Arizona republican., 1904-07-24
The Water Question In the dIIa Valley

Official investigations by the geologi cal survey have demonstrated, appar- ently, that the underground water available is sufficient for the irrigation of the Pima Indian reservation. A statement just issued by the survey embodies the conclusions reached by MT. Willis T. Lee after an exhaustive lures of the Gila valley between Flor ence and the lower end of the reserva- tion.
 A modern pumping plant was install ed at the Sacaton agency last year and is working satisfactorily. MT. Lee finds that on the reservation there is an amount of underground water suf- ficient to saturate the valley soil and still give an overflow of 1000 inches. The only practical method of utilizing dismisses the idea that submerged dams and seepage ditches can do much good. This, indeed, is in harmony with the judgment of hydrographers gener- ally. Water travels so slowly under ground that no submerged dam will bring to the surface any appreclable volume. It is estimated that under the Pima reservation there is in the gray els within easy reach for pumping, a body of water equal to 1,120,000 acre feet or more. It is calculated that 40.- GOO acre-feet per annum will supply the needs of the Indians for irrigation. there being 1870 Indians on the reser- vation. It is calculated, therefore, that it would take 30 years to exhaust the underground supply, taking no note of the replerishing effect of rains in the future. MT. Lee estimates that ten plants of a capacity similar to the one now in operation at Sacaton would supply the required 40,OCO acre-feet a year and allow S6 per cent of the time for stoppage and repairs. Taking the cost of the pumping plants in the Salt River valley as a criterion, Mir. Lee shows that money invested in the con struction of such plants will be safely and profitably invested-that is, that the government could well afford to make the expenditure. It is his be- lief, however, that even with plenty of water the Indians must have compe- tent supervision in order to make their irrigation operations profitable. When left to their own devices they are not able to handle the water to the best ad- vantage.
 The function of the geological sur vey is merely advisory in the matter of providing water for the Indians The reclamation fund is not available for the purpose without congressional approval, and congress will have to decide whether the government shall make the necessary expenditure for the pumping plants proposed It is high iy desirable that these Indians be made self-suporting, ard in all probability the necessary steps to that end will have been taken within another year.
 The people of this territory will not, however, relax their efforts to obtain water storage for the middle valley of the Gila. The San Carlos reservoir site is splendid one, in many respects, and would irrigate at least 100000 acres The reeds of the Indians have given impetus to the movement for storage on the Gila, hitherto, but the proposition should be quite as attrac- tive to the government with the Indian problem eliminated. With the enor nous sum of 30 million dollars already In the reclamation fund and the cer- tainty that the yearly additions there to will amount to many millions more, there seems no reason why the San Carlos project should not be taken up at an early date.