The Arizona copper camp., 1920-04-03
and consists Of sagebrush, greas
wood, cactus and mesquite.
A FLASH STREAM

wood, cactus and mesquite
A FLASH STREAM
'The main branch of the Gila river
rises in eastern Arizona and western
New Mexico in the high timbered
slopes of the White mountains and
the Mogollon plateau. The San Fran /
cisco, it's chief tributary in the upper
reaches, joins it near the Arizona and
New Mexico line. It's next tributary
of any Importance is the San Carlos
river, which empties into the Gila just
below the Stafford valley. The point
Of junction with the San Carlos is In
a broad open basin, but almost imme
diately the Gila enters a narrow can
yon for some seventy. miles. About
five miles below it's junction with, the
San Carlos river is the location of the
site for the great San Carlos storage
dam. about which will tell you pres
emily.
"The San Pedro river, which rises
along the southern border and partly
in old Mexico, joins the Gila in the
canyon and about thirty-five miles be-
low the San Carlos damsite. The last
and largest tributary Of the Gila in
its lower reaches is the Salt river,
which empties into the ella few
miles west of Phoenix, and on which
at just above it's junction with the
Gila is situated the famous Salt River
valley, one of the garden spots Of
America. The great Roosevelt dam,
located about seventy miles UP the
Salt river from Phoenix, feeds out the
flood waters of the Salt to the beau
tiful and productive valley about Mesa
and Phoenix.
There is no appreciate acreage
on the upper Gila and San Francisco
rivers under cultivation in New Mex.
leo. The first valley Of any size is
the Duncan valley at Duncan, Arizona,
on the Gila, just after 1t crosses into
Arizona. Here something like 5000
acres are cultivated in Greenlee
county
"The next valley below the juno
tion of the two streams is the Stafford
and Solomonville valley in Graham
county, Arizona. This valley is long
and narrow, being sixty-six miles in
length and averaging a mile and a
half in width. Here approximately
10000 acres are cultivated.
Neither of these valleys has need
for any storage as they have plenty
of water the year round save that
once or twice slight water shortage
has been reported in the larger valley
Above these valleys there are no large
reservoir sites. There are two small
ones, the Red Rock and Alma sites,
and they are now being investigated
by the government
A GREAT RESERVOIR
Immediately below the Stafford
valley. where the San Carlos river
flows intosthe Gila, there is, as have
stated, great reservoir basin which
will provide unlimited storage for the
flood waters of the ella by the con-
struction of g. great dam at the San
Carlos site. This is the only reser-
voir site on the Gila river of any mag
nitude, and is the only one left, the
others having been destroyed by the
construction of railway lines through
them.
"The next valley on the Gila below
the San sCarlos damsite is the Flor
ence or Casa Grande valley, in the
midst of which is to be found the IA
nous Casa Grande ruins. This valley
on the Gila river proper, contains
about 100000 acres, but it stretches
southwark and unites with and merges
into the valley of the Santa Cruz
river "a small, flashy tributary of the
Gila) and thus provides vast ex-
panse of hundreds of thousands of
ceres of a very rich alluvial desert
plain.
"The Florence or Casa Grande val
ley lies wholly in Pinal county, Ari-
zona, and is today the scene Of the
most intense and active development.
Dotting the horizon in every direction
may be seen the smoke from burning
brush, where some landowner is clear
ing his acreage. It is the first step in
his fight as pioneer to wrest the
land from the desert and render it
productive. Herd i'm the Florence
Casa Grande country in Pinal county
was developed the Pima long-staple
cotton, which has within the past two
years become world-famous. Spread
ing into the beautiful Salt River val
ley, where stored water from the
Roosevelt dam is available, this cot
ton has literally revolutionized the
agricultural interests of that great