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Show OOMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIXS. 19 length, which wnstrnction would give an effective head of approximately 43 feet, * * * . It is my belief that a large central auxiliary steam pumping plant located on the -mation wonld he a necessity, even in event of the erection of this hydro-electric power plant, since there will in all probability be several months of each year when the Tonto dam will be arresting and impounding the entire flow of the Salt River, this occurring whenever its tributary, the Verde River (which joins the Salt but a short distance above the irrigable lands.of the Salt River Valley), is in flood or fumiahing sufficientw ater for the valley canals. Under such circumstances a water power plant on the Salt River some 25 or 30 miles below the proposed Tonto dam would be rendered inoperative, and the central steam auxiliary plant on the reservation proper some 40 milea away wuld be utilized. It would also he useful in event of damages to transmission line of water power plant. May 12, 1904, the Director of the Geological Survey reporting on this suggestion made by Inspector Code, stated that on Salt River there were various power possibilities which, if developed, and trans-mission lines constructed, would enable the irrigation of more than double the area estimated as necessary for the Indians, and that it was important to have one established at an early date, and he recom-mended the passage of a law containing provisions similar to those made for supplying water to the Indians on the Ynma Reservation in California, and on Pyramid Lake Reservation in Nevada. He stated that the proposed law should provide for the construction of power works by the reclamation service, the cost thereof to be returned through the sale of unallotted lands which could he thrown open to settlement; that a power plant might be constructed on Salt River, as large as was economical under the circumstances, and sufficient power be transmittedtoSaoaton, to be used on the land in ranges 5,6, and 7 east, in which practically 10,000 acres of irrigable lands could be reclaimed by pumping for the use of the Indians; that in exchange for this the Indians might surrender that portion of the reservation west of and including range 4 east, comprising about 180,000 acres of land, possibly'one-half of which might be irrigated by a combined system of canals and pumping; and that the cost of the plant should be repaid by an acreage charge on the reclaimed portion surrendered by the Indians. He recommended that the proposition he submitted to Mr. Code and to this Office and that there be a definite understanding as to 'whether this course was to be followed or some alternative adopted. In case the suggestion was favorably considered he asked authority to continue the preparation of plans for the power plant on Salt River and transmission line and location of wells on the Indian reservation; also that a draft of a bill be prepared for submission at the next sei-sion of Congress, and that the wording of this bill be approved hy Inspector Code and this Office, it being understood that all connected wftli the Department wonld unite in favoring this or a similar proposition. |
