The daily sentinel., 1908-01-21
CRAYD CANON IS MADE
A NATIONAL MONUMENT
President Roosevelt Signs Important
Proclamation Protecting the
Mighty Canon for All Time.

President Roosevelt has just
signed a proclamation making a ma
tional monument OF the grand canon
of Arizona, and another creating an
addition of 1,2SS.320 acres of land
to the Tonic national forest which is
located in Arizona.
The world famed Grand canon has
been a part of the Grand Canon ma
tional forest, and its establishment
as a national monument is made by
virtue of the act of June 8. 1906.
which provides that objects of sci
entific interest may be declared ma
tional monuments if such action is
deemed necessary for their preser-
vation and protection.
The president, speaking of the i'm
portance of protecting the Grand
canon as a national monument. says
in his proclamation: "It is an object
of unusual scientific interest, being
the greatest eroded canon within the
United States, and 1t appears that
the public interests would be pro-
NOTED by reserving it as a national
monument, with such other land as
is necessary for its proper protec-
ton"
II has long been realized that it
was highly desirable to have this
wonderful gorge made by the Colo
rado river set apart as a national
monument. This assures the area
of exclusion from all kinds of en-
try, and means that the government
will have pewor to prevent the mar
ring of the scenic beauty by insight
ly exploitation of any kind. The
area put in the national monument
constitutes approximately $3.50
Iat ,t,,t ~,
of the national monument, an effort
was made to draw the line approx
mately one mile back from the rim
of the canon.
The addition of 1.2SS.320 acres
to the Tonto national forest In Ari-
zona is situated in Maricopa. Gila
and Pinal counties. That part of
the addition which is situated on
the west side of the Tonic forest is
given national forest protection be-
cause It includes the watershed of
the Verde river above the proposed
Mcdowell reservoir site, which is To-
Gated on the Verde Just above its
junction with Salt river. 1t seems
probable that this Mcdowell reser-
voir will be built by the reclamation
service at some future time, and
when this project Is completed some
thing over 100000 acres of land will
be irrigated in the Salt river valley
in addition to the land that will be
assured of a uniform supply of water
by the great Salt River project at
Roosevelt.
The eastern portion of the addition
includes the headwaters of the Pinal
and Pinto creeks. Both of these
streams empt. into Salt river above
the Rooseve', dam. Their water
sheds have been damaged by over
grazing, mainly by goats. 1t Is of
the utmost importance that the wat
ersheds of these streams be protect
ed. They are already carrying large
quantities of silt into Salt river. and.
since they both empty near what will
be the upper end of the reservoir.
they could do enormous damage In
filling It with silt. The most south
ern portion of the addition, lying di-
rectly west of the Pinal Mountains
forest, which has now by this proc-
lamation been made part of the
Tonic national forest, protects the
watershed of Queen creek, the wat
ers of which the reclamation service
has determined 1t will one day be
desirable to impound.
The Pinal Mountains national for
est OF 1870 acres has been thrown
into the Tonto forest, giving an area
including the new addition of g.
i49,2S0 acres.