The Florence tribune., 1900-08-18
SAN CARLOS RESERVOIR. Delegate Wilson's Bill for Its Con-
 struction.
Now in the Committee on Irrigation in the
 House of Representatives.

A bill to authorize the construction of reservoir near San Carlos, Arizona, to provide water for irrigating Sacaton Reservation, and for other purposes.
 Whereas the Indians located upon the Sacaton Reservation have, since time immemorial, supported themselves by agriculture through utilizing for irrigation the waters of Gila River; and
 Whereas these Indians have at all times been friends of the whites as against the attacks of the Apaches, and through this fact the whites have been encouraged to settle near the reservation and utilize the waters of Gila River; and
 Whereas the develop pment of irriga- ton along Gila River conseq uent upon the settlement of the public lands has diminished the flow in that stream until the Indians have been deprived of water and are forced to be come de- pendentupon the charity of the Govern ment for food and
 Whereas this deplorable condition has existed for number of years and has been called to the attention of the Indian Office from time to time, and as q result investigations have been made, preliminary report being published in Senate Document Numbered Twenty seven, Fifty-forth Congress, second session, and also in Water Supply and Irrigation Paper Numbered Thirty three of the United States Geological Survey; and
 Whereas the results of the investiga- ton show that water can be obtained in an economical manner only by means of storage reservoirs; and
 Whereas suitable locations for these have been found at number of places notably at the Buttes. Riverside, San Carlos and Guthrie, and also on Queen creek-and an examination of all these, and comparison of cost and benefits, shows that the san Carlos location is to be preferred; and
 Whereas the conclusions of the en- gineers and experts employed in the investigation are that masonry dam can be built at San Carlos, forming a reservoir of two hundred and forty thousand acre-feet capacity, and that the water supply is ample to fill such a reservoir in years of minimum flow, and that the volume of storage will irrigate at least one hundred thou sand acres in addition to the irrigation of the lands of the Indians; also that it is feasible to increase the height at least seventy feet. forming reservoir whose ultimate ca pacity would be ap- proximately five hundred and fifty thousand acre-feet; and
 Whereas by the construction of such 8 dam a portion of the lands on the San Carlos Reservation will be flooded ]; Therefore,
 Be it ensc cted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress as- sembled, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, au- thorized and directed to take the neces- sary steps to secure title to the Govern ment for the lands to be flooded or needed for the purpose of reservoir construction and for line of canal from the reservoir or reservoirs, and that any lands now the property of the United States needed for this purpose, or the value of which is affected, be segregated and removed from entry and settlement.
 Section 2. That for the purpose of sounding for bed rock at the founda- tions of the proposed San Carlos dam, for preparing detailed plans and esti- mates, and for beginning the eonstruc- tion of foundations and the completion of said dam or dams, the sum of one million dollars be appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior and that the said work shall begin as early as possi- ble, and shall be prosecuted to com pletion without delay.
 Section 3. That this Act take effect and be in force from and after it's passage