Arizona republican., 1902-10-03
WATER STORAGE PLAN
Continued From First Page.)

in the reservoir, the pOrpon 10 Wnicn . CT ch land owner would be entitled of the entire years supply stored in the reservoir would be a fixed proportion oe the entire amount stored, in propor- ton to his acreage shares, and this amount would be held in the reservoir for him to be drawn out whenever he desired up to the end of the reservoir year. subject to the general plan of distribution adopted by each local canal system respectively, but it could not be carried over to another reservoir year. and if not drawn out before the end of the reservoir year. it would go over into the next years supply and be re- epportioned.
 It should be borne in mind that the national irrigation act contains the following clause:
 That nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting or intended to affect or to in any way interfere with the laws of any state or territory re- lsting to the control, appropriation. use or distribution of water used in irri- gation. or any vested right acquired hereunder, and the secretary of the in- terior in carrying out the provisions of
  with such laws
 The foundation of the whole structure upon which the national reservoir and all rights to water from 1t and every detail of the plan of distribution of that water is that under no circumstances that can arise shall there ever be any interference in any way with any vest ed right to water from the Salt or Verde rivers. All such rights will be protected by the laws of the territory and of the national government, and the plan we propose does not contem- plate any surrender or modification of any of those rights. They will continue to exist just as though no reservoir was contemplated or built We think however, that it would be desirable that all such rights should be adjudicated at as early a date as may be feasible or practicable. It is not necessary. however. in our judgment that this should be done as condition prece- dent to the construction of the reservoir or before its construction should be authorized and begun by the govern ment.
 It must be further borne in mind and the fact should never he lost sight of that the national irrigation act further provides tba:.
 Nc right to the use of water for land in private ownership shall be sold for a tract exceeding 160 acres to any one land owner, and no such sale shall be made to any land owner unless he be an actual bona fide resident on such land or occupant thereof residing in the neighborhood of such land and no such right shall permanently attach until all payments thereof are made"
 No. land owner will be able to ac- | Guire a grant of reservoir right from the government unless he shall before the completion of the reservoir have | brought himself clearly within the let ter and spirit of the act in these par | ticulars and this will necessitate the subdivision before the completion of the reservoir of much of the land in the valley into 160-acre tracts where now held in larger tracts
 After a full considera ton of the mat ter we have decided that it will be for the best interests of the people of the Salt River valley to recommend the construction of the reservoir with a capacity of one million. four hundred and seventy-eight thousand, seven hun i dred and fifty Q.47S.75O acre feet. the approximate estimate of the cost of the same being s2,549, ,231.
 | CThen follows a description of the water district)
 It is further resolved that a water users association should now be or ganized, and that subscriptions should | be opened for shares of stock therein. +l, trict to be entitled to subscribe for one share of stock for each acre of his land. each subscription for such share of stock to embody an application for and an agreement to take a reservoir right Tor the same acreage or such portion thereof as may be authorized by the secretary of the interior
 It is further resolved that it is the sense of this committee that the lands; now under cultivation should be given the first opportunity to secure reservoir rights and that reservoir rights should be allotted only to holders of shares in | the said water users associa tion, and this committee believes that under q system of water storage. in view of the water supply records of the Verde and Salt rivers as prepared by the united states geological survey and the court water commissioner of Mari copa county, that it would be unwise | to attempt to cultivate more than 2OO.- 1 OOO acres With the entire known avail able water supply-this supply includ- i ing the natural appropriated flow of the Salt and Verde rivers. the flood waters | to be stored, and water to be pumped by the power developed at the Salt rlVer reservoir. it being estimated that the amount so pumped will approxi- mate supply of not less than sufficient to irrigate 10000 acres
 It is further resolved that the fore going resolutions be presented to the | secretary of the interior as the earnest i recommendation of this committee. It must be understood that all the recommendations contained in this re- 1 port and embodied in the plan proposed are subject to any modification which should be advised by the secretary of the interior under the authority given him by the national irrigation act. and that we can do no more than recom- mend to him what in our judgment is