above it. B, adobe buildings occupied by the officers. C, frame 

buildings used as barracks. D adobe buildings used as stables. E, school grounds; buildings mainly of adobe. 

F, huts or wigwams used by the Indian police. 6r, guardhouse. H, trader's Store. I, stone warehouses. J, offices 

of the United States Indian agency; built of adobe. K, shops and stables built of stone.
IJPPINCOTT.] GUTHEIE RESERVOIR. 77

saving of 4 miles in distance in the new line over the old, which should 

compensate for the moving. There would be two bridges to move, at 

an approximate cost of $10,000.

The Gila bridge contains thirty-three 16-foot bents and three small 

spans. The San Caiios bridge has thirty-four 16-foot bents. The total 

cost of moving this railroad has been estimated at $50,000. As all the 

material for the construction of the dam that will be shipped to San 

Carlos will have to pass over this railroad, including about 25,000 

barrels of cement, and as the railroad will be shortened 5 miles without 

any serious additional grade and removed from a valley of two torrential 

streams, it would seem that this change of location might be readily 

arranged. The reason the railroad was placed in its present location 

was to enable it to reach the post and agency and secure that trade. 

With the agency removed, there would no longer be the occasion for 

its present location.

Estimate, San Carlos dam.

Bubble masonry, laid in concrete, 94,730 cubic yards, at $6 ......... $568,380.00

NOTE. With sand cement, at $4.63 per barrel, or $4.28 per

cubic yard. (See Duryee's report.) This figure is based on half

of the mass being large rock and half concrete. 

Excavation foundation, pumping, etc .....---...-............ ...... 150,000.00

1 semicircular tower, of concrete, 13,632 cubic feet, at 50 cents . -... 6,816.00

1 tower, same diameter inside, 60 feet high, 4,238 cubic feet, at 50 cents. 2,119.00

2 tower houses, including the semicircular bajse of concrete, at 

$750 each..................".._..._..__._._.. ..................... 1,500.00

10 inlets for towers, at $500 each................................... 5,000.00

2 balance valves, at $l,000each _............................ ...... 3,000.00

2 balance valves, at $750 each...... ......................... ------ 1,500.00

610 linear feet of footbridge, at $10 ................................. 6,100.00

5 miles of railway, moved, at $10,000 per mile ........... .....-..- 50,000.00

New irrigation system above the Indian agency ..-.-.-..--.---..-.. 20,000.00 

Damage to agency and post buildings..-.-.._-......._,----..--...- 60,000.00

Low water diversion tunnel _-..........................-....--.-..-. 10,000.00

Wooden crib diversion dam at head of irrigation canal............. 20,000.00

903,415.00 

Contingencies, 10 per cent..... ,. ........,.'.....-.....-.....-. 90,341.00

Engineering, 5 per cent.--.-.-..------. ...... ..-.-..-.--.-.-... . 45,170.00

Total................... ... ............ . .......... ...... 1,038,926.00

Total number of acre-feet stored is 241,396, at a rate of $4.80 per acre-foot.

GtTTHRIE RESERVOIR.

The Guthrie reservoir site is situated in Graham Bounty, Arizona, 

about 30 miles northeast of the town of Solomonville, on the Gila 

River. The dam site shown on PI. XXX is about 1 mile above the 

Coronado Ranch House, in what is known as York Canyon. This 

is approximately 4 miles above Guthrie and 13 miles below Dunean. 

The canyon is about 2,000 feet long, opening both above and below into 

broad valleys. The survey was made for a 140-foot dam, as a natural
78 STORAGE of WATER ON GILA RITER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

spillway occurs one-half mile east of the dam site, the lowest elevation 

of which is 130 feet. The main wagon road through the valley passes 

directly through this spillway. The opening varies from 200 to 300 

feet in the bed of the canyon and from 800 to 900 feet in width at an 

elevation of 140 feet above the stream. The cliffs of the canyon are 

composed of volcanic rock, and quarries could be located at an elevation above the dam site. No borings for bed rock have been made at 

this point, because of the lank of funds, and also on account of its 

remoteness from other portions of the work. The walls of the canyon 

indicate varying conditions of lava flow. They are shattered, and in 

some instances there are strata of hard rock overlying cobbles and 

clay. It is not probable that the rock could be quarried in great 

quantities or in blocks, and it would be difficult to get good abutments. 

It has been exceedingly contorted and crushed at an elevation of about 

40 feet above the bed of the river.

The survey of the reservoir site was made by Mr. Cyrus C. Babb, 

hydrographer, on a scale of 1 mile to 2£ inches (PL XXIX). The 140- 

foot contour runs within three-quarters of a mile of the town of Duncan. 

It is probable that the type of dam which would be constructed at this 

point, if one should be built, would be of a rock-fill type or possibly 

of earth. The basin of the reservoir contains no irrigated agricultural land, but it would appear to be possible to irrigate a portion of 

this valley. The New Mexico and Arizona Railroad, which is a narrow-gage road running to Morenci, Arizona, passes through the entire 

length of this reservoir site and through the dam site. The side of 

the reservoir site on which the railroad would have to be built is 

rough, and the cost of construction would be at least $20,000 per mile. 

Three large tributaries of the Gila the San Carlos, the Gila Bonita, 

and the San Francisco join the river below this point, so that the 

water supply would be considerably reduced. It was not necessary 

to prepare estimates on this dam site, but owing to its probable future 

value for irrigation purposes near Solomonville and Florence, it is 

recommended that the site be reserved for irrigation purposes. The 

capacities of this reservoir, with varying intervals, above the bed of 

the streams at the dam site are given in the following table:

Table of capacities, Guthrie reservoir. 

[Capacities calculated by averaging each two sections and multiplying by 10.]

Contour.

10 

30 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70

Area.

Acres. 

14 '45 

154 

390 

699 

1,000 

1,431

Capacity 

of each 

section.

Acre-feet. 

70 

295 

995 

2,730 

5,445 

8,495 

12,155

Total capacity.

Acre-feet. 

70 

365 

1,360 

4,080 

9,535 

18,030 

30,175

Contour.

80 

90 

100 

110 

120 130' 

140

Area.

Acres. 

1,875 

2,383 

2,844 

3,311 

3,692 

4,696 

5,553

Capacity 

of each 

section.

Acre-feet. 

16,530 

21,290 

36,135 

30,775 

36,365 

43,290 

51,340

Total capacity.

Acre-feet. 

46,705 

67,995 

94,130 

124,905 

161,370 

304,560 

355,800
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXIX

CONTOUR MAP OF GUTHRIE RESERVOIR SITE.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXX

400

CONTOUR MAP OF'GUTHRIE DAM SITE.
LIFPINCOTT.] RESERVOIR ON QUEEN CREEK. 79

QUEEN CKEEK BESEKVOIB. I

Queen Creek rises in the mountains to the westward of the Silver 

King mining camp, in Final County, Arizona, and flows in a general 

southwesterly direction, leaving the mountains below a point known 

as Whitlow's ranch, approximately 18 miles north of the Buttes. In 

ordinary years it loses itself in the desert north of the Gila River 

Indian Reservation. The reservoir site was surveyed with a plane 

table to a height of 140 feet above the bed of the stream at the dam 

site and contoured in 10-foot intervals (PL-XXXI). The following 

table gives the capacity of this reservoir with varying heights of dam:

Area and capacity of Queen Creek reservoir.

Contour.

2,060... 

3,070... 

2,080... 

2,090... 

8,100...

Area.

A ores. 

8 

83 

52 

112 

209

Capac- itjT

Acre-ft. 

40

190 

560

1,380 

3,985

Contour.

2.110 

3,120 

3,130 

2,140 

8,150

Area.

Acres. 

379 

356 

445 

538 

630

Capacity.

Acre-ft. 

5,435 

8,600 

12,605 

17,520 

23,360

Contour.

2,160 

2,170 

3,180 

2,190

Area.

Acres. 

757 

894 

1,019 

1,091

Capacity.

Aere-ft. 

