Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-03-10
GOVERNMENT BUYS
SAN FRANCISCO CANAL
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
HAS APPROVED CONTRACT.
Bartlett Heard Lands Will All Be
Signed to Water Users Association.

News has been received that the
secretary of the interior has approved
the contract for sale. entered into
by the reclamation service and the
San Francisco Canal company, for the
transfer of the ownership of the san
Francisco canal, it's branches and a
pumping plant location. To the United
States. The consideration is approx
mately S12.500. The definite figures
were not learned but the amount stated
is within a hundred dollars OF the
price. This is regarded as another very
desirable step in the development of
the Salt River project OF the reclama-
nation service. one that will be a bene-
fit to not only the lands under the ditch
system. but to the entire project.
The approval of the secretary makes
morally certain the signing of the con-
tract by both parties at an early day.
the incident marking the contamination
OF matter that has been in negotia-
ton for five years.
As most people know. the major
part of the lands served by the San
Francisco system are owned by the
Bartlett Heard Land & Cattle COM
pany. the system serving about 1900
acres. practically all Of which is Gull
tivated land 4 condition of the con-
tract is that all lands under the san
Francisco. not now signed to the Salt
River Valley Water Users association.
shall be signed at once.
The pumping plant referred to in
the purchase is on the Bartlett Heard
property but is not the old pumping
plant that the company has had in OPP
Grafton some years, but a rev one
about a mile and half north of the
old one. designed to serve only the
lands under the San Francisco, and to
the west of it. This plant has been
projected for long time and consider
able work has been done in its con-
struction.
The main canal of the system is two
and a half miles long, heading near the
Arizona Eastern railroad bridge across
the salt river at Tempe The branches
of the canal total about fourteen miles
and the system is in fine condition
requiring nothing in its use but an
occasional cleaning. as do all the ca
mails. That means that no remodelinG
! il necessary to make it an integral
/ mart OF the government system. More
over the division gates row in use are
I of concrete and practically of the de-
| sign used by the government in its con
struction work here.
This brings an added acreage OF 1900
| into the reservoir project. on the same
/ terms all other lands were received
with equal privileges in the storage
reservoir. Instead of being an added
drain on the reservoir as might DC
thoughtlesslv conceived by some. II Is
really the opposite. for the reason thai
/ the natural flow of the river TO which
these lands are entitled, plus the water
! To be developed by the pumping PAM
acquired. will water a larger acreage
than that brought into the association
bv this purchase. except of course II
an extreme drouth when there is ne
water i'm the river. The added lands al
course will do. their full part IN pay
! ing for project construction.
This is only one more step TOWARD
the final realization of the dream tina
was cherished in the beginning, name
~ the complete amalgamation of all II
rigation interests in the irrigation dis
trict in one large cooperating move
mont The old canals that supplied
the lands in the pre-reservor d'SS
are now all part of the goVerhmeD
system except a small part of the Utal
canal and the Tempe canal AMI con
| siderable area under that ditch Is nov
| signed up.