Arizona republican., 1918-08-25
The Waters of the Verde

The status of the Paradise-Verde irrigation pro- ject is partially the Congressional Record of August l5 in of correspondence between Sen ator Ashurst and various other persons The pubica tion of the correspondence precipitated by an inquiry addressed the senator by Secretary Van Der Veer of the Salt River Valley Water Users Asso- citation regarding a that the senator SUD- porting the Paradise Verde project The judged that the best would be the publication of all the letters he had received and written that subject.
 The first letter one from Senator James l.. Watson of Indiana directing attention to one from old friend Geo. Sturtevant the consulting engineer of the enterprise in which the latter stated that the Salt River Valley had water than it could use. but that the Water Users of the valley were refusing to yield their rights to the waters of the Verde.
 MT. Ashurst transmitted this correspondence to the director of the reclamation service, Mr. A. P. Davis. In the absence MT. Davis Judge Will R. King acting director replied temporarily and in the course of his reply he said:
 Will further add that during the past three years have been strongly impressed by the claims made by the people in Paradise Valley. It occurs to me that the people in the River Valley should oppose the people in Paradise Valley using the surplus water and thereby enabling the several hundred people in that section permanently to build up homes and thus add to the happiness and prosperity of your state
  Ashurst, taking quite different view from that of Judge King. He said:
 The Reclamation Service is of course, anxious to have the fullest possible development of irrigation portunites in Arizol a, and will lend all proper operation to that end.
 The Water Users Association of Salt River Valley appropriated all the flow the Verde River up to the capacity of their canal system which is far be- yond the ordinary flow river leaving only traordinary floods still available. With a view to also utilizing these, they have made and taken some other steps believe. toward providing storage in the reservoir the Verde River.
 The interest of this association is paramount in this matter, and that of the government is only in cidena and it is opinion that the Secretary of the Interior would be favorable to any proper develop ment by whatever interest promised the best of the water supply A careful consideration of this question, however is greatly hampered by the absurd claims that continually being, made by those noting the socalled Paradise Verde irrigation ject Among other claims, they claim the ervor site whereas the records show the title to be in the United States; and though they show evil dence, they continually reiterate this claim. They claim also, in the letter have forwarded that the Salt River Valley is thoroughly irrigated at this time and requires no further watering On the contrary there 10000 of land to which we have refused to sell water rights that actually covered by the canals in the Salt River Valley.
 Besides this, there considerable that might be covered if there were water supply and which be covered very much cheaply and economically than the Paradise Valley.
 Of course, I not attempting to dictate where the waters of Arizona shall used, but merely tion this fact to show the character of the claims that being made. The matter is primarily for the consideration of Salt River Water Users Associ ation the Paradise Valley people desire to store the water the method of accomplishing this is de- fined by the the United States and of Arizona.
 Mr. Ashurst in his concluding letter to the secre tarv the Paradise Verde company, expressed de- sire to the company assuming of course that the rights of the Salt River project would not be i'm paired diminished.