The Coconino sun., 1921-01-07

, Would Regulate Flow. | "The plan that is being advocated by the National Reclamation associa. , tion would standardize the flow of ev' cry river in Arizona, so that all |, |would flow the same amount the year : : around, or accumulate the water al $ whatever particular periods it may bt needed for irrigation. Not droE would be wasted.
 "The tributaries of the Gila river : (which should be thus standardized arc : the San Francisco, the upper Gila, tht 3 San Pedro, the Agua Fria, and thu z Hassayampa. If the plan were carried | out in the whole drainage basin of tht z Gila river, more than 100000 acres of land could be brought under per manent cultivation in the basin of tho Gila river above Gila Bend." "Under what projects would this ! land be located?" MT. Maxwell was asked.
 "The Gila Bend project, where they are now building the great Gillespie bedrock dam, will ultimately reclaim 15O, ,0O0 acres; in the Salt River valley including lands that will be brought under cultivation under the Paradise Valley project, and lands in the ba- sins of the Agla Fria and Hassayam- pa rivers, they will in few years re- claim 5O0,O0O, and ultimately over 60O,000 acres of land; 250,000 acres are ultimately reclaimable in the Casa Grande valley, 100000 in the Gila val lley between the Solomonville naFrows and Geronimo, and 250,000 in the San Simon valley" Mir. Maxwell answered. .In addition to this," he continued, "more than 150,000 acres will eventu- ally be reclaimed in other smaller val leys of the Gila river drainage basin, including the upper Gila or Duncan valley, the San Pedro valley and the Santa Cruz valley.
 "This estimate of 1,50O,000 acres { ultimately reclaimable is based upon the complete construction of a flood water underground storage system ol which every drop of flood water would !, be captured, confined and controlled and used at least once for irrigation . above Gila Bend. It also contemplate. the fullest practical development ant . use of the water supplies resulting ? from return seepage. Not a single drop should ever run to waste below Gila Bend.
 At present there are only abou . 5O0000 acres under cultivation in thu state of Arizona. Two million acre can be irrigated from the Colorad' river in Arizona by the construction of a dam in Black Canyon, whicl would raise the water to the thousand foot contour
 If the power dams now under con temptation by the Southern California Edison company were built in Marbl, Canyon and above, the dam in Blacl Canyon would not have to be nor than $50 feet high to put the water ol the thousand-foot contour. A dam 60' feet high, which is entirely practic able, would put the water out on tn 1250 contour.
 Mexico May Come First.
 "Unless the people of Arizona ar active and secure the construction O the Black Canyon dam without delay the power dams above will regulat the flow of the river and the lands be low the line in Mexico will get tn benefit of it by establishing the frs rights to the regulated flow of the i1v CT by actual use of the water for ir rigation.
 "The Mexican land owners vii claim, in that event, that the first i time is the first in right. Unless Ari zona wakes up and moves actively [ secure her right to her share of tn regulated flow of the Colorado rive without delay, it will be lost to Ari zona forever.
 "The importance of the Colorad river project to Aribona may be up preciated when it is borne in mind tha in magnitude it would equal 10 pro jects, each with an acreage as larg as the Roosevelt project. The ab stract principle involved is that Ari zona and California should divid equally the water of the Colorado riv CT as it comes from the Black Canyon subject only to existing rights in Mex ico.
 Compensation From Power.
 "The cost of raising the water t the higher level necessary to use hal the water in Arizona would more thal be compensated for, first, by the cleo trical power developed; second, by tn vast amount of return seepage iron the higher lands to the river, thus i'm mensely increasing the total area 1T rigable from the river; and third, b the United States which would be pre- vented forever if this water goes O. into Mexico, and prior rights are es tablished to it in that country.
 "In other words, from an economi point of view, it is better economy [ build the works necessary to provid for the use of half the water in Ari zona, as between Arizona and Cali fornia, than to limit Arizona to onl, water enough for the comparativel. small acreage of lands in this stat lly;per in tho ho{{o,,,o of fha ,;yar val