Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-16
THE SUNSET DITCH.

y reservoir enterprise seems to have
been carried to a very successful issue
near Winslow, Arizona on private
capital and regarding it the Winslow
Mail offers the following interesting
remarks:
The site of the Sunset Ditch company
is on the north side of the Little Colo
RADIO river and will contain about 4SO
acres of land. when fully developed.
The levee under construction at the
present time will cover $50 acres to an
average depth of five feet
The site is below the level of the
river and is to be fed by a ditch tap
ping the river some two miles above.
1t is a cheap, but safe, proposition, ma
ture having performed the major part
of the labor. The only thing left for
man to do was to cut a ditch, put in
a headgate and raise one side of the
reservoir by a levee. This is now be-
ing done by the Sunset Ditch company
in substantial manner and will be
completed before the holidays.
According to the estimate of County
Surveyor Frost, who has had consider
able experience in such work, the pres
ent levee, which is to be about seven
feet high in the lowest places will give
an average depth of five feet of water
over $50 acres of land. This amount
of water, in conjunction with what can
be used in the early part of the season
from the river direct will give three
feet of water for irrigable purposes to
1000 acres, which is more than suffi-
cient to insure a good crop. Every foot
added to the height of the levee will
increase the depth of the water a foot
The level of the reservoir is twelve feet
below the river where the ditch taps it.
So that the area of the reservoir can
be nearly doubled as we'll as the depth
of water, by raising the levee, which
can be done at nominal cost, in COM
parison to the land to be reclaimed.
1t must be remembered that this sys-
tenn is not dependent entirely upon the
fall of snow during the winter or the
summer rains, but is fed from living
waters. In addition to this, the Little
Colorado drains a big scope of coun-
try, between st. Joseph, which is the
nearest point above on the river from
which water is taken, which insures a
big flow of water in the spring and
later during the rainy season.
The land lying between the reservoir
and the river and that below the reser-
voir is comparatively free from alkali,
is a rich sandy loan, on which vege-
! tables. fruits. small grain and any of
the hay grasses would certainly do
we'll
The promoters of this worthy enter
prise. looked the ground over, saw the
natural advantages for a storage res
ervoir, and without any flourish of
trumpets or vain boasting, went quiet
ly to work, and are backing their judg-
ment with their money. That the en-
terprise will be q pronounced success
there is no question. The reservoir has
been tested, and that it will hold water
clearly demonstrated. That the reser-
voir, even when enlarged to its utmost
capacity, can be filled and kept full is
a certainty beyond peradventure. The
advantages this enterprise will be 20
Winslow are almost incalculable. it
will demonstrate the fact that the soil
will hold water-that the land will pro-
duce when water is put upon it. That
water for irrigation can be had in
abundance. That the country abounds
in reservoir sites which can be utilized
at a small cost in comparison to the
| advantages to be derived. The eX-
ample of these gentlemen ought to be
an object lesson to others OF our citi-
zens. 1t shows what can be accomp-
lished by small capital in united ac-
| ton.