30,795 

39,050 

48,615 

50,665

A dam of the rOck-flll type was estimated upon in 1895 to cost 

$221,000. The total area of the drainage is 142.5 square miles.

Observations on the discharge of Queen Creek were commenced in 

1895, at the.time of the first investigation for a water supply for the 

Gila River Indian Reservation. A gage rod was then placed and a 

gaging station established at Whitlow's ranch, at the dam site of the 

Queen Creek reservoir site. During the year 1896 an observer was 

.employed and located at this station. At the time of the establishment of the station there was a slight permanent flow, averaging 

about 2 second-feet, which next year failed. The principal water 

supply of this creek consists of floods of one or two days' duration, 

occurring immediately after a rainfall in the basin. On this account, 

in order to obtain an accurate determination of the discharge, an 

observer has to be constantly located at the station to measure the 

discharge and to record its duration of flow. Such a system was 

employed during 1896 and until April, 1897.

The monthly discharge at this station for 1896 is published in the 

Eighteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 

Part IV, page 295. The total discharge for the year was 10,887 acrefeet. The daily observations for 1897 are published in the Nineteenth 

Annual Report, Part IV, page 417. The floods were measured as they 

occurred, and it is assumed that they lasted twelve hours each. On 

this basis the total discharge to April 6, 1897, was 8,020 acre-feet.

The total discharge for the year has been estimated in the following 

manner, and is only roughly approximate. A rainfall record has been 

kept at Pinal ranch, within the drainage area, from 1895 to the pres-
80 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

ent date, inclusive. The total precipitation for 1897 was 23.23 inches. 

For the period from January to March, inclusive, during the time in 

which measurements of discharge on the creek were made, the precipitation was 14.21 inches. A proportion was, therefore, made 14.21 

is to 23.23 as 8,020 is to total discharge for the year. Working out 

this proportion gives a total discharge of 13,110 acre-feet.

An observer was employed at this station for July, August, and 

September, 1898. He recorded the heights of floods on the gage rod 

as they occurred. From this record, in connection with the cross 

sections which were measured, an estimate of the discharge of the 

creek was made. These observations are reported in Water-Supply 

and Irrigation Paper No. 28 of the United States Geological Survey, 

. page 132. The discharge for these three months has been computed 

as 5,140 acre-feet, including the one flood occurring in December of 

that year. The creek was reported dry from the 1st of March until 

the time the observer assumed his duties, and from September to the 

measured flood, December 18. One flood occurred, however, in January or February, 1898, of which no record was kept, but the quantity was not notably large. It is reported by people located in the 

basin that the year 1898 was characterized by an exceedingly small 

flow of the creek. The total discharge for the year is assumed as 

6,000 acre-feet. It is probable this amount was not exceeded.

The old gaging station was reestablished in December, 1898, and an 

observer employed to record any floods occurring. Meter measurements were not made, but gage records were taken on both the original gage and a slope gage placed 431 feet above and referred to the 

same datum. Cross sections of each flood were measured. From this 

data the discharges of the creek were computed by means of the 

Kutter formula. From these computations for the period from January 1 to August 11, 1899, the discharge is found to be 12,527 acre-feet.

Summary, total annual discharge of Queen Creek at Whitlow's ranch, Arizona.

Year.

1896.-.-.... .......--. .......... ........... .

1897.-...--. ................................

1898...-..-. ..... .............. .............

1899, Jan. 1 to Aug. 11 ....... .. .............

Acre-feet.

10,887

13, 110

6,000

13,537

As it has been shown that 10,875 acres, requiring 20,000 acre-feet of 

water, are needed at once for the Indians who are on or near the Gila 

River Indian Reservation, and as an ultimate consumption of 40,000 

acre-feet is estimated as a possible future need and this amount 

accepted as the basis of this report, it is obvious that Queen Creek is 

not able to supply the full demand, either present or prospective.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXXt

Contour interval, fO feet

Surveyed by C.C.BABB/n/896 

I

CONTOUR MAP OF QUEEN CREEK RESERVOIR SITE.
LIPPINCOTT.] QUEEN CREEK RESERVOIR. 

BED ROCK AT DAM SITE.

81

A diamond core drilling outfit was sent to Queen Creek on April 

17, 1899, arid the work was completed on May 20, 1899. It was found 

difficult to drive the pipe at this point, owing to the presence of numerous bowlders in the covering of the bed rock. The pipe was frequently 

bent and it was often found necessary to place dynamite in the hole, 

raise the pipe a few feet, and explode the powder before the pipe could 

be driven to bed rock. There were 11 holes put down, their relative 

location being shown on PL XXXII, A. The elevations at each of 

these is given in the list below. At a point on the figure marked 

"Gage" is the upper gage rod, its zero being at an elevation of 2,041.7 

feet. At the point near this, marked "Iron," is the northwesterly 

iron gad, put at an elevation of 2,049.9 feet. Opposite this is the 

northeastern iron gad, at an elevation of 2,060.6 feet. At the point 

marked " B. M." is one of the bronze tablets of the Geological Survey, 

placed at an elevation of 2,055.1 feet.

Borings at Queen Creek.

Hole.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Surface 

elevation.

Bed-rock 

elevation.

Feet. Feet.

3,050.0 3,013.0

3,051.4 3,017.4

3,053.4 , 3,037.4

2,050.6

2,049.7

3,050.5

2,049.5

3,050.2

3,050.5

2,050.3

3,047.3

3,018.6

3,021.4

3,011.0

3,017.5

3,015.2

2,023.3

3,007.7

3,033.8

Depth.

Feet.

37.0

34.0

39.0

32.0

28.3

39.5

32.5

35.0

28.2

42.5

23.5

Depth

bored 

into

rock.

Feet.

7.5

3.0

6.0

4.0

6.2

4 3

7!o

7.0

3.0

1.5

' 5.5

There is a United States Geological Survey bronze bench-mark tablet on the 

left bank, in line with the upper row of holes, set in the rock"about 5 feet above 

bed of stream. Elevation, 2,055.7 feet.

The bed rock was found to be a uniform, heavy, volcanic product, 

having a specific gravity of 2.49, or a weight of 155.5 pounds per cubic 

foot. Its strength to resist crushing was greater than the capacity of 

the testing machine. A core three-fourths of an inch in diameter 

would not crush under a pressure of 1 ton. Further description of 

the Queen Creek dam and reservoir site may be found between pages 

43 and 52 of the report on the irrigation investigation for the benefit 

of the Pimas and other Indians on the Gila River Indian Reservation, 

Arizona, by Mr. Arthur P. Davis, hydrographer, in Senate Document 

No. 27, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session. 

IRR 33 8
82 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [HO. 33.

CEMENT.

By EDWARD DURYEE.

Investigations were made under instructions from Mr. J. B. Lippincott, in order to ascertain means of lessening the cost of Portland 

cement in the construction of dams on the Gila River in Arizona. 

Owing to the remoteness of these proposed dams from lines of transportation, the expense of bringing cement to the sites makes a notable 

addition to the cost over construction elsewhere, and it is therefore 

of great importance to reduce the quantity of cement to the smallest 

allowable amount.

Portland cement'is considered an essential element in the construction of dams subject to severe and sudden strains due to floods. It is 

valuable not only in giving great strength and homogeneity to the 

structure, but also because of the fact that exposure to moisture, 

which deteriorates many materials, serves to increase the strength of 

Portland-cement mortars. It is thus being largely used for this purpose. For example, the new dam under construction on the Nile at 

Assuan will require 3,000,000 barrels of Portland cement, costing, in 

round numbers, $12,000,000.

The investigation of cement for the Gila River dams has been 

along three lines: (1) To ascertain whether by unusually fine grinding of the cement its strength can be appreciably enhanced and the 

quantity correspondingly reduced; (2) whether it is feasible to use 

the rocks found at the dam sites for making a sand cement; (3) 

whether Portland cement can be economically made at these sites.

SAND CEMENT.

Sand cement is a term applied to a mixture of cement and sand ground 

together in a dry state'to an impalpable powder. As a rule Portland 

cement and quartz sand are the materials thus used. This mixture is 

then used with ordinary sand and gravel, as in the customary practice. 

