The border vidette., 1925-03-07
ARIZONA IRRIGATION PROJECTS

Early construction of the Cool.
idge Dam at San Carlos on the
Gila river is assured under the
provisions of the interior bill,
which has passed both houses of
congress. The bill carries an
appropriation of $3.50, 900 which
becomes available Immediately
to commence the construction of
the dam. The bill also carries q
further appropriation of $780,
600 for the continuing of con.
struction of the necessary canals
for the irrigation of the Indian
lands in the Gila Indian reserva.
ton at Sacaton.
The $45O,OO9 appropriation
made for the construction of the
Coolidge Dam which will store
water for the reclamation of ap.
proximately so, 900 acres of white
lands and 10000 to $4,000 acres
of Indian lands in the Casa
Grande-F Florence Valley is the
first section of the S., 500, 900 ap.
preparation authorized by the
San Carlos bill for the construc.
tion of the dam.
The bill was passed by the
Legislature last summer few
days prior to the adjournment of
the congress. 1t provided that
the funds to build the dam are
to be appropriated, beginning
with q $3.50, 900 appropriation and
q continuing appropriation of In.
creasing amounts thereafter nm.
til the dam is completed.
1t is expected that the work of
building the dam will be com.
menced as soon as possible after
the appropriation is made avail.
able by the signature of Presi.
dent Coolidge to the interior bill.
According to those in close touch
with the matter, the construction
of the dam will be started at q
date in the early summer of 1925
and be carried forward as rapid.
~ as possible until its compile
tion, which it is estimated will
require between two and three
years.
The appropriation of 5000, 600
contained ia the interior bill is
for continued work on the later.
ais in the Gila Indian reserva.
tion, where the government is
now engaged in building . diver.
sion dam near Sacaton. This
dam when completed, with the
laterals to be built with the
$500, 600 appropriation, will form
a part of the San Carlos project.
Water for irrigation of these
lands which comprise practically
all of the Indian lands under the
project will be taken from the
Coolidge Dam reservoir when
the dam has been completed. :
The Sacaton Dam, one of the
important links in the San Car.
los project in the Florence Casa
Grande Valley, will be complet.
ed about April. This dam, q
weir diversion dam, will be the
farthest point down the GilA
river that water will be diverted
to the lands. 1t will furnish q
diversion point for Indian lands
only, supplying water for an es.
timated so, 900 acres.
Tue dam is located about six
miles up the Gila river from the
town of Sacaton on the Gila In.
dian reservation. 1t is being
built by federal engineers and
is strictly q government project,
costing between $3.50, 900 and ST..
100000. The abutmepts for the
dam and the super bridge struc-
ture to be placed over it are in
place and the apron laid.
The dam is unique in that it
will not only serve as a,diversion
point, but will also form the
foundation for q bridge over the
Gila river at that point. Abut.
mepts in the dam will support
the bridge structure, which will
cross the river over the top of
the dam.
The dam, q concrete structure.
will be about II feet high and
approximately 1,5OO feet long.
The apron will present a novelty
in apron construction in that q
deep dip several feet wide and
the full length of the dam will
serve as a means of diverting
water from lateral on the south
side of the river to the north
side. Builder and Contractor.