The Winslow mail., 1921-03-04

state AuulCOT CudTleS w. oil hOA"
member of the State Land Board, was
a visitor in Winslow Friday and
Saturday. He came here especially
delegated from the Lands Board te
inquire into the feasibility of the re-
clamation project in the valley of the
Little Colorado river. After casua
inspection of maps, reports, etc.
Friday morning, Charles Calm offered
his car and with himself as driver
took Mr.. Fairfield, accompanied by
R. B. Walton, secretary Of the Cham
ber of Commerce, and Supervisor R
@. Creswell and drove north of the
city along the west side Of the river
to take look at the lands which
are there awaiting the waters of the
Little Colorado river to make them
productive. In the afternoon, E. H
Black donated his car and his SER
vices as driver, and with Mr.. Fair
field, Mr.. Walton and L. V. Root
editor of the Mail, drove across the
river and north on the east side max
ing an interesting investigation of
the great spread of landed acres
which will be brough under the Glitch
with the consummation of the re-
claiming project. To the person who
has never been in this part of the
valley, and there is reason to believe
that there are many In our city who
know little Of these spreading acres
which need but the touch of water
and the intelligent application of man
power to bring to productive cultiva-
tion, there is surprising expanse OF
country, low-lying with gentle de-
clivfty approximating the Ideal for
irrigation purposes. To the north
and east the gentle slopes Of ground
rising gradually from the river to
the escarpments of the Shinarump
and Chinle formations predict to the
investigating mind the ultimate settle
ing of these lands with farmers who
will add wealth to the county and
take on prosperity for themselves
The people of Winslow must be edu-
Gated to the possibilities, or rather
the probabilities, of these fertile
acres.
Saturday morning Messrs. Fair
field, Walton and Root, in another
automobile with particularly clever
driver started out towards Holbrook
A few miles out they stopped
and for a moment viewed from a dis
tance the site of the first diversion
dam proposed under the project
Rock conditions here, reported by the
engineers, are excellent for the chear
construction of diversion dam which
would under normal conditions divert
sufficient water from the flow of the
river to water abundantly several
thousands of acres of the valley lands
lying below the site of the dam anG
within what may properly be called
the Winslow valley. Let the readol
figure for a moment the values OF
10000 acres placed in a state of pro
ductivity. At the lowest possible es
innate Of value per acre it means 6
million dollars worth of landed pro
ductive acres, perhaps twice thai
much and yet be within reason.
The party then drove on to Hol
brook, through that little city with
it's entertaining oil prospects of the
future, and out on the st. John
Springerville road for several miles
across the cement arch that majesti
cally and artistically spans the waters
of the Little Colorado; thence turn
ing to the right on the road toward
Woodruff and through the little silen
village of that name on to the rolling
hills beyond which border the unitet
streams of the Little Colorado ant
Silver Creek. The people of Wood
ruff have been thrifty. They bull
dams that they might use the waters
of the Little Colorado, but that un
ruly stream threw it's flood waters
against their rock and soil barrier
with disastrous results. The peopl,
finally moved the site of the dam tt
the mouth of the Silver Creek wher,
it joins the Little Colorado and abov,
the junction Of the two streams
Here they constructed dam of rocl
and earth that held the clear water
of Silver Creek and from here the.
lead thier bitches along the side o
the canyon to the fertile acres below
where they have been raising crop
of grain and hay, and gathering
fruit for many years. 1t was gram
and inspiring sight to stand upol
some detrital elevation and look ou
over the miles of the country wher
the proposed new dam under tn
present project will conserve an
hold the runoff waters of the foo
season for use in the valley below.
The dam site is between perpen
ducalar walls of impervious rock, an
the dam as proposed will be approx
mately 1876 feet high and will stor
in the basin above 100000 acre fee
of water. This is capacity tha
means abundant moisture for tn
thousands of acres in the valley c
the Little Colorado during any DIR
season when there might not be sui
ficoient normal flow in the strear
proper. 1t further means wealth an