The proportion of pure cement is thus considerably reduced, but the 

strength and durability of the concrete has been found to be nearly as 

great as that made with the undiluted cement. The explanation offered 

for the remarkably good results obtained with sand cement when used 

with ordinary coarse^ sand is that the voids in the coarse sand are 

nearly filled with the finely ground sand. The grains are thus bonded 

together and to the coarse sand by the uniformly diffused particles of 

the fine cement. The amount of voids in the ordinary sand, in other 

words, is greatly reduced by the fine sand, fulfilling the requirement 

for a strong mortar that it is necessary to be of dense character, the 

grains being of such graduated size and so well mingled as to afford 

the maximum contact of the surfaces of the particles.

In sand-cement mortar the grains of sand are extremely minute,
U. S. GEOLOQICAL SURVEY

Gage © iron

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 83 PL. XXXII

© Iron

O/vp/<?

 N96

Bowlder 

©

A. LOCATION OF BORINGS AT QUEEN CREEK DAM SITE.

Capacity in acre-feet.

8 8

200

£ 180

c 160

-o 120

S. CAPACITY CURVES OF THE PROPOSED RESERVOIRS ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA.
LIPPINCOTT.] TESTS OP CEMENT. 83

the mixture being so fine that only 5 per cent residue is left on a 

screen of 200 meshes to the linear inch or 40,000 meshes to the square 

inch. The great density thus obtained contributes to the impermeability to water and increases the compressive strength and loadbearing capacity, thus rendering the mass of value for constructing 

foundations, dams, and sea walls.

In the tests made in this investigation a rock known as pearlite, an 

acidic lava or rhyolite from the Buttes dam site, was used, and also 

samples of quartzite from the San Carlos dam site. These were chosen 

because of the abundance of these rocks at the localities named and 

their superior hardness. The Portland cement used was that manufactured at Colton, California, this being made nearest to the place 

where it will be used and being sold at a lower price than other Portland 

cement in the local market. All of the tests were made with the same 

sample of cement, portions of this being taken for the several mixtures with crushed pearlite and quartzite. The sand used with the 

foreign cement in making sand cement was clean beach sand from 

dunes along the coast.

TESTS OF SAND CEMENTS.

Results of the tests of the sand cements and comparisons with otner 

mixtures are given in the following table. In each case the crushed 

pearlite was mixed with an equal weight of cement, and the mixture 

was ground in a mortar until it all passed through a screen having 

200 meshes to the linear inch. The same method was pursued with 

the quartzite from San Carlos, thus making sand cements composed 

of equal parts of Portland cement and pulverized rock ground to an 

exceedingly fine condition.

The coarse sand used in making the mortar with the sand cement 

and with the pure (Portland) Colton cement was of the ordinary grade 

of fineness used for making cement tests. It was screened from ordinary gravel, all residue on the.20-mesh screen being rejected and all 

left on the 30-mesh screen being retained.

The briquettes for testing were made according to the specifications 

recommended by the American Society of Civil Engineers. After the 

briquettes were made they were kept under a damp cloth for twentyfour hours, then placed in vats of water, where they were left until 

the time for breaking arrived, namely, seven days or twenty-eight 

days. The fine grinding and diluting of the Portland cement with 

fine sand did not materially affect the time of hardening or setting. 

The beginning of the setting process of the ordinary Colton cement 

mortar, or initial setting, was thirty-three minutes, and the time of 

final setting was eighty-five minutes. This applies to samples Nos. 

3, 4, and 9 of the following list. The corresponding periods for the 

sand cement were thirty and eighty minutes. The cement mortar 

continues to harden and increase in firmness for a year or longer.
84 STORAGE OF ^WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33. 

Results of tests of Portland sand cements.

No.

1

2

3

4 

5

6

7

8

9 

10 

11

12 

13 

14 

15 

16

Material.

Colton and Buttepearlite,ltol. .............

Colton and San Carlos

.....do.. __ ___ ......

Colton, fine ground ....

Colton and Butte pearlite, 1 to 1. .............

Colton and San Carlos 

quartzite, 1 to 1 .......

Imported and sand, 1 

to 1. .................. .

.....do. ..................

.....do...................

 ..do. ..................

. .do....... __ _ ...

Sand.

2 

3 

3 

2 

3

3

3

0 

0

2 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3

Portland 

cement 

to 

sand.

Ito5

Itoo 

Ito2 

Ito3 

Ito2 

Ito3-

itor

Ito7 

ItoO 

1 toO

Ito5 

Ito5 

Ito7 

Ito7 

Ito2 

Ito3

Fineness.

50 

mesh.

Per ct. 

0.00

.00 

.43 

.43 

.00 

.00

.00

.00 

.43 

.80

.00 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.80 

.80

100 

mesh.

Per ct. 

0.00

.00 

7.20 

7.20 

.00 

.00

.00

.00

7.20 

7.80

.00 

.00 

.00 

.00 

7.80 

7.80

200 

mesh.

Per ct. 

0.00

.00 

33.20 

33.30

(«) 

(a)

.00

.00 

33.20 

29.33

.00 

(a) 

(a) 

.00 

29.33 

29.33

Water.

Per ct. 

10

10 

10 

10 

13 

12

10

10 

18 

18

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10

Strength.

7 days.

Lbs. 

80

- 90 

170 

140 

370 

170

75

55 

615 

345

115 

125 

55 

90 

210 

120

28 

days.

Lbs. 

300

345 

385. 

240 

465 

260

155

185 

660 

525

190 

185 

90 

140 

270 

175

a Some left on 200-mesh screen. 

NOTE. The above cement stood the boiling test for free lime satisfactorily.

Comparison of test No. 3 with No. 5, and of .No. 4 with No. 6, shows 

that increased fineness of grinding very materially increases the 

strength and sand-carrying capacity of cements. The ordinary Colton cement of tests No. 3 and No. 4 was ground finer than commercial 

Portland is usually ground. Recent improvements in mills for grinding render possible a reduction in size of cement grains at a cost 

which is small when compared with the great increase in the value of 

the resulting material. Where the freight charges are high, as is 

the case at the locations under consideration, it is especially important to take advantage of this improvement, and there is no doubt 

that if the specifications call for a fineness such that only 1 per cent 

is to be left on a 100-mesh screen, the. manufacturers will respond to 

the requirements. Engineering specifications have ordinarily allowed 

a residue of 5 per cent on a 50-mesh screen, although manufacturers 

have for some years permitted a residue of only 1 or 2 per cent on a 

50-mesh screen.

CRUSHING TESTS.

In order to obtain the crushing strength of the various cements and 

concrete considered, two 1-inch cubes of each were broken. The 

results given are the averages of the crushing strength of the two 

cubes. The cubes were allowed to remain thirty days in water and 

then thirty days in the air.
t-IPNNCOTT.] TESTS OP CEMENT. 

Crushing tests of 1-inch cubes.

85

Character of mixture.

Standard Colton cement ..-.....-.-_.._.__.--_---..

Colton cement, 1 part, and ordinary testing sand.

Colton cement, 1 part, and marble sand, 2 parts. ..

Water.

Per cent.

18

8

8

Average 

crashing 

strength.

Tons. 

3.25

1.75

2.38

Crushing tests were also made of 6-inch cubes of concrete after these 

had been immersed for thirty days in water. The portions of the mixture and the breaking strain in tons are given in the following table. 

In the mixture the proportions are given by volume and not by weight.

Crushing tests of 6-inch cubes.

Character of mixture.

Colton cement, 1 part; ordinary sand, 3 parts; pebbles from 

gravel, 6 parts. __._-._-._-....._..- ...... ...............

Colton cement, 1 part; sand, 3 parts; crushed marble, 6 parts. 

Colton cement, 1 part; sand, 2 parts; crushed marble, 5 parts .

Breaking 

strength.

Tons. 

38

30 

20

It is believed that concretes of approximately equal value can be 

obtained by using cements in the following proportions, measured by 

volume:

Portland cement, 1; sand, 3; broken stone, 7. 

