Arizona sentinel., 1917-06-14
FORMAL APPLICATION MADE TO CITY COUNCIL FOR RIGHT TO CONSTRUCT PUMPING PLANT TO WATER LANDS ON
 MESA OUTSIDE OF
 PROJECT

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 mai application made for the lease purchase of suff- cient ground the front of Prison Hill upon which pumping plant for the avowed purpose of structng rrgang system for the 10000 odd of land the that thrown open entry about years ago. the being those lands formerly considered within the Yuma Project but abandoned by the govern ment because after deberaon and careful study of the annual flow of the Colorado was decided could never hope to get water from the Yuma Project system
 There several features of this proposed undertaking that are of more than passing interest to the people of Y Project Before the city council irrevocaby grants this permit or sells leases the site applied for it will be well for city dads to remember that failure the part of the recipients of this favor may work great injury to Yuma Project and the city, The city council should remember that the government has deereed that feasible
 rigate these lands from the of the Colorado river having been definitely determined after many years of panstakng investigations that at the critical season ot the irrigatng there is enough in the Colorado to irrgate any lands outside of Yuma Project proper and Imperial Valley That the impelng reason that forced the abandon the 10000 odd and throw them open honstead entry under the desert land act.
 We all must certainly remember two years ago when the Imperial Irrigation district so short of water that dam constructed from bank bank of the Colorado Hanlon heading, forcing EVERY DROP OF WATER into the Imperial canal, and then there only water enough to rrgate half of the land in cultivation Thousands ot acres ot cotton and allowed go be- cause there wasn't enough keep the plants alive What would be the inevitable result down Imperial Val ley if even small part of this diverted from the river between here and Hanon heading? That many acres o lands already in cultivation would necessarily have to be abandoned
 Imperial Valley has long since claimed an appropria- ton o 10000 second feet day and day the year round Two years ago there but fraction over 2OO second feet in the river passing the Reclamation gauging station The average runof at this point during the months of Aug ust September October and November and including December and January is only about 5000 second feet The republic of Mexico entitled least it's share of this water What will be the result if diversions are made that leave Mexico nothing to rrgae her half million be- low our border line? International complications will be the order of the day. And Yuma Project will suffer as result
 would love to the outside lands the mesa irri- gated In fact at my personal expense went Phoe nix last winter and did what could help pass the Wnsor irrigation district bill wherein es my opinion the only hope the outside land have of getting on their lands And that this law in full force and ef feet don't what the promaers of this last scheme hope to gain to pushing this matter in the they It looks to very much like will do harm than good the coimng opening up of the Mesa Auxiliary Project
 It means that those lands will be thrown the market at about the time that the government proposes sell the lands the embraced within the auxiliary pro- ject Just how many the government will offer for sas the opening only problematca but if 900 odd acres of these outside lands thrown the market at the same time it will spell ruin Yumas dream for 10000 acre ange grove on the
 To pump unsettled muddy water the mesa for dis tance of TO- Is 20 miles will that the people who own lands waered will be up against the silt prob lem that devils the very life out of the people of Imperial valley It will be the old Luddy system again. contested canals stled dtches and endless expense in maintaining them
 With all of these facts before me- and the additional knowledge that they can't construct open ditch system for less than probably $75 per say nothing of cost of operation and maintenance am free to confess