Arizona republican., 1911-01-11
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
The Glorious Rain

signs OF ram were never more
scarce. apparently, than on Monday
morning when readers of The Repub-
lican learned that the weather bu-
reau at Washington had predicted on
Sunday that heavy precipitation
would be caused in California and
Arizona for three days, commenc-
ing on Monday. by a cold wave which
was sweeping down from Alaska In
this territory the air was dry and
warm, and the sky almost cloudless.
But the weather sharps made good.
About noon black line of clouds
had shown up on the western hori-
ION, and was just observable from
Phoenix. BY shutdown the sky was
overcast, and an occasional drop of
rain was felt The temperature
continued warm, and there was a
good outlook for rain. BY nine o.
clock there was a very mild driz-
zle. which ceased from time to time
thereafter, and by midnight it had
begun 10 ram III earnest
And it was-and is-a rain OF the
old fashioned sort. 1t is the first
general rain of large proportions
that has fallen in Arizona for a
year. The whole territory has re-
ceived a thorough soaking.
The value of this rain in dollars
and cents cannot be computed. but
it is enormous. An abundance Of
feed on the ranges is assured. This
means wealth for the cattlemen and
the sheepmen. The owners Of live
stock on the ranges had a hard
time last year. Less than half the
normal Quantity Of rain fell any
where, and such rains as came were
mostly local in character. Such
general rains as visited the territory
were exceedingly light
The Salt River valley. however,
thanks to the great storage reservoir
at Roosevelt, did not suffer from
the drouth. The valley went into
the season with a reserve Of water
TO the amount of two hundred thou
sand acre feet in the reservoir This
was but one-seventh of the reser-
vior's capacity, to be sure-it having
been impossible to impound more
water, the progress OF construction
having prevented a greater storage
but the comparatively small quantity
stored was sufficient to give album
dant crops to the valley, nOtwith-
standing the extremely light rainfall
on the watershed.
This rain will undoubtedly result
in a considerable runOff into the res
ervOir, and the local office of the
weather service freely predicts that
the reservoir will be filled before the
season for winter and spring rains
has passed.
AS already pointed out, a year Of
prosperity for stockmen is already
assured, and the outlook for ranch
ers is better than ever before. In
former years the ranchers We're fore
ed to see the runoff from great
rains wasted i'm floods which went to
the sea. This year, for the first
time, we have a reservoir-the fin
est i'm the world-ready to catch the
floods The drainage area tribu
tary TO the reservoir covers more
than six thousand square miles. and
all Of this drainage area is in the
high mountains Before this rain
came the snow was six inches deep
on the higher ranges of the White
mountains, and il is certain that
the precipitation, in either rain OF
snow, has been sufficient from this
storm to provide a heavy supply for
the reservoir which will reach i'll
sooner or later. The reservoir once
full, the Salt River valley would
easily have in reserve enough water
to supply all the needs of the ranch
ers for at least two years, quite apart
from additional rains; so that it is
well for the fact TO be kept in mind
that a full reservoir" is by no
means necessary for an abundant
supply of water during this year.
That supply, we believe. is already
in sight.
And maybe our merchants and real
estate men. as well as the ranchers,
are not happy!