Sand cement, 1; sand, 2; broken stone, 6.

COST OF SAND CEMENTS.

In the Portland-cement concrete made in the proportion of cement 

1 part, sand 3 parts, and broken stone 7 parts, it has been found that 

270 pounds of cement will be required for a cubic yard of concrete. 

This, at 2.12 cents per pound, will cost $5.72 per cubic yard.

In the sand-cement concrete of the proportions 1 cement, 2 sand, 

and 6 stone, 340 pounds of cement would be required for each cubic 

yard of concrete. This, at 1.2 cents per pound, would cost $4.08.

The saving in the cost of cement to be effected by using sand cement 

instead of the Colton Portland will be the difference between 15.72 

and $4.08, or $1.64 per cubic yard of this concrete entering into the 

construction of the dam. From the total saving thus realized should, 

however, be deducted the cost of the plant required for grinding the 

sand cement.
86 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

Concrete blocks composed of the above proportions were crushed at 

McGill University in 1898, with the following results: 1

Sand cement, 1; sand, 2; broken stone, 6; water, 20 per cent. 

Weight per cubic foot, 154 pounds. Crushing load, in pounds per square inch: 

Seven days, 521 pounds; twenty-eight days. 639 pounds; sixty days, 670 pounds.

A concrete of German Portland of the proportions of 1 cement, 2 

sand, 6 broken stone, and 20 percent water stood a load of 728 pounds 

per square inch in twenty-eight days, and one of the same proportions 

made from English Portland stood 698 pounds in twenty-eight days.

Tests for crushing strength on 6-inch cubes of concrete, made of 1 

part sand cement, 2 sand, and 3 parts gravel, were made on concrete 

that was taken from the bucket just as it was ready to be laid in the 

foundation of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in New York 

City. Each result is the average of the crushing strength of four 

separate cubes, made under exactly the same conditions at different 

periods:

Pounds. 

7 days old crushed at................ ................................... 77,162

14 days old crushed at ............... ............................. ..... 83,225

30 days old crushed at .......__._....__._..._..._..,-...-.........-.- ... 92,46g

Approximate cost of plant for making sand cement; capacity, 2^0 barrels per

twenty-four hours.

Crusher (required also for crushing rock for concrete) --..-.-......-.. $2,000.00

Mill for coarse grinding __..._.___...______.__.._.._._.___. ....... ^ 2,000.00

Tube mill for finishing ...._..._..___._......,-__.-_.___.__.._...._._ 2,500.00

Engine and boiler .................................................... 1,500.00

Setting up machinery.. --.....--..--...-......---.--....---.----..--. 1,000.00

Buildings and bins .................................................. 1,000.00

Total...... .......... ........................................ 10,000.00

Cost of mill, per barrel of cement -..-._ .-.-..-.-,-..-------..-..-.-- .20

Add for concrete making a power mixing machine ..---...---..._.._. 1,500.00

In making concrete, if a good quality of stone be used, and the rock 

be crushed so as to be well graduated as to sizes, thus securing a minimum of voids, the compressive strength of the concrete increases as 

the proportion of stone increases and as the volume of voids between 

the stone decreases, and decreases as the proportion of sand in the 

mortar increases. The rule, therefore, holds that, to secure the greatest strength, mix the maximum quantity of stone with a minimum of 

sand mortar sufficient to bond the stone together, the sand mortar 

being rich in cement. An extensive bed of exceptionally good sand 

for mortar was found near the Buttes, the grains graduating in size 

from very small to large sizes. It shows only 35 per cent of voids, 

while the standard cement-testing sand used in laboratories has 45 

per cent of voids.

1 From Canadian Architect and Builder, 1899.
LIPPINCOTT.] MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT AT DAM SITES. 87

A large tube mill will grind 10 barrels of sand cement per hour to 

the requisite degree of fineness, at an estimated cost of 20 cents per 

barrel. The cost of power for grinding is calculated at 3 cents per 

horsepower per hour ;it the dam site.

I 

Cost of sand dement with Portland cement at $8 per barrel.

One-half barrel Portland ...........................'............-....,... $4.00

One-half barrel crushed and coarse-ground quartzite ......,..--..---..--.- .18

Grinding same in a tube mill _..______.. _______-_.__..._._-________ .-,. .20

Royalty on account of sand-cement patent....._.,.-.-....--.--....-..---- .05

Total cost of sand cement per barrel (375 pounds)..........,_....... 4.43

The cost of sand cement per pound, quartzite being used as the

source of the sand cement, would therefore be 1.2 cents.

. I '

The cost of the ini-1 per barrel of cement, 20 cents, is not included 

in the above.

It is estimated that the cost per barrel of Colton Portland cement, 

delivered at the dam site will be $8. This, for 375 pounds weight

cement, would make the cement cost 2.12 cents per pound.

USE OF ROCKS AT THE DAM SITES.

For the purpose of ascertaining whether the rocks at the dam sites 

could be used in the manufacture of Portland cement the localities 

were visited and sanoi pies were obtained of those rocks which occurred 

in sufficient quantities to furnish a supply necessary for manufacturing the large amounts of cement needed. In looking for the raw

materials it must be tx>rne in mind that, chemically considered, Portland cement consists of a compound of tricalcium silicate and dicalcium aluminate, accompanied by small percentages of ferrate and 

sulphate of lime and traces of alkalies. It is made by grinding and 

burning together either natural or artificial mixtures of carbonate of 

lime,and silicate of alumina. Limestones, chalks, or marls usually 

furnish the carbonate of lime, and clays are the ordinary source of 

the alumina and silica. The mixtures are burned at a high temperature to a blackish clinker of a semivitrified character. After cooling, 

this clinker is reduced by grinding to an impalpable powder, in which 

form it is known by the generic name of Portland cement.

ROCKS AT RIVERSIDE DAM SITE.

Limestone (No. 3 in the following table) was obtained near Riverside ? on the road to the Pioneer mill, where it is found in large quantities along the roadside. The rhyolite (No. 4 in the following table) 

was found 2 miles south of the Riverside site. It offered the closest 

approach to a suitable silicate of alumina that could be found.
88 STORAGE OP WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

The source of elements of silica and alumina in the crude materials 

should, however, be sedimentary in character, not igneous or metamorphic. The analysis justified a trial mixture, and therefore one 

was calculated and made, but on burning the materials failed to 

effect the requisite combination for a Portland cement. Too large a 

percentage of the silica was in the free or uncombined condition. 

Fuel was not to be found near the Riverside site, and the manufacture of cement at this place is considered impracticable.

ROCKS AT SAN CAKLOS DAM SITE.

The limestone from San Carlos site (No. 2 in the following table) 

was found to be admirably adapted to the purpose of the dam construction on account of its good specific gravity (which was 2.7), 

freedom from flaws, and siliceous character. It occurs in vast quantities, forming the abutments at the dam site. It forms bluffs, 

extending for several hundred feet,well located for quarrying. Large 

masses may be embedded in the concrete, care being taken that they 

be laid irregularly in the mass of the dam, and are well placed so as 

to bond into a monolith.

Analyses of rocks from the viciiiity of the dam sites, 

[Chemical composition, in percentages.]

No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Name.

.....do......

.--.do......

-...do......

Color.

Pink ...

Blue....

Pearl.. .

Locality.

.....do.........

.. ...do. .........

Sp. gr.

2.709

1.541

3.361

3.81

2.678

Carbonate 

of lime, 

CaCO3.

96.65

55.80

93.10

9.60

90.10

65.50

Carbonate of magnesia.

0.00

31.00

0.00

6.00

0.00

Silica 

(SiOs>.

1.4 3.7

4.7

60.9

4.i

34.6

Alumina 

and 

ferric 

oxide.

1.3

6.0

1.4

13.6

5.8

1.3

Moisture.

0.65

1.00

16.90

Lime

per 

cent in 

the 

carbonate

of lime.

54.134

31.315

53.136

5. 376

31.08

a From about 1J- mile above dam site.

