Arizona republican., 1914-02-25
Micah. WIS.
Concerted Action for the Verde Reservoir

The action taken yesterday by the Board of Trade in offering it's cooperation with the Salt River Valley Water Users Association. in working plans for the early construction the Verde reservoir, certainly a long step in the right direction The flood waters of the Verde wasted, would thus be conserved and used in nection with the of the Salt in bringing all the acreage within the limits the Salt River Project into highly productive condition.
 From information presented yesterdays meeting at the Board Trade it was developed that exceptionally desirable storing the Verde flood waters is located at the Horseshoe Reservoir about 90 miles north the junction O the Salt and Verde At this site, by the con struction of a costing approximately s1,OooooO about 100000 acre feet of water can be stored, or sufficient irrigate the vicinity 10000 acres annually Unfortunately the records ind- that in some years there would not be suf- ficient water stored to fill the Verde reservoir but with the Verde waters stored this point and used in conjunction with the stored waters of the Salt and the normal flow of both rivers, probably not less than SO,OOO additional could be irrigated within the Salt River Project.
 It is generally understood that the Board of Survey in session, in view of their study the water supply, the duty of water etc. in this valley, will probably have to cut out considerable land within the River Project from the imme- diate benefits of The owners of these lands have for years paid their assessments in the Water Users Association. many them have materially improved the lands and if this Verde water be stored suggested, they can be given assurance of water within few years.
 The first and essential thing to be done would seem to be arrange for complete sur
 
 site, without delay and obtain official esti- mate of the cost of the proposed dam No other expense than the of the dam would be neces- sary the complete distributing system for the water already exists
 It might be possible after the Board of Survey has made it's report and after d further study of the supply of the Verde and improved methods of the economical of water within the project, that portion of this water from the Verde could be utilized in Paradise Valley for the benefit of the homesteaders who have settled in that section. This would be certainly very de- sirable but believe in all justice to the settlers within the Salt River Project that first use of the Verde water should be to bring into complete cultivation all the lands within the Salt River Project.
 The construction dam the Horseshoe site would add the power possibilities of the valley; would enable the bringing of large of land into cultivation by means of pumping. Other of power will greatly increase in the valley and its towns they develop industrial enterprises taking up more than caneDe supplied by the energy developed the Roosevelt dam and the plants be- low
 Another fact to be taken into consideration is that there will be complications the ership of the Verde dam site such existed with reference to the Roosevelt site The former is already in government ownership, having been re- served storage reservoir site connection with the development of the Salt River Valley project
 In view of the foregoing facts many advantages to this community of the construction of the Verde reservoir and the assurance of com plete cooperation between the board trade and the Water Users Association feel confident that without delay definite steps will be taken to harness the wasted flood waters the Verde