Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-10-13
WATER STORAGE.

The matter of water storage is rapid ly becoming q matter that will soon lead all public enterprises in the Ter ritory. The people of Arizona seem to be just awakening to the fact that enough rain falls on her mountains, foothills and plains to irrigate every foot of her arabic lands were the water properly stored and distributed. The report of Humboldt, who was perhaps the earliest scientific explorer of this region of the American continent, des- cribes 1t as section of "excessive drainage" and this judgment has from time to time been reiterated, especial ly by the United States Geological Survey which, number of years ago, made a minute examination of the en- tire region of the southwest. These reports indicated exactly what should be done to secure the irrigation of our arabic lands; but that there has not been an earlier movement in the mat ter is owing undoubtedly to the opinion which prevailed, till recently, that the soil was unproductive, or rather to ig- liorance of its astonishing capacity to produce when properly irrigated. This point has now been thoroughly and widely demonstrate by several years of practical experiment., in fact 1t has long since ceased to be an ex- pertinent and thousands of families now draw luxurio IS income from the cultivation of the soil in this re- zion of excessive drainage" Arizona IS in fact to-day what the states of the Mississippi and Ohio basins are be- coming by the denudations If rests from that region of country and the consequent destruction of natures res ervolrs which results i'll the rapid Gis- appearance of water from the surface of the ground and enormous torrents in the streams for short periods of ! time. Arizona has not the benefit oi of general forest covering, her noun talns and great slopes are comparativ- | ely bare, her streams rush precipitous- | ly down to the sea. The work to be done to make the broad and wealth bearing acres of Arizona productive | Is to arrest these waters in the thous- ands of mountain gorges, which, cut l ly available points for its arrest and storage when it is desirable to store it.
 So far there is but one single in- stance of extensive water storage in Arizona, and that has proved most complete success, namely, the reser- voir of the Walnut Grove Storage Co.,, f situated in Yavapai county, and origi- nally intended to store water fer pla- cer mining purposes. This reservoir has capacity of three billion (3,000,- O00,O0O) gallons. The dam necessary to form this reservoir is 135 feet thick at bed rock, no feet high, 10 feet wide and 400 feet long on top. This dam, Of solid masonry, was constructed at cost of little over $400,000, and stores enough water to provide a constan
 flow, every day in the year, of 56Q0 miners inches and provide for evapor- ation, wastage, etc. The dam was fill ed to its utmost capacity the first wet season after its construction, and it's waters are now available. The stream upon whichit is constructed, the head waters of the Hassayampa, is a sma l creek which sinks on the plains i'm
 medlately after leaving the mountains. Of such streams there are thousand s throughout the Territory, and on them are ample economical opportunities for water storage. Indeed, it would be possible to store the entire catch ment of considerable areas of country by a series of dams, and the water made available for use as needed. This IS the great problem of the southwest ern country to-day, and one upon which capital will immediately begin work, and one too, which is a legitimate and imperative subject fer the immediate consideration of con- gress, when the fact is considered that to-day there is practically no govern ment land available for the small farm CT in the entire southwest, south of Idaho and Wyoming.-Phenix Herald