Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-08-20

Zona's richest and most fertile farm
ing districts. Mr.. Russell is also OF
the opinion that there are in the
neighborhood of 10000 acres already
under irrigation. This includes all
the land under flood water ditch.
from the ella river. and is not con-
fined to the acreage which receives
water from the government wells,
the only lands in the reservation re
ceiving a constant supply of water re
gardless of the state % the ella.
The flow from the wells. which
measures go miners inches from
each of the seven completed. is in
tended to supplement the waters OF
large flood water ditch. running
back through the reservation for a
distance of six miles from the ella
river. The major part of the ditch
was put in in 1910. 1t has a capacity
Of 500 second feet, and a branch
ditch four miles in length has been
added to make the distribution of
flood water more perfect. 1t is com
paratively rare. however. that enough
water is found in the big ditch to
irrigate the lands, and it is the flow
from the wells alone that makes it
practicable to cultivate the aGricul-
tural portion of the reservation.
The government first began the
construction of the wells on the ella
reservation in 1905. when the Indians
appealed To Washington for assist
ance. After careful investigation the
engineers of the Reclamation Service
learned that the Indians had been
deprived of their water rights by set
tiers farther up the river, whose de-
mands on the stream were such as
t. make it impossible To irrigate
lower down on the reservation. Had
the original settlers, the Indians,
whose rights were certainly prior To
all others, gone through the prescrib-
ed legal processes To insure them
selves in the possession of their wat
er rights, no such difficulty would
have been presented.
Examination OF the land at that
time disclosed the fact that there
was a large portion Of it which could
never be profitably farmed, because
Of the presence of quantities of
gregating several hundred thousand
acres, however. seemed, after ev-
cry test to offer "a rich field for
irrigation. only second, perhaps, to
the lands north in the Salt river
valley There was no convenient
reservoir site available. and to over
come this difficulty and furnish a
constant supply of water, it was de-
cided to put down chain of ten
wells. which would be sufficient for
the irrigation of approximately TO-
600 acres. This. it was thought,
would be sufficient for the present
needs of the Indians, and at the same
time would furnish the government
accurate knowledge Of the applica-
bility Of such a system to the lands
OF the ella reservation.
Work on the wells was begun IN
1908. and there are at present seven
Of them completed. with three more
well under way. They have been put
in at an approximate cost of $4,000
each. although the cost varies great
" in proportion to the character or
the soil. and the depth which must
be reached to obtain an adequate flow
of water. One well is sufficient to
irrigate 1000 acres, according to the
estimates of the Reclamation Ser
vice and when the last of the ten
wells is put In operation the reser-
ton will have 10000 acres under an
irrigation system. which, it is believed,
from the results attending the use
of waters from the seven wells al
ready completed. will scarcely he
second to the irrigation system now
I'm use in the Sal: river valley.
Power for the operation Of the
pumps is brought to the reservation
from the Roosevelt dam, and the In
dians are given the well system. and
all improvements connected with it.
under condition that they pay their
share of producing the power used
in operating their wells. This ar
rangement has met with decided ap-
prevail, although n number OF the
Indians. now that the last OF the
wells will soon be completed, are sus-
picious of the governments intention
in making the necessary allotment
of the reservation lands. Discont-
ent, although not Of dangerous
character, has been manifested, many
Of them preferring to keep their orig
inal acreage. rather than accept
ten acres of the land under wells
which it is rumored is the plan for
the allotment of the irrigated sec
ton. but ii is believed that within
few months the trouble will dis
appear. and the Indians regain their
confidence. as the already well-proN =
ed success of the well irrigation Is
presented to them. The Pimas and
Maricopas are among the least ag-
gressive of the Indian tribes. AND
There is no doubt that they VIII b'
amerahIe to the convincing argument
presented nv their own lands wher
they see them bearing such crop'
as could not he rroduced. II il w"r'
moi for tho activities Of the Tinted
states government. and the Recla'
nation Service.
After n fortv-mile auto drive from
Phoenix. south to Sacaton. the Preer
treeS surrounding the Indian SchOO