Arizona republican., 1890-07-20
A NEW CANAL.
AN ENTERPRISE OF 1MPORTANCE
 TO THE SOUTH SIDE.
4 Grand Waterway to Be Constructed, From Which the Canals of Mesa and Tempe are to Be Supplied.

For several weeks TIE REPURmCAN has been aware of the existence of a scheme whereby it was hoped to con solidate the heads of the various south side canals. Nothing, however, was said upon the subject, for the plans were not as yet complete.
 The projectors of the enterprise are the Detroit capitalists, D. M. Ferry and C. C. Bowen, who have made several trips to Arizona in connection with it.
 Here they have been represented by Dr. A. J. Chandler. Messrs. Bowen and Ferry return today to Detroit, after fully outlining their plans and approving the work already done, and TIE REPUBLICAN iS now authorized to present the matter in detail.
 For many years the Tempe, Utah and Mesa canals have experienced much difficulty in keeping their brush dams in the river secure and sufficiently tight to turn the waters of the stream. The Highland canal, newer waterway, la bOrs under much the same disadvan- tage. Last spring the farmers under the Tempe canal had their crops almost ruined through the breakage of their brush dam, not drop of water being in the ditch for several weeks, while q rushing torrent flowed by the headgate. Twenty thousand dollars is a small esti- mate of the damage done to growing grain, and nearly Sl0,00O were ex- pended in repairing dam and ditch.
 The consideration of this state of affairs long since led the grangers of the south side tO iervently hope that at some time rock dam might be thrown across Salt river, near Mcdowell Butte, and that the water might be delivered from a great head canal. This is precisely what Messrs. Ferry and Bowen and their associates purpose to bring to pass.
 Civil Engineer McGinnis has been quietly at work for months on behalf of the new company. He has traced up the river for miles, looking for an avail able damsite, and has found one quite to hls liking. It is located several hundred yards above the dam of the Arizona canal, short distance below the mouth of the Verde, between two points of red sandstone that project from opposite sides of the river, only 45O feet apart. Here will be placed a solid rock dam about thirty-fve feet in height.
 From thls will be taken at right angle. directly into the rock banks of the stream, monster canal, fifty feet in width on the bottom and six feet in depth, with q capacity of 5000 miners inches. The rock cut will be nearly two miles long, the canal then emerging on the open plain. The deepest excavation necessary will be thirty-siX feet. The total cost of dam and ditch will not be less than $5O0OOO.
 The canal will have an elevation of fourteen feet above the Highland, now the highest canal of the South side, and will irrigate about 10000 acres of land lying above that ditch.
 The new land to be reclaimed has had, however, but little attention given it. The main point is to supply the lower canals with water. This can be done proiitably by the new enterprise, while charging the older ditches less for the service than it now costs to maintain the dams and headgates. About 35,OOC inches of water are required and this of course can be more efficiently sup piled through clean canal than through broad river channel, with it's thirsty sands.
 Another grand item is the water power to be derived. There will be one drop of fourteen feet to the Highland canal, another of about twenty feet tC the Mesa canal, one of say fifteen feet tC the Utah canal and magnificent fall O.