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Show COMMISSIONEB OW INDIAN AFFAIRS. .kg River Reservation, Ariz., several old Indian canals were rebuilt on proper engineering lines to insure a more reliable water supply. On 'some reservations many of the timber structures erected in the early days of diffidt transportation for irrigation construction are now being replaced with more enduring material. On the Crow Reservation several large steel flumes were substituted for the former defective timber ones. Similar work was done for other structures on Crow and Fort Bellmap, Mont., and W i d River, Wyo., and other reservations. The principal work on lJinta, Fort Hall,. Yakima, and Walker River has been the maintenance and opera-tion of the systems and extensions of laterals as needed. The diffi-culties arising in the Hogback Canal on the San Juan Reservation, Ariz., due to the porous, shifting character of the material through which it passes, have been overcome and water carried throughout its length. The three largest irrigation projects for the Mission Indians in southern California, Pala, Morongo, and Rincon, were practically completed and a commendable increase in cultivated acreage made by these Indians. Considerable work increasing the water available and improving irrigation systems was done for the New Mexico Pueblos. UTILIZATIOB OF WATER. The ultimate results which should be derived from irrigation work have received much study, so that the qeatest benefits map be se-cured from the expenditures made. Among many tribes irrigation agriculture is little known, and to induce the individual Indians to 't.aIe advantage of their opportunity to become self-supporting various plans have been devised and are being carried out. In many instances the rights of the Indians to the continued and undisputed possession of water for irrigation are aided by the actual :.beneficial use thereof, so that my efforts to increase the ark being .farmed under the various projects are not only for the primary 'object of making a larger number of Indians self-supporting, but also to prevent as far as possible litigation which might jeopardize ..the valuable water rights upon which the success of the various irri-gation projects depends. At -Crow Reservation, Mont., there has been an increase of more ..&an 12,000 acres during the past year. The Yuma Reservation, Ariz., has more than quadrupled its farmed area. The additional ,area, prepared for irrigation at Uintah is about 20,000 acres. The Indians have taken hold of agriculture at Klamath with unexpected 'energy, .and nearly all the able-bodied men are engaged in farming .;their allotmerits. At Wind River, Fort Hall,, and Fort Belknap Reservations several thoussnd acres of new land is being irrigated at each place. 834%-164 |