Analysis of irrigation, Florence-Casa Grande district, Arizona.

4. Old Timers Canal.

5. Chino, or Brady & Chase..

7. Adamsville Canal..

IRRIGATION ON THE TRIBUTARIES AND THE HEADWATERS OF THE GILA RIVER.

The irrigated lands along the tributaries and headwaters of the Gila are more or less detached. They constitute the floor of small valleys separated one from the other by narrow canyons or ravines, through which the watercourse has cut its way.

The altitudes of the various irrigated tracts along the different tributaries naturally vary within rather wide limits. On the extreme upper tributaries and on the headwaters of the Gila some irrigation is carried on at an elevation of over 5,000 feet, while at the mouth of the San Pedro, which is the lowest point of any of the tributaries taken into consideration in this report, the elevation is 1.910 feet.

Climatic conditions in this part of the country vary directly with the elevation. On the headwaters of all these tributaries, as well as on the upper watershed of the Gila itself, snow falls during the winter months, while the summer months are cool. The upper drainage area is fairly well covered with pine trees and undergrowth.

The agricultural products from these lands are the same as produced on the lands along the Gila proper. Grains, alfalfa, vegetables, and some hardy fruits are the principal products. None of the irrigated districts along the tributaries or on the extreme upper Gila is thickly settled. As a rule the farms are small and have been taken up as homesteads. In some instances, on the San Pedro, the irrigated districts are owned entirely by cattle or land companies.

Farming along the tributaries and on the extreme upper Gila has met with varying degrees of success. Intensive cultivation has not been practiced and many of the farmers seem to be content with only a fair return from their lands.

The farming class along the tributaries and on the extreme upper Gila is made up of Americans and Mexicans. It is evident that the Americans are rapidly superseding the Mexicans, who as a rule were the original cultivators.

The ditches are owned either by individuals, or cooperatively by the several landholders under the canals. In a few instances the canal owners have organized canal companies, which have been incorporated. When the ditches are owned by several different persons, the water available in the ditch is apportioned in accordance with the interest maintained.

A brief history of irrigation on the tributaries and headwaters of the Gila follows. Each tributary is taken up in the order in which it empties into the Gila, proceeding upstream.

San Pedro River.-Leaving aside the Salt River, which has not been taken into consideration in this report, the San Pedro River is the most important tributary of the Gila.

As in the valleys along the Gila, irrigation on the San Pedro has been practiced since ancient times. Most of the earlier trails between Old Mexico and northern Arizona followed the San Pedro along the greater part of its course and, in the narratives of the

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Spanish explorers frequent mention is made of the Indian rancherias along this stream.

In more recent years, probably during the early part of the nineteenth century, Mexicans irrigated small patches of land along the San Pedro and its tributaries. Most of this early irrigation was in the upper portion of the San Pedro watershed.

When the general territory, south of the Gila, was obtained from Mexico through the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, two old Spanish land grants on the upper portion of the San Pedro were recognized by this Government. These land grants cover much of the areas early irrigation along the San Pedro, and some of these tracts have been continuously irrigated to the present time.

Americans began to irrigate lands along the San Pedro in the carly sixties. The number of new ditches and irrigated fields increased rapidly until the floods of 1894 and 1895 caused a setback to agricultural development. Since these floods the reclamation of new lands has been less rapid, and in the past 10 years the acreage of irrigated lands lost by floods or abandoned has about equaled the area reclaimed.

Until about 1860 the Indians maintained their rancherias along the San Pedro. Since that time, however, they have either been forced out or have voluntarily vacated their land, and at the present time only two Indian ditches, irrigating 20 acres, are diverting water from the San Pedro. On the Aravaipa, a tributary of the San Pedro, one Indian ditch serving 80 acres is being operated at the present time.

On the San Pedro River there are 46 ditches, serving a total of 6,860 acres of irrigated land. On the tributaries of the San Pedro there is, in addition to the above, a combined area of 750 acres irrigated at the present time.

San Carlos River.-The next tributary above the San Pedro is the San Carlos River. This stream is entirely within the San Carlos Indian Reservation.

