as the river bed is composed of sand and bowlders the underflow is evidently considerable. Probable future uses. As shown in the summary of this report there are 189 acres of irrigable land under ditches which at present is not cultivated. Plans have been formulated, however, to construct five additional ditches to serve 46 acres not under ditch at the present time. This entire area is situated on the Blue, below the forks, a total of 235 acres of irrigable land being considered available future irrigation. The remaining irrigable areas on the streams are all in small patches, and a number of these are almost too sandy for cultivation. Owing to the precarious location of the irrigated lands with respect to floods, as well as as to the meagerness of the water supply, it is not believed that the irrigated area will greatly increase in amount during future years. IRRIGATION ON THE HEADWATERS OF THE GILA RIVER, N. MEX. HEADQUARTERS ABOVE DUNCAN VALLEY. In this portion of the report only the headwaters or that portion of the Gila River situated above the so-called Duncan Valley will be considered. The Gila River rises in southern Socorro County, N. Mex., flows in a southewesterly direction to a point near the Arizona State line, then it takes a northwesterly bearing and flows into Arizona. For a distance of 40 miles before the Gila reaches the valley in which the Gila post office is situated, the river flows through a deep, narrow canyon. On some of the numerous forks which unite to form the upper Gila there are a few small irrigated areas. From the Gila post office down to the Duncan Valley, a distance of about 40 miles, the country adjacent to the Gila is wholly mountainous in character and the stream flows through a narrow canyon, which frequently widens out, forming small valleys, all of which are well cultivated. In the Gila Canyon, about 35 miles above the Gila post office, N. Mex., are found ancient cliff dwellings of considerable extent. Doubtless the ancient inhabitants of these dwellings carried on some irrigation along the river. The territory along the headwaters of the Gila was settled by the American immigrants in the early eighties. For perhaps 10 years prior to this time Mexican ranchers had been carrying on some irrigation in this section, although only a small portion of the land at present under cultivation was originally reclaimed by Mexicans. With the advent of the white settlers, the arable areas were soon placed under irrigation and as early as 1900 all of the lands cultivated at the present time had been reclaimed. With the exception of a few scattered tracts of irrigated land on the extreme headwaters of the Gila, the first irrigation to be found in proceeding down the river is in the valley in which is situated Gila post office. This district is irrigated by four ditches, the land being owned largely by the L. C. Cattle Co. Irrigation began here about the year 1880. 149700-19—vor 2- -14 The cultivated areas under these four ditches are as follows: Shelby ditch, west side of river.... Total. 750 710 300 220 1,980 Cliff district.-The cliff district is situated just below the Gila district, the two being separated only by a point of high land projecting from the mesa. Irrigation was first carried on in this district in 1880 and the reclaimed area was gradually increased until 1900, at which time all of the land irrigated at the present time had been placed under cultivation. . In this district there are five ditches now in use and one abandoned ditch, with areas cultivated and previously cultivated as follows: The lower end of this district becomes very narrow and the valley is extremely irregular in outline. Red Rock district.-The Red Rock district is situated in what is known as the Red Rock Valley and includes the Fuller Ranch, 6 miles below the valley proper. This valley is also irregular in shape, being composed as it were, of a series of smaller valleys. Although practically all of the arable land may be irrigated by means of the ditches as they are now constructed; not all of this land has been brought under cultivation. There are nine ditches now in use which serve areas as follows: Summary.-On the Gila River above the Duncan Valley, there are at the present time 18 ditches which serve to irrigate 3,621 acres of land. This area does not include the small scattered patches of irrigated land situated near the extreme headwaters of the Gila. A table showing all the irrigation by ditches on the Upper Gila, above the Duncan Valley, follows: JECT ollows: NOTE. The figures in italics represent irrigable areas not now under the ditch opposite, but for which there have been expressed intention to raise the ditch grades so that those additional areas may be covered. Water supply.-All of the ditches in the upper Gila district are owned cooperatively by the landowners under the canal, the maintenance cost and the available water being apportioned in accordance to the interest of each. The run-off is intermittent and flashy in character, and floods have wrought great damage to ditches and have destroyed a large area of irrigated and irrigable land by excessive erosion. The rains begin late in the summer and occur at irregular intervals until the late winter or early spring, at which time the rainfall reaches its maximum. It then diminishes until about the 1st of May, the beginning of the dry period. In order to determine the flow on the upper Gila, meter measurements have been made near Cliff and at Red Rock. The results of these measurements are to be found in Water Supply Paper No. 349, pages 176-177; No. 269, page 221; No. 309, page 229. From these measurements, it may be seen that the flow above the Red Rock Valley ranges from 850 second-feet to 40 second-feet, that the flow continues throughout the year, and that the water supply for irrigation is more than sufficient for the area irrigated at the present time and for the remaining irrigable lands which have not yet been placed under cultivation. Probable future uses of waters of the Gila above the Duncan Valley.