Weekly Phoenix herald., 1884-10-30
photographic survey of Arizo ma

catcEment area for the purpose o.
their improvement and better utIli'
, cation can hardly be estimated. i
| is matter which should at once be
taken in hand by the general gov
ernment, and a corps of engineer:
put at work with the least possible
delay. This matter should receive
the attention of our Delegate to Con-
gTess aud by him be pushed so that
the Territorial water courses, The
Little and Great Colorado, Verde
Salt, ella and Santa Cruz, together
with their tributaries, could bt
mapped, showing those items of
interest to parties desiring to reclaim
the arabic soil adjacent to those
streams, i. e. the area, rainfall, posi-
BILE sites of reservoirs and other data
which seem of general interest
These streams, with the exception
of the Colorado, are entirely IN
available for navigation purposes
and can be utilized for the reclama>
ton of the at present arid wastes Of
of our Territory. Ii has long been
the wise custom of Congress to
/ make large appropriations for the
improvement of navigable streams
within the United States, and this
proposition cannot be regarded as
entire novelty, as by authority Of
the act of Congress, approved March
| Sd 1878, commission composed of
! Lieut. Col. B. S. Alexander, Mai.
George Mtndell, of the L. S. En-
gineer Corps. and Professor George
Davidson, of the Coast Survey, were
| organized for an examination of the
San Joaquin, Iulare and Sacra-
mento valleys of California. They
made extended typographical rccone
noissances, and a report Of their
labor can he found in the Depart
ment of Agriculture tor 1874. The
more important of their conclusions
were as follows: That experience
of other countries shows that irrlga-
tion works can be most efectuslly
carried on by The government. State
and National governments should
at once combine their efforts to
inaugurate this enterprise by an
instrumental survey to ascertain
W bat lands ale irrigable and at what
expense of construction, the amount
of water that can be furnished each
tract of land, the best methods of
delivery, probable cost, etc. All ac>
cesslble Information from foreign |
irrigation systems should be collect
ed and disseminated. A system of |
uniform laws and regulations should |
be established. Land and water |
should be inseperably united. Also
other suggestions of less Importance.
The greater need of our Territory
should urge our Delegate to early
and persistent action to secure gov
ernmental aid in this direction. Our
Territorial Legislature should me-
morialize Congress, and there should
be petitions sent from every inter
ested neighborhood, that beginning
can be had with this session of Con-
gress by appropriations for surveys.
Since the time of the Pharoahs of
Egypt, works Of irrigation have re-
ceived the consideration of the gov.
eminent. About 1900 years B. c..
what is known as Lake Morris was
connected with the Nile, and partly
by natural depression and partly by
embankment, lake of Ala miles in
circumference and more than 300
feet in depth was secured by divers
sion of the food waters of the Nile,
thereby securing safety from foods
and an immense storage of water for
irrigation purposes. While it Is not
TO be expected that such work
could be rivaled, yet there are many
places upon the Salt river, Verde,
Tonic creek and ella river that
could be utilized for the purpose of
stoia of the food waters of winter
for irrigation during the summer
months. In India the British gov
eminent have constructed so many
new canals and repaired ancient
works hat the wheat market of the
world has felt its Influence. As
ample Of their extent, TAKE tire
Gauges canal, 10 fee deep anG 170
f.eJ wide, carrying 1000 cubic feet
oG water per second, ard would have {
cost N the United States Al least
s 100 goo 900 to build, is worthy Of
mention. IN Italy the canals are
chi'f fly owned by The government
and: employ on an aggregate flow
"a eco cubic feet of water per eec> ;
end, tor The irrigation of 100000
acres of land. Prominent among
hem is The Great Cavern canal, 90
miles long, 131 feet wide on the
bottom and six feet deep. When
our Territory has such works there
will indeed begin q season of pros
pcrity. In southern California the
storage of water is receiving atteu-
ton SIS ii has long received in the
northern part of the State. One in~
stance is the Bear Valley Water
Company of San Bernardino county
their dam is to be 70 feet high ard
will max Il lake one Ivy five miles
with an average depth of 10 feet and
calculated TO furnish 600 inches of
water for irrigation during he sum-
mer months; its Importance VIII be