The history of irrigation along the San Carlos has been similar to the history of the irrigation along the Gila within the San Carlos Reservation. No irrigation was practiced previous to the establishment of the reservation, and what agricultural development has taken place has resulted from the efforts of the Indian agents in charge.

The first irrigation was in 1875, and in 1880 it is estimated that more than 30 acres were under cultivation. In 1890 this area had been increased to 400 acres, and at the present time there are 936 acres irrigated from waters of the San Carlos, this area served by 24 ditches.

Eagle Creek.-Proceeding upstream along the Gila the next tributary of any importance is the small stream called Eagle Creek. This stream empties into the Gila about 16 miles above the Solomonville Valley.

Prehistoric as well as early Indian irrigation took place along this stream, and prior to the arrival of the first American settlers, in the eighties, a few Mexicans had taken up small farms at favorable locations along the stream.

The irrigable area along this stream is comparatively inaccessible, is confined to narrow patches, and many ditches are required to irrigate a comparatively small area.

There is no irrigation practiced by Indians on Eagle Creek or on the other upper tributaries. In the upper region most of the ranches are primarily cattle ranches, while lower down the irrigation is carried on by Mexican gardeners, who sell their produce to the nearby mining towns of Clifton and Morenci.

A large pumping plant, pumping directly from the river and from wells, which furnish a water supply to these mining towns, has been installed at a point on Eagle Creek, nearly due west of the town of Clifton.

A summatation of the irrigated areas along Eagle Cheek shows that, at the present time, 24 ditches are serving 563 acres of irrigated land.

San Francisco River.-Two miles above the confluence of Eagle Creek and the Gila River the important tributary, the San Francisco River joins the Gila.

The practice of irrigation along this stream antedates the coming of Americans. The first American settlers came in the early eighties, and for 10 or 15 years prior to that time Mexicans had taken up and cultivated small patches of land at different places along this stream.

There are seven more or less important irrigation districts along the San Francisco. In the district comprising the headwaters of this stream, known as the Alpine district, irrigation of the land is only necessary during small portions of the year, since the land is subirrigated. In the district near the mouth of the San Francisco, the Clifton district, nearly all of the diversions from the river are by means of pumps.

On the Blue River, which is the main tributary of the San Francisco, are many evidences of prehistoric irrigation, as well as caves. of ancient cliff dwellers. As on the San Francisco, when Americans came into this region about 1885, they found a few Mexicans farming small areas along this stream.

The Blue River flows through a narrow canyon throughout its entire length, and a number of small tributaries or forks join the main stream. The irrigated areas are situated along the course of the main stream and on the tributaries.

The total irrigated area in the seven irrigated districts along the San Francisco amounts to 1,739 acres, while on the Blue and on the other tributaries of the San Francisco an additional area of 990 acres is being irrigated.

Irrigation on the extreme upper Gila. For a distance of 50 miles upstream from the Duncan Valley, the country adjacent to the Gila continues mountainous in character, and the stream flows through a narrow canyon which frequently widens out, forming small valleys, and it is in these small valleys that the irrigated areas are situated. The territory along the headwaters of the Gila was settled by Americans at about the same time as were the lands along the upper tributaries, or in the early eighties. For about 10 years prior to this Mexican ranchers had been carrying on some irrigation in this section, although only a small portion of the land at present under culti

vation was originally reclaimed by Mexicans. With the advent of the American farmers, the arable areas were soon placed under irrigation, and as early as 1900 all of the land cultivated at the present time had been reclaimed.

There are three irrigation districts along the Gila above the Duncan Valley, and in these districts there are at the present time 18 ditches, which serve to irrigate 3,621 acres of land. This area does not include certain reported but otherwise unknown small irrigated tracts situated on the minor forks of the Gila headwaters.

A summation of the total irrigated area along the four tributaries and the upper Gila, comprising district No. 6, gives a total area of 14,710 acres.

A more detailed description of irrigation along the tributaries and on the extreme upper Gila is given in Appendix A.