Graham guardian., 1915-06-11
MORE WATER NEEDED

MONE Wal len lNIE>SA
The attention of our farmers is
again called to the decision of the
Interior Department remanding the
matter of reservoir at the mouth
of the Frisco river to the Commits
sioner of the General Land Office
for another hearing for the purpose
of learning whether or not the land
owners of the Gia valley have suf-
ficient water for the irrigation OF
their lands, or if there is enough
water for the irrigation of the un-
cultivated lands in the valley. This
hearing will determine the question
for all time as to whether more
water for irrigating cultivated and
uncultiVated lands in the Gila valley
is needed or that these lands have
all the water now necessary for
present and future irrigation.
The government has secured sta
tistics showing the amount of water
taken from the Gila river for irri-
cation purposes and also figures
that show some waste, tending to
show that the supply of water is
sufficient for all lands.
The fact of the matter is that
we have not all the water that Is
needed for the lands of this valley
and every farmer, from experience
learned by waiting patiently for his
turn for water to irrigate his land,
knows that there Is not enough
water for all lands in the valley.
He also knows that the system of
dirt bitches is conducive to waste
and loss of water over which he has
no control; that the water viii! seep
through the soil and rise in lower
lands, seemingly waste, when in
reality there is no waste. 1t is cal.
culated that there is waste through
seepage in the use of dirt bitches
which could not exist in cement
lined bitches, and also that evapora-
tion must account for some of the
loss of water, which is estimated at
25 per cent.
There are in this county 1886
acres of land, of which there are
27,6l1 acres of irrigated land; 38,545
acres of cultivated (dry farming)
land, grazing and desert lands, and
1880 acres of waste land.
To the south and west of the val
ley, along the foothills, there are
thousands of acres of good land that
could be cultivated if water could
be secured for irrigation, but there
is no canal taking water out of the
river at the present time that
reaches these lands.
A high line canal taking water
from a reservoir in the Gila river
above San Jose would supply all the
water needed for uncultivated lands.
This canal would be cement lined
and extend far enough down the
valley, skirting the foothills. to sup.
ply all the water needed by laterals
to irrigate every acre of land in the
valley. A cement lined canal would
prevent seepage and waste and
water rising in the lower lands near
the river. Such a canal was pro-
jected years ago, but never COM
pleted,
Now the situation appears to US
in this manner: There is not enough
water taken from the Gila river to
irrigate all the lands in this valley
and thousands of acres that cannot
be cultivated for the reason that
water cannot be secured for their
irrigation as there is no canal to
furnish the water. To furnish the
water would mean the building of
a new high line canal and this canal
would then take more water 1.-THE
water that is needed from the Gila
river. The valley lands need more
water and there should be no hesi-
tation on the part of our farmers to
come out and say so before it is too
late.
1t is absolutely certain that the
San Carlos dam is going to be built.
1t is also certain that unless the
farmers of this valley prove their