OCR Text |
Show -23- Early in 1904, the Rio Colorado Land and Irrigation Company which had lately acquired the Santa Fe Railway Company's grant lands, was granted authority by the Department of the Interior to construct and operate a canal across the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. This canal diverting water from the river was constructed the same year; but was little used for some time because of insufficient water supply at the headgate. In 1905, a new centrifugal pump of a capacity of 3000 gallons per minute was installed for the better irrigation of the school farm, which had been increased in size to about 60 acres. The water supply was taken from the river, the pump being located at the foot of the steep gravelly mesa just west of the agency buildings. The Ft. Mojave Reservation first received attention from the Irrigation Branch of the Indian Service in 1908, when Mr. Robinson, Superintendent of Irrigation made an examination to determine the feasibility of irrigating a proposed new school farm. In February, 1909, Mr. C. R. Olberg, Superintendent of Irrigation and Mr. J. H. Quinton, Consulting Engineer, under the direction of Mr. W. H. Code, Chief Engineer, visited the reservation and prepared a report in which they discussed the matter of increasing and improving the domestic water supply, as well as that for irrigation purposes. At this time the pumping plant consisted of a 12" horizontal centrifugal pump driven by a 15 H. P. steam engine. When water was available, this pump delivered about 3000 gallons per minute under a head of about 13 feet into a ditch \y2 miles in length, skirting the foot of the mesa, which delivered it to the school farm. |
Source |
Original book: [State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants, United States of America, State of Nevada, State of New Mexico, State of Utah, interveners] : California exhibits. |