IRRIGATION IN THE SOLOMONVILLE-SAFFORD VALLEY, DISTRICT NO. 2.

Like the Duncan Valley, the Solomonville-Safford district, known locally as the Gila Valley, is almost wholly inclosed by rugged mountain ranges. Along the north and west it is bounded by the Gila range, through which the Gila cuts at the Narrows, about 10 miles above Solomonville. Along the southwestern boundary it is inclosed by the Pinaleno Range and the Santa Teresa Mountains. The culminating peak of the Pinaleno Range is Mount Graham, which has an elevation of 10,200 feet, and which, until well along in the summer, retains the winter snows. The highest peak of the Santa Teresa is Turnbull Mountain, whose elevation is over 8,000 feet.

While, from a geographical standpoint, the irrigated areas in the Solomonville-Safford district and those along the Gila in the San Carlos Indian Reservation are in the same valley, yet the Solomonville-Safford Valley is commonly considered to comprise that portion of the valley east of the reservation line.

The lower or reservation portion of the valley is 30 miles long, is much narrower than the upper portion, and contains a much smaller irrigated area.

The upper extremity of the Solomonville-Safford Valley has an elevation of approximately 3,100 feet, and the elevation of the river bottom 70 miles below, at the Upper San Carlos Dam site, is 2,308 feet.

Graham County, which includes the entire Solomonville-Safford Valley, was created in 1881 from portions of Pima and Apache Counties. Apache County originally extended as far south as the Gila River, while Pima County embraced all the territory in Arizona lying south of the Gila, i. e., nearly all of the Gadsden purchase. The town of Safford was the first county seat which was moved to Solomonville in 1883.

Alfalfa, wheat, barley, and corn are the principal crops of this valley, sorghum and cotton are raised to a limited extent, the former crop being utilized for cattle feed. Fruit growing is receiving considerable attention, and while the early fruits, such as peaches, apricots, etc., are liable to destruction by late spring frost, the hardier varieties, such as apples, pears, etc., yield well.

Cattle raising is carried on to a less extent than in the Duncan Valley, but the dairying industry promises to receive more attention in the future.

Nearly the whole of the valley, not including the area within the San Carlos Reservation, is thickly settled. The more important towns are Solomonville, which, according to the last census, has a population of 595; Safford and Pima, both incorporated towns, with 929 and 500, respectively; and Thatcher, with 900 inhabitants. In 1910 the population of this valley, not including the Indians on the San Carlos Reservation, totaled 6,470. There is a larger proportion of Mexican farmers in this valley than in the Duncan Valley. Early in its history Mormons made settlements and cultivated certain sections of this valley, and to-day a majority of the landowners are followers of the Mormon faith.'

In the Solomonville-Safford Valley there are 19 incorporated companies, owning and operating canals at the present time. Four of these canal companies have built and own extensions of the other

canals. There are three other canals not incorporated which are held by individual owners. The total number of shareholders of the incorporated canal companies is 1,217, and the unincorporated canals are owned by five individuals.

Of the above stockholders owning interests in ditches, all but four are land owners or lessees under the different canals.

The Arizona Eastern Railroad, leaving the main line of the Southern Pacific at Bowie, traverses the valley and terminates at the mining town of Miami, a short distance beyond Glove. These two mining towns have a combined population of over 8,000, and provide ready markets for much of the produce of the valley.

The Solomonville-Safford district, like other valleys along the Gila, is the site of many prehistoric dwellings, and ancient irrigation systems. The first immigrations to this territory of which we have historical record were those of Mexicans, who established themselves at a place now known as Solomonville, but formerly called "Pueblo Viejo" (Old Town), because of the many ruined dwellings of its aboriginal inhabitants. In time this latter name was applied to the whole valley, and even to-day this section is often referred to as the valley of Pueblo Viejo. Later, in 1879, after I. S. Solomon had established a store and residence in this settlement, the name was changed to Solomonville, in honor of its pioneer business man and trader.

Soon after that time more Americans began to arrive, and in 1879 a colony of Mormons established themselves in the vicinity of Smithville, to undertake the development of that section.

The general history of irrigation in this district is the usual one of modest beginnings followed by gradual development. The early irrigation practiced by Mexicans at no time became very extensive, being limited generally to patches of corn planted in the more favorable places along the ditches and without regard to land lines. Landoffice filings were rarely made, nor were other steps taken to obtain title to the land. These Mexicans, as was customary among the Americans who followed a little later, would form a partnership for the purpose of digging a ditch, then the several partners would stake out their respective claims along the ditch, the size of each partnership's claim being in proportion to his interest in the ditch. Later, these partnerships or societies would incorporate under the laws of the State to form the now existing canal companies.

In spite of many disadvantages under which the early settlers were compelled to labor, the agricultural development of the valley proceeded at a fair pace. Irrigation began in 1873, and prior to 1880 twelve different canals had already been completed or were in process of construction.

The oldest canal in the valley and second in point of size is known as the Montezuma. Other important canals are the Union, San Jose, Smithville, Nevada, and the Consolidated.

