The Parker post., 1916-10-21
IRRIGATION OF THE SURPLUS LANDS
OFCOLO. RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION
FROM THE UNDERGROUND WATERS
Official Report of A. l. arrs Consulting Engineer of the
State Land Department. Who Had Charge of the
Water Investigations On Reservation.
(By A. L. HARRIS.)
Continued from Last Week.
General Observations.

The following general ideas and OBJ
servations are applicable to thds ex-
animation:
(a.) In many parts of the bottom
lands it Is probable that with small
expense for embankments and con-
trolling gates, one or two irrigations
per year may be caught from the
overflow and utilized at the time of
the annual Colorado river floods in
May and June. On numerous areas
this overflow occurs as gently rising
backwater laden with rich silt and
communicating through the remnants
of old river channels to lands safely
removed from flood violence. The
ancient Indian method of raising
quick growing crops of corn, squashes
ets., utilizing the moisture of the nat
urally flooded ground, after the man
ner of Egypt, has never been taken
advantage of in any large or ad-
equate way in this district. lit Dis
easy to realize the benefits that
such an irrigation or two coming
season would be as supplement- to
pumped water supply when one cor
siders not only the saving in expense
of pumping, but also the continual
repIenishing of fertile elements in
the soil. From an irrigator's stand
point such a combination is almost
ideal as providing a solution of the
problem of overabundant silt; which
is at present serious indeed on grav-
ity projects taking their water from
the Colorado; while at the same
time preserving the benefits of river
water
Qb.) Spots where ground water of
only medium quality for irrigating
purposes can be easily obtained may
still be reclaimed by the pumping
method if part of the years SER
vice can be supplied by the overflow
Or by water spumlped from the numer-
Gus sloughs where it stands a part
of the time.
The sweetening of alkah land can
aAso be effected by washing out and
sitting with river water.
1t has also been found in other lo-
calities that pumping in quantity FROM
a ground water of poor quality often
produces change for the better in
such quality, probably by reason of
a Quickening circulation and ming
hing in the waters of the underflow.
&C., The roots of some cultivated
plants will doubtless reach the
ground water on much of this land.
The soil is generally loose and the
roots of trees and alfalfa will pene
trate the ten or twelve feet neces-
sary to reach water after first hav-
ing been established by moisture ap-
piled at the surface.
(d) If the reclamation of this dis
trict is started by pump irrigators the
most favorable locations will first be
chosen, but as the community fills
up leyees to protect the areas now
exposed to direct and damaging flood
water will be built. The system of
pumping for the greater part of the
season will also be quite appropri-
ate On such land
(e) Experience with gravity sys-
TENS taking water entirely from the
river in this neighborhood suggest
some very material advantages lying
IN the method of pumping from the
ground water, such as:
The water comes out clear.
1t bears no noxious seeds from
ether localities.
1t is fit for domestic and stock
consumption river water being al
ways very turbid.
1t Us always at hand when wanted.
Ditch maintenance and seepage
lc sses are reduced to minimum.
On the other hand: The question
If disposition and control as above
mentioned of the enormous quanti-
ties of silt, such as Is deposited in
the canals and bitches of the Palo
Verde valley and in those of the In
DIAN service on this reservation, is
problem very hard to handle. In
both of these instances, also, the
fields are rapidly fouled with Ber-
muda grass and other plant pests,
whose seeds are conveyed by the
river water.