Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-04-18
AN ARTIFICIAL LAKE.
The Latest Improvement at Harris
Ranch.

Doubtless Arizona is the garden O
the world where irrigated, and that it i
not more cultivated may be matter fol
regret, though the cause is continually
growing less and less. Men of vim and
pluck are making the latent possibili
ties Of the fertile tracts and seasons OF
rain combine, together with the un
equalled climate, for the production OF
the finest crops, almost without for re-
gard season, the year around finding Ari
zona's crops growing equally luxuriant
whether in June OF January.
The "model ranch" Of VIM. Hart, TWEEN
ty miles up the Santa Cruz, Is but an ex.
ample of what Arizona can do in re-
gard of fruit rsising and general agricult-
ure. Mr.. Hart's experiments Of irrigat-
ing with steam power a tract of 1000
cultivated acres is being keenly watched,
and though always deemed practicable,
the raising water by pumps for cultiva-
Ting purposes is yet but experimental,
So far as 1t becomes a paying PROPOSE
tion Mr.. Hart is by no means yet sat
ished. His pumps are doing the required
work, not only practically, but theorati-
cally. Their usefulness after July or
August next will be only supplementary,
however, as Mr.. Hart, on the usual scale
OF his workings, proposes doing his irri.
eating without the trouble of running
the pumps.
A visit to the ranch now would show
ID the valley a mile above the ranch
buildings, teams to the number of twen-
ty, divided into gangs Of three each.
One might almost imagine from the
work they are doing that they are lay
ing out series of circus rings for the
very late Barnum at regular intervals
of about 100 feet each Three teams in
circle go round and round, depositing
on one side a scraper Of earth at each
round, which is beginning to assume
the shape of O huge rampant Of earth 80
feet wide at the base, and sloping for
the height of II feet, "capping off" on
all almost exact level for the length of
the work done. The amount Of earth
turned up is astonishing and at the
present rate of progress, two weeks will
1ind the dan Of 1450 feet wide complete
and IN readiness for the rains OF the
summer season. 1t will back
water for mile, and will
make pretty decent lake
when complete, containing anywhere
from 500,O0O,0O0 to 1,OO0,OO0,OOO gallons
as its depth may vary according to
the amount remaining, continually dim
inlshing as the season grows later.
The question az to whether the soil
is OF such porous nature as to render
the feasibility of the project doubtful
was one OF the first considerations, and
all doubts on that regard were removed
before 2 feet of the ground had been turn
ed up. 1t is on heavy compact bed, and
the loss will be greater from evapora-
ton than from absorption. There will
be but one hea0gate, OF iron, which will
be OF tremendous capacity, being cap
able OF turning four feet of water at the
depth of II feet into a ditch leading to
the storage reservoir 200 feet square, the
distributing point Of the whole ranch.
The water stored will not come from
the Santa Cruz, but from small can
yon flowing from the Santa Ritas, be-
tween what are known as Neff's canyon
and Proctor's canyon. This will take
water from six rains on the mountain to
one in the valley, and will flow stream
that will fill the reservoir ii two hours.
The overflow will be back of the reser-
voir, and empty into the Santa Cruz
valley, to the east of which the reservoir
lies. Thus all danger from
floods is to be avoided, as the Santa
Cruz cannot reach it, and the stream it
self cannot overflow it. To make double
protection a levee will also be built
for the safety of the ranch. Willows are
to be planted on the banks to solidify the
whole, and Mr.. Hart will begin watering
his 1000 acres after ugust with only the
labor of opening the headgate Of his
splendid undertaking.