The analysis of the gray or bluish limestone (No. 1 in the above 

table) shows from its freedom from magnesia and the small percentage of free silica that it is possible to make a Portland cement with 

it, provided a suitable clay can be found to furnish the requisite 

elements of silica, alumina, and ferric oxide.

FUEL.

An extensive but undeveloped deposit of bituminous coal is located 

about 17 miles from the San Carlos dam site. There is a wagon trail 

to within about 6 miles of the coal beds, but after leaving the wagon 

trail the only means of access was found to be a bridle path over the
LippiNcoTT.3 FUEL FOR MAKING CEMENT.

hills. About ten years ago numerous prospectors' locations were 

made in the district, and shafts were sunk at a sufficient number of 

localities to prove the deposit to be of considerable extent. Most of 

the shafts have become filled with debris, but several were entered to 

depths of 15 to BO feet. They showed the body of coal to be in beds 

having a dip of about 60°, the beds being from 5 to 10 jfeet in thickness, not of solid fuel, but showing seams of good coal interlaid with 

seams of slate and waste. In the bottom of the deepest shafts was 

found a good body of coal in a solid bed perhaps 5 feet thick. It 

was reported that at the time the prospecting was done on the claims 

some 30 tons were transported by wagons to the Southern Pacific 

Railroad and used in the locomotives, but that the cost of mining and 

transporting it to the railroad, with the crude means available at the 

time, was about $20 per ton.

Cement could be burned with the coal. The right to mine the coal 

for the use of the Government in this work could be secured readily 

and at a nominal cost. The cost of mining and transportation to San 

Carlos would, however, be high. In general practice 120 pounds of 

coal dust are used in burning 1 barrel of Portland cement.

Taking as a basis coal delivered at the dam site at $10 per ton, 

limestone at 40 cents per ton, and clay at 11.25 per ton, the cost of 

manufacturing Portland cement at the dam site would approximate 

12.75 per barrel. The cost of erecting a plant with an output of 300 

barrels of cement every twenty-four hours would be $75,000. Supposing the amount of cement to be required in the construction of the 

dam to be 50,000 barrels, the cost per barrel, if made at the site, would 

be approximately as follows: First cost of plant, 175,000; cost of 

manufacturing 50,000 barrels, at $2.75, $137,500; total cost, $212,500; 

cost per barrel, $4.25.

With reference to the degree of reliability to be placed upon Portland cement made in new localities, it may be said that the manufacture of this material has been put upon a scientific basis, such that 

the manufacturing chemist can predict the grade of cement to be 

made from the given materials and, by means of analyses of various 

rocks, can calculate suitable mixtures to produce the required result. 

The uniform system of testing cements recommended by the American Society .of Civil Engineers affords a reliable means of determining 

the intrinsic merits of the product. The old method of buying 

cements on the reputation of the maker has been succeeded by tests 

for determining the actual value. Portland cements of American 

make are being extensively manufactured and are of equal or even 

superior quality to the foreign-made cements. During the year 1899 

it is estimated that 6,000,000 barrels of Portland cement have been 

used, of which four-fifths were of home manufacture. In spite of 

this fact, on account of the failure to find suitable clays at the various
90 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. LNO. 33.

localities and also the difficulty of obtaining fuel, it is impracticable 

to manufacture Portland cement at the dam sites.

It is important, if Portland cement is used at the localities under 

consideration, that the specifications should require it to be ground so 

fine that not over 1 per cent residue shall remain on a 100-mesh screen.

Reliable sand cement can be made from the quartzite at San Carlos 

or the pearlite at the Buttes dam site by grinding with Colton (Portland) cement. A saving will result at the San Carlos dam site of $1.64 

per cubic yard by making sand cement on the ground, this being 

exclusive of the cost of the plant for grinding.

IRRIGABI/E LANDS.

The location where the water which is impounded in the reservoir 

sites on the Gila River would be used is primarily on the Gila River 

Indian Reservation, which has been described in previous pages of 

this report, and which contains 357,120 acres of land, the greater 

portion being irrigable. South of this Indian reservation, intervening 

between the Southern Pacific Company's railroad and the point where 

the Gila River leaves the mountains, there are many thousand acres 

of high-grade agricultural land suitable for irrigation. The climate 

is adapted to the raising of diversified crops, the grade of the country 

is uniform and suitable for the application of water, and the so^il is 

exceedingly fertile. The .river, which carries a large amount of sediment containing many fertilizing materials, will keep these lands in 

a state of continuous productiveness. Without water this land is a 

desert and has no value. That it is of no tangible value in its present 

condition is proved by the fact that many thousands of acres which 

have been taken up at previous times under the desert-land act and 

homestead laws have been permitted to revert to the Government 

before title was perfected by the settler, even after expenditures had 

been made on the land.

An examination was made of the records of the United States land 

office at Tucson to determine what portion of this area outside of the 

reservation remains public domain. The area in the valley of the 

Gila between Dudleyville and Riverside was also inspected, as this 

valley should be segregated for reservoir purposes, and in case of the 

construction of a reservoir at San Carlos a portion of its water could 

be used for irrigation in this valley. Nineteen townships were examined, and it was found that 389,211 acres therein are still public 

domain and that 52,162 acres, lying mostly under the Florence 

canal which canal has a very deficient water right is held in private 

ownership. There is, therefore, three times the area of irrigable land 

that can be served on the Indian reservation alone and three times 

the area of public land off the reservation that can be supplied.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 33 PL. XXXIII

YORK CANYON ON GILA RIVER AT GUTHRIE DAM SITE.
LIPPINCOTT,] DISTRIBUTION CANALS.

Public and private lands in the vicinity of Florence, Arizona.

91

T. 4 S.,B.10E ............ ............ ...........

T.4S., B. HE ...................................

T. 4S,,E. HE....-. - ........................

T.5S., E. 5 E .................... .............

T. 5 S.,R. 6 E -............... ................

T. 5S., B. 7E .-...-. . -- ..-- .-...-...

T. 5 S., E. 8 E ....... .................:...........

T. 5S., E. 9E ....................................

T. 5 S.,E. 10 E.. ............. ....................

T. 5S.,E. 14E ...................................

T. 5S., E. 15E.... ............................

T.QS.^.&'E.. ..................................

T. 6S.,E. 6E ....................................

T. 6S., E. 7E ----- ....... ....................

T. 68., E. 8 E. ...................................

T. 6S., E. 9E ....................................

T. rS., E. 6E ....................................

T. 7S.,E. TE ....................................

T. 78., E. 8 E.... ................................

Total.........................................

Acr

Government.

18,400

23,720

21,600

33,040

23,040

22 880

15,760

13,080

23,040

22,960

21,000

17,840

12,800

19,440

21,733.06

24,359.26

19.800

22,680

23.040

389,211.33

es.

Private.

4,640

330

1,440

160

7,280

9,960

80

3,040

5,200

10,240

3,600

3,116

486.26

3,240

360

53,163.26

DISTRIBUTION CANAiLS.

It is not the purpose of this report to definitely locate any canal line 

across these lands. The construction would be entirely in earth and 

exceedingly simple. The building of these canals could be readily 

undertaken by the settlers and by the Indians. The canal line to the 

Indian reservation would be uniformly in smooth country and with 

an earth sectioh. A topographic map on a scale of 2 inches to the 

mile, with contour intervals of 10 feet, has been made of a portion of 

these valley lands. This map demonstrates the feasibility of building 

these canals. The Florence Canal, which diverts its water at practically the same point where diversions of reservoir water would occur, 

runs through the irrigable area under consideration and still further 

demonstrates the feasibility and the practicability of the building of 

the canals wherever circumstances may require.

ORGANIZATION OF IRRIGATION DISTRICT.

> It is recommended, in case of the construction of any of these 

reservoirs, that there be appointed a Federal commission to consider 

the organization under Federal laws of an irrigation district which 

will include the lands that would be irrigated under this system. This 

district should be organized with proper officials to handle locally the 

division and the distribution of the water and for the construction of 

the delivery canals. The preparation of a code of laws for the operation of this district would be of great importance and should be undertaken jointly by members of the engineering and legal professions.
92 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

SUMMARY.

