Williams news., 1921-09-16
HEADWAY BEING MADE
 WITH WATER PROBLEM


 made with the water question
 this week. The water resour-
 ces on the Owens and Beaham
 and steps are being taEen for
 preliminary developme:1 of
 both of these.
 On Monday, H. B. Fa5:, civil
 engineer, who had become
 much interested in. Williams
 water question through read
 ing about 1t in the News, paid
 a visit to Williams and was ask
 ed to meet with the town coun-
 cil that night and go over the
 situation with them. MT. Fay
 has made quite a study of the
 water situation in Coconino
 county and has been engaged for some time in developing water at Doney Park near Flag
 staff, and at several other places in the county. It ap-- peared to him that Williams
 has the same sort of problem in getting water that the far mers at Doney Park are con- fronted with and for that reas- on he felt sure that he could suggest solution to Williams,
 The Council arranged with MT. Fay to have him make q trip to the Benham and Owens, ranches the following day, ac- companied by members of the council and other interested citizens. This arrangement was carried out on Tuesday and that night meeting of cit izens was called to consider the findings of MT. Fay and the other members of the party
 The first interesting inform ation secured by MT. Fay was relative to the elevations of the two ranches. Elevations taken by means of a barometer show ed the Owens ranch 25O feet above the town and the Ben ham ranch 48O feet above the town. This gives ample fall for gravity flow in any pipes laid to the town
 As to the quantity of water available at the two ranches, all of the members of the visit ing party were convinced that an abundance of good water was available from one or both of the ranches to supply the city for several years to come.
 At the meeting Tuesday night methods of procedure were discussed. It was gener- ally agreed that the first step should be the digging of a ditch across each of the water pros poets for the purpose of cutting off the underflow. Engineer Fay estimated that a ditch three hundred feet long and fifteen feet deep at the deepest point, will be needed to check the underflow at the Benham ranch. After the ditch is dug, 3 cement dike would be run a. long it. resting on the hardpan beneath. In this way all of he water in the gravel bed a. oove would be saved for use oy the city. This gravel bed covers an area of nearly one half a section and ranges from to fifteen or more feet in lepth. Due to the convergence ,f the rock walls of both sides, t is narrowed to a width of hree hundred feet at the point if proposed development. The ituation at the Owens ranch s much the same.
 The meeting closed Tuesday light after the Council had 'een requested to take up with dr. Owens and MT. Benham, he matter of purchasing the. water on their ranches. This he council agreed to do. The ouncil conferred with these wo men the following day and ave arranged contracts with hem whereby the development york may go on at once. In ase sufficient water Is found he city or a stock company ormed for the purpose may hen buy the water at a set rice.
 Development work will be egun at once and carried out n contributions from Williams usiness men and residents. If lfficient water is developed- is probable that a stock coaY- any will be organized to pine.