The times., 1898-12-12
A GREAT RESERVOIR.
An Arizona Plant That VIII Water
n MiIIion Acres.
From ihe Taeoma Ledger.l

from the Tacoma Ledger)
? The greatest storage reservoir In the
world Is TO be constructed in Arizona.
Full information about this great work
is contained in a report made by L. V.
Navarro. consul of the Mexican govern
ment at Phoenix, in which he says:
''It is estimated that enough water is
wasted from Salt River each winter to
amply irrigate i 090, coo acres in the Salt
River Valley throughout the year were
the water properly distributed. 1t Is pur-
posed to store these winter floods to be
drawn from needed during the sum-
mer months. by constructing a grand res
ervoir in the mountains some sixty miles
to the northeast of Phoenix The project
is Very feasible from an engineering
standpoint. AS it traverses the noun
tains on its way to the valley the Salt
River passes through great basin In the
mountains which has but one outIet-the
canyon of the Salt River.
'"Phe United States Government has
granted to the Hudson Reservoir and
Canal Company this basin. known as the
Tonic Basin, to be used as a storage res
ervoir. The company has completed all
its engineering work, and plans and
specifications for the dam have Just been
completed. 1t proposes to build a dam at
the head of the canyon, where the river
emerges from the basin. thus creating a
lake which will cover eighteen square
miles to depth of 100 to 200 feet It
will be necessary to build a dam 200 feet
| high and some 600 feet in length at the
| top, although the canyon is only 200 feet
wide for the first 100 feet from the bot
tom The Territory of Arizona has grant
ed the company the use of the channel of
the Salt River in which to convey the
water thus stored to the valley below.
| and the stored water will therefore be
| turned back into the channel as needed
and conveyed through the canyon for a
distance of thirty miles to the head of
the valley. where the first diverting dam
| is found
ITO construct this great storage reser-
| voir, which will be the largest in the
world, will cost, it is estimated. abo,rt
81, 100000. and the company is now activel,.
at work obtaining the necessary funds.
| 1t proposes to sell stored water to the ir-
rigating canal companies now doing busi-
ness in the valley. and it is said that these
| companies will be very willing thus to
augment the limited supply which they
| now have ready for sale to the farmers.
Some of the canal companies have al
| ready entered into such contracts with the
reservoir company. Farmers now pay for
water at the rate of S1.25 to s2.95 an acre
per annum, and the canal companies.
Wne' Trey reSin 10 fnrnlsh water from
| the reservoir. win charge the farmers m
/ additional 81 per acre in order to reim-
| Curse themselves for their outlay to the
reservoir company. 1t is said, however,
| that the farmers will be willing TO nay
| this additional price. as the increased
water supply will enable them to harves:
| double the amount of their present crops.
1t can be seen, therefore, that when this
| immense undertaking has been accom-
plished Arizona vii, have the greatest ir-
| rigation system in the world. and the har-
vest of farm products and fruits. already
| abundant, in the valley, will go toward
| making this one of the most prosperous
| regions on the globe"