The Arizona sentinel., 1904-05-11

eerS TOT me cOnSUfucllOl Ol tue Laguna dam and irrigation works and had allotted S3, GOO, GOO for the project.
 Contirmatory of the above, the following telegram was printed in the Los Angeles papers of Tuesday morning;
 Washington, D. C.. May 9. ]. B. LippiIcott, Supervising Engineer,
 Los Angeles, Cal.
 The secretary of the interior has ap= proved an allotment of $5,000,O0 for the construction of the 1uma project. Prosecute the work as recommended by the board of consulting engineers.
 F. H. NEW ELL,
 Chief Engineer.
 The importance of this decis- ion of the secretary is so great as to completely Overshadow and dwarf all other events in the history of this town and section. The future results of this great irrigation scheme are so mo- mentous-such changes, such development will follow as now to be incOnceivable. The lands to be irrigated lie on both the Arizona and California sides of the Colorado river and apprOxi- mate 100, ,000 acres of the most fertile section under the sun; where the climatic conditions permit of an almost limitless range of products and practical ly a continuous cropping and harvesting the year-round, The water supply, coming frcm the great Colorado river, is inex- hanstible.
 The Yuma Indian reservation, across the river from Yuma on the California side, Is included in the estimate, the last congress having provided for the allot- ment of the lands and thelr re- clamatiOn under the government act, each Indian to receive five acres, the remainder about 10, GOO to be thrown open to settlers under the homestead law. Presumably, the date of opening will be announced by proclamation of the president.
 The only conditions now re quired before contracts are let for the work are those imposed by the government uponthe land owners. There will be no delay from this source, as netenths if rot all of the land owners in the district are willing and anX- iOus to comply with the require ments as soon as given an op- iportunity. On this subject En gineer J. B. Lippincott, in ar interview in the Los Angeles Herald, says:
 ''While this allotment has been pro vided for by the department of the in terior from the reclamation fund, i will be absolutely essential for thC owners of private lands that will bt supplied under this project to cOmpl! with the requirements of the law tt the extent of entering into absolute contracts for the acceptance of the con ditiOns of this federal act, similar tC the plan that has been followed in tht Salt river valley near Phoenix. Eacl private land owner must enter int such a contract. giving his lard as SC curity for the refunding of thes moneys to the federal government without profit, interest or taxes bein; charged against the irrigator, in tel annual installments. All holders o land in excess of l60 acres will be ab solutely required to dispose of all thei excess holdings in order to Obtail water under the project.
 "These matters must be adjusted b. the local land owners through thei associations and will not be undertake by the secretary Of the interior. Thu it may be stated that while the engin eering portions of the work have bee outlined, plans accepted and an allot | ment of funds made, that it still re mains for the local land owners in thi 7 vicinity to finally accept the condition , required by the reclamation act ( June +, 1902, sometimes called the ns 1 tlOnal irrigation act.
 ? ''These local land owners have Ol ganiZed an association similar to tn ? Salt River Valley Water Users AsSC citation and express their intention comply with all these provisions.
 these matters can be satisfactorily al l ranged construction work on this pro
 iect probably can be commenced tn 5 fall. It will not be advisable to begi 3 this work in midsummer"
 2 The plans approved provid n for dam of rock and cement Q 8 Laguna point, IS miles up tn f river from Yuma: estimated COS I S900,000. The dam will create f reservoir of water ten miles
 length, 20 fleet deep, the Widt
 of the stream. Complete al Il engagements are provided for tai O linn nnrn nf tho silt. nnlV q ElIla1