Arizona republican., 1908-04-01

removed at a considerable expenditure
 of time and money.
 Leading from either end of the dam will be main canals; that on the north
 side with capacity for carrying so.oOC miners inches-20OO second-feet. and
 and that on the south bank of about
 half that capacity. These will be the feeders to other canals along lower levels, ending in comprehensive sys-
 tenn of laterals or main ditches,
 stretching out for miles and carrying the water to the corner of each tract of land, there to be taken out for i beneficial use. On the north side the work is now progressing on the canal ! distributing system. all the old canals l having been acquired by the govern
 ment as d part of the general project. The Arizona, which is the feeder for all the others, Is now being widened
 and deepened to nearly three times it's
 former capacity. And here just a word about a combined plan for utility as well as pleasure The south bank of this and other main canals on the north SlQt Dl Illt TlNtT VIII De lIlt !, bank and will be strengthened by hay
 ing most of the earth thrown upon it. ! to be levelled into a driveway. This will serve two purposes-as a means of keeping the canal bank packed Solidly and at the same time free from growth which might in time weaken or undermine it. and also as conven- lent road for business or pleasure driving. No doubt the same plan will
 be followed with the south side canals. only in those cases the strengthened bank will be the opposite bank, or the one on the side nearer the river. In all cases there will be thus established a series of beautiful drives connecting or intersecting the public roads or boulevards which may be established throughout the valley.
 From a point near Scottsdale. down past Hole in- the Rock will be dug a crosscut canal to drop part of the to supply the merged, Grand and Ap- propriators canals. Then in one canal, with an average width on the bottom of thirty -four feet and a capacity of 500 second feet, or 24,0O0 inches, run with as few curves and turns as the grade and contour of the country will permit. this stream win supply the land lying between the Grand canal and the river. From this canal will run main laterals on the section lines and perhaps ultimately on the quarter section lines, as large holdings are df- vided into smaller tracts for the fast coming home seekers. The supply ditches will be run on the west side of the roads, or along the east border of the land to be watered, while on the opposite side of the roads will be waste ditches designed to gather any overflow from the flooded land of the section to the eastward and return it through proper channels into lateral or canal below. Contrast this with the old method of sometimes as many as six parallel ditches running to as many pieces of land. and the whole road used as wasteway for the over flow from carelessly irrigated lands.
 About four miles west of Phoenix. branch from the Grand will drop to the present west end of the Salt canal, which will be continued as main canal from that point westward The east end of the Salt. including that part which cuts diagonally across the
 main streets of Phoenix. will be use less as an irrigating medium under the new system and will no doubt be filled in solidly to the level of the land through which it passes. The Mari copa canal will also have outlived its usefulness and with the operation of the new system will be thing of the past
 For economy in the distribution of water and to effect large saving in the cost of maintenance, all the main laterals will In due time be lined with cement and concrete headings will be set at the various openings. This will put an end to the securing of water or interfering with it's flow by tampering with the headgates. Eventually it is hoped that all distributing ditches or individual tracts will be cemented. AL ready there has been made a beginning in this work by few enterprtsing ranchers. When it is more generally understood at what a reasonable cost the work may be done, there Is no doubt that this example will be almost universally followed by farmers throughout the valley. The engineers of the Reclamation Service are willing to give their counsel and cooperation in laying out the ditches. The farmer has the teams to haul sand and stone. which may be had in any quantity for the cost of time and labor expended in going after them. No skilled labor is required for the mixing and placing. so that the only thing for which there need be any actual outlay of money is for the few sacks of cement. To the man with 2 quarter section. the necessary outlay may seem large. but when it comes down to q forty or twenty acre tract. the cost is incon- siderable compared with the benefits derived. The mere saving in the cost of ditch cleaning. or rather the doing away with the necessity for such cleaning. would soon repay the original cost of the work. This does not take