Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1904-07-27
WATER FOR INDIANS.
The Und9rflOW in GiIa River Is
 Abundant for Irrigation.

halI6y, ArlZOna, nave been recently
 investigated by Mir. Willis T. Lee, of
 rhe United States Geological Survey.
 The object of the investigation was to | ascertain tho amount of water avail able for irrigating the lands of the
 Indians in this valley. The greater
 part of the valley is included in the
 Pima Indian Reservation on which
 there are about ', ,S7O Indians. They hre an intelligent, industrious people
 and until 1890 they were prosperous.
 From time immemorial their irriga-
 tion canals had been supplied with
 water from the GilG, but since 1890
 the diversion of the Gila waters above
 the reservation by white settlers has
 caused a shortage of water. The re-
 suit is that the area of lands cultiva-
 ted by the Indians has decreased from
 II, GOO to 1000 acres and the Pimas
 and Maricopas of this valley are now
 impoverished.
 To find remedy for this shortage
 of surface waters MT. Lee has care
 fully studied the geographic relations
 and geologic conditions of the Gila
 Valley. He finds evidence that there
 is an amount of underground water in
 this region sufficient to saturate the valley soil and still give an overflow of 20O0 inches. This water Els proba-
 bly, due to the junction of three under
 lows-those of Gila, Santa Cruz and Salt rivers. These are fed from at least three souTces-rainfall in the valley, springs from the hiilsides, and various streams that ent CT the valley from the hills, the most important of which is the Gila itself. The quantity of waters held in the gravels at any one time within easy reach of pumps is estimated at from 1,120, GOO to 1860, GOO acre feet It is calculated that 40, QUO acre feet of water year will supply all the present needs of the Indians on the reservation. If the computations are correct, there is now accessible enough water to sup ply the Indians for at least twenty eight years. The chemical character of these waters of the underflow is fortunately favorable to their use in irrigation.
 Two means of making this water available for irrigation are in use, seepage ditches and pumping plants. Where seepage ditches have been tried the results are disappointing. The quantity of water actually obtained falls far short of expectations; the cost of constructing and maintaining a deep ditch in the loose gravels and is large compared with the amount of water obtained, and at best | only the uppermost part of the under flow is penetrated. On the other hand, Mir. Lee believes that sufficient | water can be drawn from the under flow of the Gila Valley by means of to supply the needs of the Indians and also materially to extend l the cultivated area without exhaust | ing the available water supply. He estimates that ten plants of capacity similar to that of the one now under at Sacaton will supply the required 10, eco acre feet year and allow 36 per cent. of the time for stoppage and repairs. Taking the cost of the pumping plants in the Salt River Valley as a criterion, MT. Lee shows that money spent in the con of such plants will be safely and profitably invested.
 One of the most interesting chapters of MT. Lees paper is that on the economic conditions of the Indians. Though peaceful, honest, and indus trious, they are lacking in executive ability. They are, however, easily and are prosperous when wisely directed. When left to their own devices, they do not properly ap- preciate or utilize their advantages. | At the western half of the reservation | their most imperative need is adequate | Their needs at the east ern half are, first, water supply; | second, supervision. It is MT. Lees opinion that water supply without would be unwise.
 MT. Lees report IS published as Water Supply and Irrigation Paper Mo-. 104 of the Surveys series. It may be obtained free of charge on applica- tion to the Director of the United | States Geological Survey, Washington, D c.
 ONE TuOITSANn ACPES