1. The available records of the discharge of Queen Creek at Whitlow's ranch indicates that this stream would not afford a sufficient 

and reliable water supply for the irrigation of an area as large as 

is required for the relief of the Indians on the Gila River Indian 

Reservation.

2. Because of the large amount of annual discharge of water by the 

Gila River and the high percentage of silt which it contains, it is not 

advisable to construct a reservoir of small capacity on this stream on 

account of the rapidity with which it would fill with silt.

3. In case of the construction of any of the danis on the Gila River 

the cost of putting the foundations down to bed rock is one of the 

principal elements of expense. This cost would be almost as large ifa small dam was built as in the case of a large one.

4. The greatest economy to the Government, whether the relief of 

the Indian alone is considered, or the general development of the arid 

lands in the neighborhood of the reservation is taken as a basis, lies 

in the construction of a large reservoir. It is shown that the Government can build such a large reservoir, give water to the Indians without charging them for it, and sell the remainder of the water 

impounded at such figure as would rapidly return all the original 

investment made by the Federal authorities.

5. In the event of the construction of a large dam there will be 

built up in the valley of the Gila River, where a desert now exists, 

a community of fully 40,000 souls, and the creation of many million 

dollars of taxable wealth without permanent outlay on the part of the 

Government.

6. The cost per acre-foot of storage capacity of the darns as planned 

in this report at the three principal reservoir sites upon which estimates have been made is as follows:

Cost per acre-foot of water stored.

Location.

The Buttes. ............ .... .................

Riverside -...-........._, ....,-.....-..... -

San Carlos. .__. ...................._.........

Amount.

Acre-feet.

174, 040

221,138

241,396

Cost per 

acre-foot.

$15. 19

9.01

4.30

From this it will be seen that the cost of storing water at the Buttes 

per acre-foot is 3.5 times the cost at San Carlos, and that the cost at 

Riverside is 2.1 times the cost at San Carlos.

The capacity of the reservoir, the character of the foundations at 

the dam site, the conservative and well-known type of dam planned,
LIPPINCOTT.] SUMMARY. 93

and the economy of construction all point to the selection of the San 

Carlos reservoir site as the place for the construction,of the dam.

Perhaps the most notable result of this investigation of the water 

supply of the Gila River has been the discovery of three large reservoir sites the existence of which heretofore has been unknown. They 

are the Riverside, the San Carlos, and the Guthrie sites. The relative capacities of these are shown graphically on PI. XXXII, B.

The argument in favor of the construction of a reservoir for the 

storage of the waters of the Gila River by the United States Government is stronger, perhaps, than for any other project in the country.

1. The Government has expended large sums of money for the 

introduction of irrigation on the Indian reservations where it is 

desired to educate the Indian into agricultural habits as a means of 

his civilization. This is a well-established and wise public policy, 

and has already been productive of much good, but is always'in the 

nature of an experiment, 'and more or less difficulty and uncertainty 

is attendant upon the attempt to induce the Indians to accept this 

mode of livelihood. In the present case we have a tribe of Indians 

who have for centuries been engaged in agriculture by irrigation, and 

who were until recently the only successful irrigators in Arizona. 

These Indians have been deprived of their water supply through the 

agency of the white man, directly encouraged by the United States 

Government. It is an imperative obligation of honor that their supply should be restored to them, and the only practical means of this 

restoration is by storage on the Gila River. In addition to this, there 

is held out the certainty that unless this is done these Indians will 

retrograde from a condition of industry and prosperity to one of mendicancy and vice. Instead of an uncertain possibility of elevating a 

savage tribe, we are confronted with the necessity of preventing the 

destruction of a civilization already attained.

2. It is practically certain that the storage of the Gila waters will 

never be accomplished by private or corporate enterprise for three 

reasons: (I) The direct financial returns are not sufficient to induce 

so large an investment of private capital; (2) the unquestionable 

legal right of the Indians to a large quantity of the water of the Gila River 

would be a perpetual cloud upon the title to the water in the hands 

of a private corporation; and (3) the land, to be benefited being 

mainly in public ownership, there is no means under present laws by 

which a private company could realize the full benefit of their 

improvements.

3. Arizona being a Territory, the water right is entirely under national jurisdiction; the only material private lien on the right is the 

right of the Indians, who are wards of the Government, and this is 

essentially a Government right. The objection applicable in some of 

the States, that the jurisdiction of water rights is entirely in the hands 

of the State and would produce a conflict of authority, does not apply 

here.
94 STORAGE OF WATER ON GILA RIVER, ARIZONA. [NO. 33.

4. The Government, being the owner of more land under the canal 

than can ever be watered by it, can entirely control the appropriation 

of the values which will be created by the construction of a reservoir 

and can entirely recoup itself for all expenses incurred, and thus discharge its obligations of honor with no expenditure except the utilization of its own natural resources. It is not a proposition for the 

Government to expend money for the benefit of private individuals 

nor of any particular section, and hence is not comparable with river 

and harbor improvements, although the general benefits are so comparable, as homes will be furnished at low rates to thousands of industrious people, who will come from all parts of the country, and a forbidding desert will be transformed into a rich oasis and a large community will be thus practically added to the domain of the United 

States.

5. Gila River rises in New Mexico. As the main body of the basin 

is in Arizona, inter-State complications might arise in the future in 

case the reservoir were constructed by private or local enterprise. 

With these questions the National Government only is competent to 

cope. Thus, from all points of view there is every reason why this 

reservoir should be constructed by the National Government and no 

reason why it should not, while it is not only impracticable but eminently inadvisable for private enterprise to carry out the project.

6. Owing to the erratic nature of the'Gila River less than 3 per cent 

of its water near Florence is now being used for irrigation, and the 

areas now irrigated suffer intensely from summer droughts.

Financial summary of results.

Total water supply to be delivered to the point of diversion from San

Carl os reservoir for irrigation each year .._.-....--..-.. acre-feet.. 241,396 

Ultimate requirement for Indians ............................ .do. -.. 40,000

Remainder available for irrigation of public domain or private 

lands ............................... ................acre-feet-. 201,396

Assume a duty of water of 2 acre-feet or 24 inches in depth used each 

year on each irrigated acre; this would permit the irrigation of lands 

outside the reservation to the extent of.................-.._-acres._ 100,698

There are 389,211 acres of arid public land in the district to be supplied 

from this system. Assume that the water is given to the Indians 

without cost to the Government and that these 100,698 acres must 

pay the total cost of the works, then the necessary charge per acre 

for the remaining water rights to be sold would be................ . $10.24

It is believed that the public lauds with this water right could, at 

this rate, be sold within a year.

If 3,000 Indians have to be fed by the Government at a cost per ration 

per day of 10 cents, the annual expenses would be,........_---...-. $109,500

The capitalization of $109,500 at 4 per cent would represent the practical 

permanent expense of feeding these tribes. This is equivalent to a 

permanent Government debt, which would be liquidated by this construction, of...... ................................................ $2,737,500
LIPPINCOTT.] RECOMMENDATIONS. 95

The value of the 100,698 acres of irrigated public lands that would be 

taxable would be $50 per acre, or a total of.......................... $5,034,900

The saving, without expense to the Government, by irrigation of 20,000 

acres of lands belonging to the Indians has been shown to be........ 2,737,500

Total increase in value, without public expense................_ 7.772,400

There will also be a large increase in value of taxable town property, not estimated upon.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

1. Immediately withdraw from entry all the lands that may be irrigated from this source of supply pending further action by Congress 

on this matter.

2. Segregate all the reservoir sites on the Gila River that may be 

used for the irrigation of these lands. The Buttes and Queen Creek 

reservoir sites have already been segregated for this purpose. The 

Riverside, San Caiios, and Guthrie reservoirs should also be set aside.

3. Maintain observations on the Gila River.

4. Construct the San Carlos dam.

5. Give the Indians the water which they require without charge, 

the Government to recoup itself for all expenditures from the sale 

of the remaining water rights.

6. Form a Federal irrigation district for the division of the water, 

which is to be delivered to the head of the irrigation canals, for the 

construction of these canals, and for the general administration of the 

district.

oo """"'" y
INDEX.

