Arizona republican., 1913-03-08
RICH VALLEY
 IF UPPER G|LA
Graham County AgI'icul- tural Section Described ill Graphic Detail in Recent Report of State Land { OnnISSlOn

Another wonderfully wealthy section of the state of Arizona from an agri- cultural standpoint is described in the report of the state land commission re- gently sent to the legislature This section is known as the Gila valley. and comprises that portion of the val ley that lies almost altogether in the county of Graham. The report reads:
 The Gila valley beginning at Solo monViile and extending northwest to the san Carlos Apache Indian reSerVa- i ton line at Geronimo, comprises one , of the richest and most highly culti- Vated sections of the state The low lying valley or river bottom lands are practically all in cultivation, being irri- gated by diversion canals taking their waters from the Gila. while a limited amount of the higher valley lands. stretching back to the mesas and foot hills skirting the Graham mountains. are watered by means of individual reservoirs designed to catch the noun tain floods, and by means of artesian wells
 This section produces practically every variety of farm crop known to the temperate zone though, as in other sections of southern Arizona. alfalfa is the chief product, Apples peaches
 and other varieties of deciduous fruits are most successfully raised. and it is likely that this industry. as the lands approaching the mountains are by di- Vers means brought under cultivation will increase materially
 At various points near the Graham mountains artesian water has been de- veloped. and at Artesia and Lebanon. west of SolomonvilIc considerable set dement's have grown up and many farms and orchards have sprung into existence as result of the discovery of dependable artesian flow It is believed that further exploration will demonstrate numerous other districts which may be brought under cultiva- ton by this means
 At a point, notably near Fort Thomas. irrigation by means of pump ing is being practced, and there are eyidcnces that the system will prove feasible for the growing of deciduous fruits. since both soil and climat" con , ditions are favorable and a good flow of water ie obtained within fifty feet ] of the surface
 "Thcr. are many thousands of fer 1 tile acres in the C;ila valley of Graham | county. too high to he reached by di- version canals - which moreover. would not have the necessary water and not susceptible so far aS known. 1 of practical irrigation from wells of any kind. that might be brought under ! cultivation hy means of high line l canal conveying water from a point | very much further mp the GiIa or one of it's tributaries. Several projects having this object in view have been and are being considered but nothing
 tangible has as vet been accomplished.
 one of these projects contemplatcs the
 construction of an immense storage
 dam: in the san Francisco riVer-an
 important tributary of the Gila-at or
 near Alma. New Mexico. Another is
 based upon the placing of q dam in
 the Gila at Guthrie, Grecnlee county
 by another it is proposed to store water
 at reservoir site near the confluence
 of Eagle creek with the Gila. and by
 still another at what iS known as "Thf
 Narrows." in the Gia river, short
 distance above Solomonvile. The
 
 known to the commission. though tho
 Guthrie site was examined by NIT. J
 $ Lippincott. of the United States Reclamation Service. and it's feasibil- > ity for reservoir purposes indicated. } Water Not Appurtenant to Land ! Several school sections lie within ! the most highly developed portion @ l Graham county. which, in common l with the similar lands surrounding them, have been brought by lessees t' an advanced state of cultivation Thes' ] | school sections are of course, covered { by stock in one or another of th various canals by which water is di 3 verted from the Gia. and are there ! fore receiving all the benefits bein1 { derived by any land in the valley Un ! doubtcdy, this stock and the water l. { which it gives a right. should foreVe l remain appurtenant to the school lam on which it is being used. and shOul ! be regarded, in the adjustment of tn ] respective rights of the state and tn { leSsces, as other improvements are re { garded to be paid for at a Valuatio { to be appraised. It was found, how } ever, that peculiar and unusual GUS ! tom with regard to the attachment c ! water to land prevails in this seCtio q "a custom which if permitted to con ! tinue so far the state is concerned might jeopardize the valuable scho' { lands in question and seriously affeC ] their worth for agricultural purpose { This custom is to transfer water stoc { from one tract to another at the wi ! of the owner, without consideration f. ! the land having prior right to the wa ! ter's use. or to sell it independently { the land and permit it's transfer } whereSoeVer the purchaser might S, { fit to place it. Continuance of til { practice is bound to result either
 } the abandonment of farming on lanC ! from which the water may be entire II removed. or in indifferent and unSu ! CeSSful farming on tracts reduced { the sale of portion of the water b, ! longing to it, to an insufficient alloy } ance At least one instance of tI ] latter sort. affecting a piece of scho Si property. was discoVered.'
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 IS LOS ANGELES PURE?
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