--Referring to the areas already tabulated, it is seen that 135 acres are susceptible of irrigation under the present ditches. By rebuilding some of these ditches on a higher grade line, which can be done in several instances, an increased area could-be brought under cultivation. Considering the probability of losses by floods and the limited extent of the arable land, it is not believed that the future uses of the Gila waters in this section will be greatly in excess of the present uses. Investigations have been made and are being carried on to a limited extent at the present time in connection with a proposed reservoir project situated about 8 miles above the Red Rock Valley. Besides irrigating the lands in the Red Rock Valley, it is proposed by means of this project to supply water to a large area in the vicinity of Lordsburg, N. Mex. These investigations have been instituted by Mr. Thomas Lyons, who holds large interests in the Red Rock district. No work has been done in connection with this project outside of these investigations. Owing to the very limited impounding area which is available above the proposed dam site, it is not believed that the project is feasible. IRRIGATION WEST OF GILA RIVER RESERVATION (DISTRICT No. 5). Early in the work of the Gila surveys, it was recognized that the diversions west of the Gila River Reservation were not of sufficient importance to warrant a detailed survey.or an exhaustive investigation. Accordingly, a reconnaissance survey was made of that portion of the Gila Basin beginning at the west line of the Gila River Reservation and extending down the river to the farthest irrigated lands of the Gila Bend district. While all available historical data were collected in connection with the present diversions, only general information was sought respecting the many abandoned canals. HISTORY OF IRRIGATION ALONG THE GILA WEST OF THE GILA RIVER RESERVATION. Leaving aside the former irrigation by the Indians of this region, and considering only the cultivation by the white settlers, it has been found that the earliest irrigation along this portion of the Gila took place at the time and in connection with the establishment of the early overland stage stations. This first stage line was established in 1857, and was operated twice monthly.2 No irrigation of importance, however, took place until the early seventies. J. Ross Brown, in writing of his travels up the Gila in 1864,3 gives a very good description of the country, but fails to make any mention of irrigation; Hinton, on the other hand, who writes We know that the Maricopas have moved gradually from the Gulf of California to their present position in juxtaposition with the Pimas. They were found as late as 1826 at the mouth of the Gila, and Dr. Anderson, who passed from Sonora to California in 1828, found them as near as could be reckoned from his notes about the place we are now camped (Gila Bend). (Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, Col. Emory, Ex. Doc. 41, 30th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 89.) Evidences more or less abundant of old Indian or prehistoric irrigation are found at several places along this portion of the river. The most easily traceable are found just above the Gila Bend in Enterprise Valley, and also just below Gila Bend near the well-known Painted Rock Hills. These hills were so named because of the presence of numerous (apparently painted) hieroglyphics. 2 These stations and mileage between them were as follows: Fort Yuma to Gila City, 18; Gila City to Corruncion, 18; Corruncion to Antelope Peak, 15; Antelope Peak to Mohawk, 12; Mohawk to Texas Hill, 11: Texas Hill to Stanwicks, 17; Stanwicks to Burkes, 12; Burkes to Oatman Flats, 12; Oatman Flats to Kenyons, 14; Kenyons to Gila Bend, 10; Gila Bend to Desert Station, 20; Desert Station t Maricopa Wells, 20 Maricopa Wells to Casa Blanca, 10; Casa Blanca to Sacaton Station, 12. Adventures in the Apache Country, p. 292.) (From Brown's a Mr. Redondo has been trying to irrigate continuously since 1862, but though he spent considerable money, he was not successful until this location was selected. The canals on the place are 27 miles long, and work was commenced in 1871, and at least $25,000 was spent before a cent was realized. (Hinton's Hand Book of Arizona, p. 278.) The Redondo irrigation district, which later included all the above-mentioned canals, extended 30 miles up the Gila from Yuma. Other comments of Hinton on his trip are: "The first stage station out of Yuma is Gila City. Several ranches are passed showing Gila bottom is cutilvated. (p. 282). Excellent crops of wheat and barley are grown at Mohawk Station "A good ranch on the river bottom supplies the station (Antelope Peak, C. H. S.) and shows that with industry and water the seeming desert is amazingly fertile" (p. 173). alley. Bes osed by mess nity of La tuted by Rock distr tside of the area whi ved that T No. of this same territory in 1876, stated that irrigation was being carried on at several of these stage stations, and that cultivation was started in the Redondo district. In the pamphlet mentioned in the body of the report and published in 1892 from data collected in 1889 and prepared by the citizens executive committee of Yuma County the following tabulation is shown on page 43: Total.. In the same report occurs the following statement in reference to the canals mentioned in the above table: In the event of the completion of the above-described canals in accordance with the original plans of the projectors, the total length would reach 241 miles, reclaiming over 267,000 acres of bottom, valley, and mesa land at an estimated cost of $1,318,000. The summary made and published in the governor's report to the Secretary of the Interior for 1900 showing the extent and cost of the new canals farther up the Gila in Maricopa County and mentioned in the body of the report follows: alifor lace For the last two years no water has been diverted into the Aztec Canal. A conflict between the users in times of scarcity, and a lack of system in the division of the water has resulted in expensive litigation. The canal was abandoned, with the result that the alfalfa fields and orchards have perished. The ranchers still keep up their assessment work on each canal in order to maintain its franchise. The lower Gila Bend Canal has not been in operation for several years, but is being repaired and irrigation will be resumed. Of the canals mentioned in the Yuma County group only one is at present in use; this, the Antelope, has recently been rehabilitated |