Page. 

Alma, rainfall at .......................... 18

Analyses of rocks from vicinity of dam

Anderson, D., rock tests by --------------- 51

Archambault, T.J.H.,mentioned -------- 45

Babb,C.C., work of... .. .. - 13,15,25,78 

Bed rock at Queen Creek, depth and

quality of --........................ 81

Bed rock at San Carlos, quality of ---_... 70-71 

Bed rock at the Bnttes, quality of -....__- 49-51

Bennett, S. G., rock tests made by ------- 50

Benson, rainfall at _---.___.._--_...._._.-- 19

rainf al 1 at, diagram showing ...._..- 30

Bisbee, rainfall at -.-. ..-...-....... .- 19

rain Call at, diagram showing.......... 20

Brash, W.J., work of-......---- .......... 25

Buttes, analysis of rock from near the. - - 88 

bed rock at the, quality of ....---.---. 49-51

borings at dam site at the ............ 48

borings at dam site at the, map showing location of -_-_.-..--_--_-..____ 44

dam at the, description of proposed-- 54-58 

dam site at the, map of--------------- 46

dam site at the, plate showing views

of........ . .. ......-.. . 34

diversion canal below the dam at the. 61-63 

plates showing plans for dam at the -.50,52,

54,56 

quarry tests at the ... .".... ...... 51-54

rainfall at the.......................... 19

reservoir at thes capacity and cost of. 59-60 

reservoir at the, hypothetical table 

showing amount of water in, for 

each month........................ 33

reservoir site at the, map of - --.... 58

reservoir site at the, plate showing

View of.-^j*........................ 42

water available at the, table showing. 30 

work at the....... ......--.-.-.-.....- 14

Canal, diversion, below Bnttes dam, description of.................__.....__!. 61-62

Casa Grande, rainfall at --.--.-.-.... .... 19

rainfall at, diagram show ing ......... 20

Cedar Springs, rainfall at................. 18

Cement, investigation of.................. 82-90

manufacture of, at dam sites, discussion of.............................. 87-90

Cements, cost of........................... 85-87

tests of. ..... -.-..."..... ....,.... 83-85

Coal near San Carlos, prospects of....... 89

Colton, A. T., observations by............ 35,36

Davis, A. P., quoted on necessity of spillway at the Buttes ................. 34-35

quoted on silt carried by Gila River.. 35-36 

reference to ...................._.... 81

work of .............................. 7,13,16

Diamond core drill, plates showing

method of driving pipe for ....... 9, 42

use and cost of... -...-.-..... ...- 43-48-

Discharge of Gila River, diagram showing .. .............................. a&

tables showing ............... 33,36,27-29,30

Dragoon, rainfall at....................... 19-

Dudleyville, rainfall at ............... 19

rainfall at, diagram showing . .... 30 

Duryee, E., article on cement by..... 83-90

work of ........................._.... 16

Evaporation in Arizona.... .............. 33-34

Florence, public and private lands in the

vicinity of-.--.--.-...-.---.--..-.. 91

rainfall at.............................. 19-

rainfall at, diagram showing ......... 30

Fort Apache, rainfall at ...... ._-_-_., IS

rainfall at, diagram showing ......... 20

Fort Bayard, rainfall at .._.... _.-...-. 18

rainfall at, diagram showing . .... 30 

Fort Grant, rainfall at.................... 18

rainfall at, diagram showing ......... 20

Fort Hnachuca, rainfall at........ ...- 19>

rainfall at, diagram showing ......... 20

Fort McDowell, rainfall at ............... 19

rainfall at, diagram showing ......... 30

Fort Thomas, rainfall at......------------ 18

rainfall at, diagram showing ....__ 20

Foundations, method of excavation for. _ 58 

Gila, rainf all at. ............. . ----- 18

Gila River, borings at Buttes dam site on _ 48

discharge of, at the Bnttes, diagram

showing--.--.-......--- --.--...---. 26

drainage area of................-...--_ 21

explorations along .............-.-.-* 15-16

measurements of flow of.------..--.-- 23-33

rainf all in basin of . ». --. ... 18-21

rainfall and run-off in basin of, diagram showing ---...-.--_-----.--.- 18

rainfall at stations in basin of, diagram showing .......--...._......- 20

rainfall stations in basin of, plate

showing location of _........--...- 18

silt carried by . ........................ 35-48

views in canyon of, plate showing.... 16>

Gila River Indian Reservation, location

and climate of . ........---------.- 9

Guthrie, dam site at, map of.-.....-..--.. 78

dam site at, plate showing view of... 90

reservoir at, description of ------ - 77-78

reservoir site at, map of. .......... 78

Hadley, E., description of conditions of

Indians by .................... 12-1S

statement by, as to amount of water

required for irrigation............ 17

Hnachuca Mountains, rainfall in......... 19>

97
98 INDEX.

Page. 

Indian tribes of the Gila River Reserva- .

tion ................................ 9-10

Irrigation district, recommendation for

organization of .................... 91

Lemon, C. W., observations by........... 39

Lochiel, rainfall at ........................ 19

Matthes, G. H., work of................... 63

Oracle, rainfall at......................... 19

Oro, rainf&a at............................ 18

Pantano, rainfall at ....... ......... _- 19

rainfall at, diagram showing .-.....-- 20

Phenix, rainfall at-.-.-... . .............. 19

rainfall at, diagram showing-......... 20

Pima Agency, population of .............. 17

Precipitation. See Rainfall.

Quarry tests at the Buttes...-..- ........ 51-54

Quarry test below Buttes dam site, plate

showing result of.................. 48

Queen Creek, analyses of rocks from near. 88 

bed rock at, depth to and quality of. - 81 

borings at dam site at, plate showing

location of.......................... 83

dam site on, plate showing view of-.. 48 

discharge of ........................... 80

reservoir at, description of............ 79-81

reservoir site at, map of........... .. 80

Quinton, J. H., work of ................... 16

Eainfall in Gila Basin ....... ............. 18-31

Eainfall at stations in Gila River Basin,

diagram showing.................. 20

Rainfall, table showing increase of, with

each 100 feet of elevation.......... 20

Rainfall and run-off in Gila Basin, diagram showing -.......-.-........._ 18

Rainfall stations in basin of Gila River,

plate showing location of ......... 18

Rating curve for Gila River at the Buttes,

diagrams showing-........----...- 36,44

Rating table for Gila River at the Buttes- 26 

Reservoirs, diagram showing capacity of

proposed........... ............ 83

Richardson, T. F., quoted on use of diamond core drill................ .... 43-45

Richins, W., work of ... .................. 25,36

Riverside, analyses of rocks from near .. 88 

borings at dam site at, plate showing

locations of ---..._.-.--....---..... 56

capacity and cost of reservoir at..... 65-66

dam at, description of proposed...... 63-64

dam site at, map of.................... 60

dam at, method of construction of.... 64-65

dam site at, plate showing view of -... 6.3

Riverside, reservoir site at, description

Of...................................

reservoir site at, map of ......... ....

reservoir site at, plate showing view 

of.... ................... ..........

work at ................ ............._..

Robinette, J. W., tests made by..........

St. Helena ranch, rainfall at..............

San Oarlos, analyses of rocks from near .

dam at, descriptions of.......... 69-71.

dam at, material for .......... ........

dam at, plates showing plans for .. 70.

dam site at, map of....................

dam site at, plates showing views of.

rainfall at....--......-.------.--.-...-.

rainfall at, diagram showing .........

reservoir at, capacity and cost of ....

reservoir si teat........................

reservoir site at, map of ........

water available at, table showing...

work at ........................ ......

San Carlos Indian agency and military 

post, map of...... -_.-.-.-.--.......

San Pedro River, drainage area of........

measurements of flow of..............

rainfall in basin of ....................

San Simon, rainfall at............. ....

rainfall at, diagram showing..........

Schuyler, J. D., recommendations of ....

work of ........ j.....--..... . .......

Seepage water, estimate of amount of ....

Silt carried by Gila River-.--_ . .........