At

With the advent of the Mormon colonists in the early eighties, a more rapid development took place, and in 1890 approximately 16,000 acres were under cultivation and 19 canals had been constructed. the time of the survey made in connection with this investigation in 1914 there were 18 ditches in the Solomonville-Safford Valley, which served actually to irrigate 26,633 acres of land, and an additional area of 2,120 acres was shown to have been previously irrigated.

The agricultural lands of the Solomonville-Safford Valley lie in rather a narrow tract or trough varying from 1 to 4 miles in width. The river course for the most part lies on the northern side of the valley, but throughout the greater portion of its length irrigation takes place on both sides of the river.

The numerous canals which have been constructed at different times all have their headings within a few miles of each other along the river. The canals whose diversions are on the same side of the river parallel each other for long distances across the irrigated lands. In many instances water from the upper ditch is flumed across the lower ditch and used on lands which could be better served by the lower ditch. Much trouble and waste of water has resulted from these conditions. Many ditch consolidations have taken place, and while the cultivated area has increased from year to year yet the number of ditches serving the land has decreased in recent years, and at the present time 18 canals are serving a larger area than was served by as many as 26 ditches or canals during former years. The diversion works have been constructed of brush and rock, a type which has always been in use. These works are destroyed by each flood, but during the low-water flow are capable of diverting all the water required.

Since about the year 1890 the dams built in connection with the canals at the upper end of the valley have been diverting all of the available surface water during the dry season, thus causing a shortage of supply at other diversions from the river lower down. This condition has led to litigation which finally resulted in the wellknown suit of the Smithville Canal Co. v. Oregon Irrigation & Canal Co. et al. This suit, which was tried in 1905, involved all of the water users in the valley. Judgment was rendered in 1906 and the resulting decree was in effect an adjudication of the water rights of the Solomonville-Safford Valley. The proceedings which resulted in this decree may be found in the copy of the findings, judgment, and decree of this case which has been printed in volume 1, supplemental exhibits, accompanying this report. Much valuable information con cerning irrigation in that district is also contained therein.

The court found in the above case that the entire acreage then under cultivation has been continuously irrigated from the time of reclamation to the date of the rendering of the decision. It was found that the incorporated canal companies were carrying the water for the benefit of the landowners and not for hire, and that the canals did not appropriate any water in their corporate capacity.

The several landowners under the various ditches, however, were not given separate priorities, and it was found that

The individual landowners and appropriations of water that is furnished under the management of each of the several ditches or canals herein referred to have surrendered to their cousers in that canal their priority, and the water that is taken from the river for the use of the land under the several canals has been, by the consent of the different landowners under each canal, delivered to the different tracts of land in accordance with the extent of the interest in the ditch or canal of each landowner, regardless of the acreage cultivated by the said landowners and regardless of the date when the said acreage was placed under cultivation.

The return of seepage flow in the river channels was also taken into consideration, it being held that:

The water supply is comprised of the volume that enters the river at that point, and the accretions thereto that rise from the underground and the return waters from the lands irrigated under the several canals and from other sources.

The duty of water was taken at one-half miner's inch continuous flow to the acre, or equivalent to 9.02 acre-feet per acre per year, and it was further held that the total amount of water in the river in ordinary seasons was equivalent to one-half miner's inch per acre for all the land thus irrigated, and that during part of the year the amount available was more than one-half miner's inch per acre, and that the distribution of the water was based upon the requirements of the land and upon the ability of the irrigators to use beneficially the various amounts designated.

The several parties who failed to maintain their water rights in the suit were stopped as against their coowners and users under the same canal from the assertion of their rights to priority as evidenced by the several appropriations and reclamations of land. But the users under each canal system having contended for their priorities as against each other canal system, or rival, as a ditch company or as an aggregation of individuals were held to be entitled as against such other canal or ditch or the users of water thereunder to their priorities, as shown by the acreage in cultivation and the different dates on which water applied thereto for irrigation purposes.

All of the water users in this valley, with the exception of those using water under the Gonzales or Lee Canal, contended for their rights, and all of the canals, with the exception of the Gonzales, were decreed a portion of the flow. The Gonzales has been using a small amount of water since the decree, in spite of the water commissioner appointed by the court to distribute the water as provided for in the decree.

The distribution of the flow of the river since the decree has been entirely under the direction of the water commissioner.

A table showing the irrigated areas in the Solomonville-Safford district similar to that of the Duncan district is submitted hereunder.

This tabulation is a résumé of the data obtained as a result of the survey in connection with the investigation, and from various. other sources.

The areas under cultivation during the years prior to 1904 were obtained for the most part from the findings in the case of Smithville Canal Co. et al. v. Oregon Canal Co. et al., previously referred to.

A detailed history of irrigation under each canal of the Solomonville-Safford Valley is given in Appendix A. A copy of the adjudication decree and transcript of evidence and other matters pertaining to irrigation in the Solomonville-Safford Valley are to be found in the supplemental exhibits accompanying this report.