Arizona republican., 1914-03-07
Reclamation Fund Does Not Stretch to Cover Prelim- mary Charges, According to Statement in Interview With PhOenicians
HAYDEN AND HEARD
 VISIT COMMISSION
Arizonians Get Definite Un- derstanding With Powers That Be on Construction of Additional Storage Work for Valley
Special to The Republican,

| If the Water Users Association of the Salt River project furnishes the costs, there can be almost immediate action on the preliminary surveys for the Horseshoe dam on the Verde river, according to the reclamation commissions view, expressed to Rep resentative Carl Hayden and Dwight B. Heard of Arizona today Messrs. ! Hayden and Heard visited the com
 mission in it's offices here relative to the proposed additional storage project for the Salt River Valley. One of the most important things conveyed by the secretary of the in terior in his interview with MT. Heard was the fact that he believed there were no available funds for this eX- tra construction, but that the work could be accomplished. if there is no additional time required on the pay ment of project costs, the same being fixed in the new Smith bill
 The commission gave notice that
 the so-called Horseshoe site had al ready been withdrawn for the use of the Salt River irrigators. and that in this particular the water users were entirely safe. The visitors were advised of the fact that a preliminary survey had already been made, by Engineer w. A. Parish of the Phoenix office of the reclamation service It was learned that d complete and final construction survey may be ac- compiished soon, and an estimate of the cash cost made promptly if funds to cover can be furnished by the Water Users Association It was evil dently the view of the commission that no funds are available for the construction of the new dam on the 1 Verde, but that it may be built as a separate unit of the Salt River pro- ject, with the definite understanding, i however, that no further extension of time of payment be involved. l This is in direct contradiction of statements understood to have been
 made at Phoenix to the effect that the Verde construction can come in under an additional fund clause in the Smith ! bill, allowing the water users to wait
 until after twenty years before pay i ing back the extra costs.
 Still, it seems. according to state
 ments made during the interview that
 secretary for immediate use in fin
 ishing projects will not be able to
 stretch over such works as that pro- posed on the Verde in Arizona. | If some plan can be worked out in
 the Water Users Associa tion for car rying the immediate costs of survey
 and construction on the Verde reser-
 voir, that work can be started at once The calendar of important reclamation events as regards the
 Phoenix region now includes:
 Passage of the Smith bill.
 l Appointment. work and report of a
 board of appraisal to fix the cost of
 the Salt River project.
 Public notice of the project opening,
 carrying the authoritative statements of cost and charges.
 Beginning of reimbursements of
 reclamation fund, together with start ing collection of a fund to carry the Verde reservoir.
 It is almost certain that the board
 of appraisal will reduce the present
 estimates on the cost of the Salt
 River project. Some of the work which has been done in Arizona has been experimental and costly. The benefit of this work has then beer distributed over many projects, whicf should bear some of the charges
 Therefore the present figure of about ten millions for the Roosevelt dan and appurtenant features is high. ant will be lowered before the paymen
 of the first annual installment occurs
 The reduction of this cost. and thu
 imposition of the Smith provision!
 will reduce the first assessment large Nv. On the basis of $60 an acre-th'
 old estimate-the first payment vii
 be s120. or per cent. Add to thi a small sum to raise the total t
 about $350 an acre. and the wate users will find themselves possessed
 of enough to send the Verde dam wei on it's way to completion the frs
 year after the project is opened
 Meanwhile. the final survey charges : it seems, must be borne by the asso citation.