The Coolidge examiner., 1945-07-20
Water Is King

Richly endowed with valuable minerals many scenic
areas, timber in its mountains wide eXpanses OF terte
valley lands romantic historical background and a
wealth of golden sunshine that produces the world finest
climate for at least nine months of every year. Arizona
lacks but thng-ampe water. What applies to Arl-
general applies with double force to Plnal county
and the Casa Grande valley Water the golden key to
future development and prosperity we'll to economic
stabity-waer the king that rules over the destiny OF
this valley
Through countless ages this has The develop
ment of the Casa Grande valley interviewer with the
water problem that the two warp and woof OF the
fabric of destiny Early development at Adamsvle
and the growth of Florence the county seat due
largely to the availability of water in the Gila river
The rule of water in this valley is written for all who
care to read in the ruins at the Casa Grande National
monument There the development of water allowed
prehistoric civilization to ourisha civilization that left
Pna county the heritage of the ruins What remains of
the fourstory adobe building of the early Indians is but
small part of the development it represents. The bitches
and canalsremnants of ancient water workswere the
important part of that early development represent
ing they did the of water that alone made possible
the exstance of the numerous prehistoric and
who peOped this arid valley and eliminated their ancient
civilization in the building of the original Casa Grande
Came protracted drought, other catastrophe
dering impossible the continued distribution of gravity
water to the lands surrounding the bg house. their crops
dried up, their lands parched in the sunshine
and the prehistoric developers of Casa Grande valley
vanished leaving the ruins for archaelogsts study and
delve into centuries later
During the past 20 years this valley has been the
of era of graet DEVELOPMENT due to one thing
only water-the storage of flood waters of the Ga river
behind the Coolidge dam and its application to lands of the
valley under the San Carlos irrigation project However,
70 years OF experience have shown the stored gravity
flow water in San Carlos lake to be inadequate bring
into full fruton those lands presently under the
project. Expansion is impossible.
Pumped water has been invaluable source of SUD-
Elementary water supply within the district but even then
the supply has often been short And wde-scae pumping
for irrigation where gravity flow not replenish the
underground water supply bears many of the character
Stcs OF continually checking against bark balance with
out making depoSltSboh inevitably lead to overdras
Ihere is this difference however While an overdrat at
the bank be covered and the checking account re-
newed through new deposits, there is known way to
renew overdrawn underground supply in an arid
area as long as the pumping connues-and even when
the drain is stopped the renewal of underground water
Is very slow business 1t is, in fact one-Way street
leading first to increased irrigation costs and finally to
oepeaed or exhausted water supply-and to serious
economic loss.
Arizona has had its gold and copper mining boomst
minerals nave contributed much toward winning the war
and IL Stl mas vast stores of wealth in its mineral re-
sources particularly in copper But economy founded
on mining alone always balances precarousy on one leo
was made possible by the development of the water re-
sources OF the Salt river Even Yuma old Fort Yuma
wnere the Ro Colorado at boon and menace)
awaited tne modern harneSslng of the water to the land
In order to achieve real, lasting prosperity
Bringing the waters of the Colorado river to central
ARIZONA mas Deen dream of progressive forward think
ing citzens for many Too much of the time how
ever IL mas been only dream not backed by concrete
pan ana dynamic action not backed indeed by the cash
VI Inose whose futures at stake in the DEVELOPMENT
OF this our last. source of adequate water supply
In thS matter OF water cannot afford to be pennv
wise and pound foolish Water king water is valuable
water is scarce. % ~ - ""oie
when the last acrefoot of Colorado river water is al