OCR Text |
Show __oq__ During the winter of 1909-10, allotments of 15 acres each were made to many of the Mojaves, of land on the east side of the Colorado within the limits of the Reservation, and on the public domain. At the same time allotments were also made to several Chimehuevis on Reservation lands lying west of the river. For lack of a valid water right for these lands as well as for lack of means for their irrigation, these allotments were never approved by the Indian Office, it being held that in the absence of means for irrigation, the land was practically valueless to the Indians. In January 1910, the Cotton Land Company bought out the right of the Rio Colorado Land and Irrigation Company comprising the land lying in the odd-numbered sections, in the lowlands not included in the Indian Reservation, lying between Ft. Mojave and Needles. The Cotton Land Company immediately began the construction of a levee to protect their land from the overflow of the river, and the excavation of canals for its irrigation. The old diversion canal constructed by the Rio Colorado Land and Irrigation Company was also enlarged and deepened. In thus protecting their own land by the levee they constructed, this company, of necessity, protected much of the Indian Reservation lands, -the even-numbered sections. The Cotton Land Company's project contemplated the ultimate reclamation of about 30,000 acres, including the Indian lands of the even-numbered sections lying within the area protected by their levee, at an estimated cost of $350,000. This company eventually spent $450,000 in addition to the price of the land, $125,000. After an examination of this project in the summer of 1910, Mr. W. H. Code, then Chief Engineer of the In- |
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. |