The Arizona sentinel., 1888-02-25
TOLTEC CANAL.

0lSHG mll0S dDOV0 ASud Ndll0HOc Springs and in Maricopa county Itwas originally projected by Robert McPherson, of McPherson, in Los Angeles County, California, in connection with other persons, and ground was first broken early in the summer of 1887 In January of this year, a num- Der of wealthy gentlemen from the East acquired a controlling in terest in the canal, and succeeded in settling, by purchase, the few conflicting water rights ill the neighborhood. Since then, MT. McPhersOn and his associates have let go their interests, and the East srn parties have full sway.
 The general course of the canal is west, but in places trends slightly to the north, following the tOpOg- raphy of the country. From it's head, it nearly parallels the Gila river for a distance of four or five miles, and then moves gradually away, as the less fall of the canal gains elevation over the greater fall of the river, until, from a point a little west of Agua Caliente Springs, the canal commences and steadily continues to climb towards the mountains.
 The fall, for the entire distance, will be eighteen inches to the mile. The width will be thirty feet on the bottom, and the slope will vary from one foot to one, to two feet to one, according to the nature and consistency of the ground to be excavated. The length of the canal, when com pleted, will be nearly fifty miles.
 The land to be redeemed by this enterprise is magnificent in it's pro- portions, and cannot be surpassed in adaptability for the culture of a great variety of products, includ- ing all the cereals, vegetables and most valuable fruits.
 From Agua Caliente Springs west, the course of the canal gradu- ally takes it farther and farther away from the river, until it strikes the base of the Eagle Tail noun tains, along which it runs. This range of mountains parallels the Gila river, east and west, it's west ern end breaking off a few miles east of the Castle Dome mountains and leaving between the two ranges a large valley, known as the Castle Dome Valley. The canal crosses this valley and ends on the west line thereof. The average distance separating the Eagle Tail noun tains from the Gila river is fully six miles.
 Taking the Toltec Canal as the north boundary line, the Gila river for the south, and the length of the canal to be fifty miles, we have an area of over 25O square miles. This vast extent of country will be irrigated by the Toltec, Purdy and Mohawk Canals, all under rapid construction. The Toltec Canal will irrigate over 100000 acres. Its tributary country is not con- fined to bottom lands, but includes large areas of the mesas.
 eThe valley of the Gila is gener- ally composed of bottom land, made up of sedimentary deposits, mixed with vegetable mould, and table, or "mesa" land, the soil of which is made up of lighter sedi- mentary deposit, and less vegetable mould mixed with the fine debris brought down by attrition from the mountains. The table lands, as a rule, break off abruptly before reaching the river, leaving high precipitous banks. Between these banks and the river lie the so-called bottom lands, and the grade of some canals will not take their waters to an altitude sufficiently great to irrigate all the "mesas." On the contrary, from the Gila river to the Eagle Tail mountains the country has a gradual and al- most even slope, and the Toltec, Mohawk and Purdy Canals are, therefore, enabled to make tribu- tary both bottom and the higher table lands, thus irrigating a great variety of soils. The higher lands are warmer, and it is claimed that the soil thereof is better adapted for the raising of citrus and other fruits, particularly grapes.
 At point near Agua Caliente Springs, branch, eight feet wide on the bottom, will be taken from the main Toltec Canal, and carried on down as far as the head of the Purdy Canal, for the convenient irrigation of certain bottom land.
 Of the 100000 acres of land which will be redeemed by this canal, 90,000 acres lie in Yuma County and about 10000 acres in MaricOpa County.
 Contracts for the construction of the first twenty miles of the canal have been let, and a large force of men and teams has been at work since the first of January last. An additional force will be shortly put on, and, as the gentlemen who are carrying on this enterprise are pos sessed of ample means and first