Silver King, rainfall at...... .............

Spillway, provisions for, at Buttes dam 

site -.-...... --.- ------------------

Tests of cements ..........................

Tests, quarry, at the Buttes ..............

Tierney, P., mentioned ...................

Tombstone, rainfall at ......_.. .........

Tribes of the Gila River Indian Reservations. .............--.....---.--.----

Tucson, rainfall at ............... ......

rainfall at, diagram showing..........

Water, amount required for irrigation .. 

Water supply of Gila River Indian Reservation, decrease of --.--.-.......

Water supply in Gila Basin ..............

Wheeler, B., work of......................

Willcos, rainfall at........................

rainfall at, diagram showing .... ...

York Canyon, plate showing view of......

Young. J. R., recommendations of .......

63-63 

64

62 

15 

50 

19 

88

73-74 

71

72,74 

68

66,74 

18 

20

74-77

6(5-69 

76 

30 

15

76

21

19 

18 

20 

7-8 

16

34-35

35-42 

19

83-85

51-54

45

19

9-10

19

20

17

10-13 

18-35 

61 

18 

30 

flO

o
I

1895.

Sixteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1894-95, Part II, 

Papers of an economic character, 1895; octavo, 598 pp.

Contains a paper on the public lands and their water supply, by F. H. Newell, illustrated 

by a large map showing the relative extent and location of the vacant public lands; also a 

report on the water resources of a portion of the Great Plains, by Robert Hay.

A geological reconnaissance of northwestern Wyoming, by George H. Eldridge, 

1894; octavo, 72 pp. Bulletin No. 119 of the United States Geological Survey; 

price, 10 cents.

Contains a description of the geologic structure of portions of the Bighorn Range and 

Bighorn Basin, especially with reference to the coal fields, and remarks upon the water 

supply and agricultural possibilities.

Report of progress of the division of hydrography for the calendar vears 1893 and 

1894, by F. H. Newell, 1895; octavo, 176 pp. Bulletin No. 13l"of the United 

States Geological Survey; price, 15 cents.

Contains results of stream measurements at various points, mainly within the arid region, 

and records of wells in a number of counties in western Nebraska, western Kansas, and 

eastern Colorado.

1596.

Seventeenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1895-96, Part 

II, Economic geology and hydrography, 1896; octavo, 864 pp.

Contains papers on " The underground water of the Arkansas Valley in eastern Colorado," by G. K. Gilbert: "The water resources of Illinois," by Frank Leverett, and "Preliminary report on the artesian waters of a portion of the Dakotas," by N. H. Darton.

Artesian-well prospects in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region, by N. H. Darton, 

1896; octavo, 230 pp., 19 plates. Bulletin No. 138 of the United States Geological Survey; price, 20 cents.

Gives a description of the geologic conditions of the coastal region from Long Island, 

N. Y., to Georgia, and contains data relating to many of the deep wells.

Report of progress of the division of hydrography for the calendar year 1895, by 

F. H. Newell, hydrographer in charge, 1896; octavo, 356 pp. Bulletin No. 140 

of the United States Geological Survey; price, 25 cents.

Contains a description of the instruments and methods employed in measuring streams 

and the results of hydrographic investigations in various parts of the United States.

1597.

Eighteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1896-97, Part 

IV, Hydrography, 1897; octavo, 756 pp.

Contains a "Report of progress of stream measurements for the calendar year 1896," by 

Arthur P. Davis; "The water resources of Indiana and Ohio," by Frank Leverett: "New 

developments in well boring and irrigation in South Dakota," by N. H. Darton, and 

"Reservoirs for irrigation," by J. D. Schuyler.

1S99.

Nineteenth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1897-98, Part 

IV, Hydrography, 1899; octavo, 814 pp.

Contains a ''Report of progress of stream measurements for the calendar year 1898," 

by F. H. Newell and others; "The rock waters of Ohio," by Edward Orton, and "A preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska west of the one hundred 

and third meridian," by N. H. Darton.

19OO.

Twentieth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, 1898-99, Part 

IV, Hydrography, 1900; octavo, pp.

Contains a "Report of progress of stream measurements for the calendar year 1898," by 

F. H. Newell, and " Hydrography of Nicaragua," by A. P. Davis.

WATER-SUPPLY AND IRRIGATION PAPERS, 1896-1900.

This series of papers is designed to present in pamphlet form the results of stream measurements and of special investigations. A list of these, with other information, is given on 

the outside Cor fourth) page of this cover.

Survey bulletins can be obtained only by prepayment of cost, as noted above. 

Money should be transmitted by postal money order or express order, made payable to the Director of the United States Geological Survey. Postage stamps, 

checks, and drafts can not be accepted. Correspondence relating to the publications of the Survey should be addressed to The Director, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C.

IRR33
WATER-SUPPLY AND IRRIGATION PAPERS.

1. Pumping water for irrigation, by Herbert M. Wilson, 1896.

2. Irrigation near Phoenix, Arizona, by Arthur P. Davis, 1897.

3. Sewage irrigation, by George W. Rafter, 1897.

4. A reconnoissance in southeastern Washington, by Israel C. Russell, 1897.

5. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill, 1897.

6. Underground waters of southwestern Kansas, by Erasmus Haworth, 1897.

7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier, 1897.

8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy, 1897.

9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colorado, by David Boyd, 1897.

10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker, 1898.

11. River heights for 1896, by Arthur P. Davis, 1897.

12. Water resources of southeastern Nebraska, by Nelson Horatio Darton, 1898.

13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by William Ferguson Hutson, 1898.

14. New tests of pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood, 1898.

15. Operations at river stations, 1897, Part I, 1898.

16. Operations at river stations, 1897, Part II, 1898.

17. Irrigation near Bakersfield, California, by C. E. Grunsky, 1898.

18. Irrigation near Fresno, California, by C. E. Grunsky, 1898.

19. Irrigation near Merced, California, by C. E. Grunsky, 1899.

20. Experiments with windmills, by Thomas O. Perry, 1899.

21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett, 1899.

22. Sewage irrigation, Part II, by George W. Rafter, 1899.

23. Water-right problems in the Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead, 1899.

24. Water resources of the State of New York, Part I, by George W. Rafter, 1899.

25. Water resources of the State of New York, Part II, by George W. Rafter, 1899.

26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Frank Leverett, 1899.

27. Operations at river stations, 1898, Part I, 1899.

28. Operations at river stations, 1898, Part II, 1899.

29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by Erwin Hinckley Barbour, 1899.

30. Water resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, by Alfred C. Lane, 1899.

31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by Alfred C. Lane, 1899.

32. Water resources of Puerto Rico, by H. M. Wilson, 1900.

33. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott, 1900.

In addition to the above, there are in various stages of preparation other papers 

relating to the measurement of streams, the storage of water, the amount available 

from underground sources, the efficiency of windmills, the cost of pumping, and 

other details relating to the methods of utilizing the water resources of the country. Provision has been made for printing these by the following clause in the 

sundry civil act making appropriations for the year 1896-97:

Provided, That hereafter the reports of the Geological Survey in relation to the 

gaging of streams and to the methods of utilizing the water resources may be 

printed in octavo form, not to exceed 100 pages in length and 5,000 copies in number; 1,000 copies of which shall be for the official use of the Geological Survey, 

1,500 copies shall be delivered to the Senate, and 2,500 copies shall be delivered to 

the House of Representatives, for distribution. [Approved June 11,1896; Stat. L., 

vol. 29, p. 453.]

The maximum number of copies available for the use of the Geological Survey 

is 1,000. This number falls far short of the demand, so that it is impossible to 

supply all requests. Attempts are made to send these pamphlets to persons who 

have rendered assistance in their preparation through replies to schedules or who 

have furnished data. Requests specifying a certain paper and stating a reason for 

asking for it are granted whenever practicable, but it is impossible to comply 

with general requests, such as to have all of the series sent indiscriminately. 

Application for these papers should be made either to Members of Congress or to 

THE DIRECTOR,

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 

IRR 33 Washington, D. Cf

\