Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-26

and the Indian race is no exception
Those who were agSiculturists have
made great strides in Advance. Those
who lived by hunting have passed
through terrible ordeais with thell
game and hunting grounis gone, and
in time they degenerat q INTO the
reservation Indian" Asnt in ldleness
and ignorance.
1t was evident nat they could not
last as people n TINS way; that they
must entirely ciange their method OF
existence. II was seen that their flu
ture law 30 rticularly in the lines OF
stock raising and agriculture and as
most of tn ! Indians Were living in the
arid ives irrigation must be prac-
ticed an water developed for the
stock.
SO g, eat became the necessity for
Thorough and systematic develop
ment Of the irrigation resources ON
the 'prious reservations, the only
land left the Indian. that the Indian
bureau created within itself an irri-
gat on branch a small reclamation
ser ice.
'fhis service has charge of all irri-
&c ton and water development on all
Iidian reservations, including the
construction of all canals and the APP
purtenant structures. the development
of underground water by drilling
wells or improving springs. drainage
works which naturally follow the
building of an irrigation project, and
anything connected with the develop
ment of water for irrigation. stock
and domestic purposes.
Since the organization of the irri-
cation service there has been ex-
pended in this work approximately
$19,S00,00O.
II1igable Land.
1t is estimated that there are about
l,675,000 acres of land on Indian res
ervations that may be irrigated. OF
this canals now built will put water
on about $4,000 acres. OF this area
the Indians are personally cultivating
about 100000 acres and there is be-
ing cultivated by leases another $780,
600. Plans are made or under way
by which most of the remaining -
1000 acres will eventually be put
under ditch.
In this district we have expended
$2,200,000 and have under canal U.s.
092 acres of land. of which lS,107 are
being cultivated by Indians. and the
area that can be put under irrigation,
at points where there is sufficient
water, is estimated to be 98.S54 acres.
In New Mexico there has been ex-
pended about $1.150,000 and there
remains large amount of water
which will be taken up from time to
time as we are able to secure money
from congress for this purpose
The absence of water for irrigation
over most of this arid southwest
makes it difficult to get project of
any magnitude, but there have been
large number of small ones. In the
last fourteen years work has been
done on some sixty not including the
work on the numerous ones among
the seventeen Pueblos of New Mexico
The largest Of these are: Zuni pro-
ject with some 5000 acres under
ditch; the Hogback project at Ship
rock with 1000 acres; the Pine river
project at Ignacio, Colo, with $500
acres; the Ganado project about sixty
miles from Gallup with 100 acres;
Marsh Pass project. It's miles from a
railroad, with 1000 acres. and about
sixty others with 1000 acres or less.
Whole Country Arid.
While the irrigation work, consist
ing Of the building of the new pro-
jects and the repair and extension of
the older ones. has been of great
value, and has absorbed a large pro-
portion of the money expended, still,
the most valuable work that has been
done, in the opinion of many who are
familiar with the detail of the work
and its result, has been the develop
ment of water for stock and domestic
purposes in the Painted Desert re-
gion of Arizona, where the annual
rainfall is about four inches, and in
northwestern New Mexico, by the
drilling of wells and the improve
ment of the few springs.
The entire region. while not abso-
lutte desert, is an arid country. hav-
ing very scanty rainfall which is ir-
regularly distributed throughout the
year,
All evidence goes to show that this
region is of character on which the
average white man would be unable
to more than exist. although the In
dian population from generations OF
living there manages not only to make
a precarious living, but in many in
stances would be considered a COM
potency by the white man.
The Indians of this section are all
herdsmen and their flocks and herds
had reached the limit of expansion
when we commenced this work, for
he amount of stock and the area
srazed is governed by the distribution |
If the water supply.
When we went in there it was real /
zed that the proper water distribution |
few large supplies, but many small
ones; not an increase in quantity |
where 1t now exists, but a moderate |
supply at various points where water
s not found, and the points where the
water is needed is where advantage
IAN be taken of the grazing area.
Three well-drilling rigs were start
ID at work and wells have been putt
Town over wide range of country. |
These are from three to six inches in
and most OF them are
,quipped with a pump, a windmill, a
forage tank and troughs. There are
low over 200 good wells scattered over
large area, and the maintenance
'angs must travel distance of about
so miles to visit them all, and In or
Ter to keep them in working order it
S necessary to visit each at least once
month.
In our work we have discovered a
lew artesian we'll belt in New Mexico.
n the Choiski valley on the direct line
'etween Gallup and Shiprock and
good flowing wells have