OCR Text |
Show -9- 1962, to protect Indian water rights in conformity with the terms of the Santa Fe Compact. The lands on the Colorado River Reservation are rich and productive, well adapted to a wide variety of agricultural crops including alfalfa, cotton, milo, barley, flax, sugar beets, grapes, melons, and many vegetables. Alfalfa, cotton, barley and sorghum are the principal crops raised at present on the developed lands of the Reservation, although specialty crops (melons, grapes, vegetables, etc.) would no doubt give greater returns assuming the development of necessary markets for these products. Since the first colonists moved to the Colorado River Reservation in 1945, 149 Navajo and Hopi families have taken land there. Of this total, 55% or 82 of the colonist farmers have given up their assignments and returned to the Navajo-Hopi Area, and 67 families remain on the Colorado River Reservation (including 14 Hopi families). Reasons for leaving vary, but include family and health problems as well as ineptness for farming. The area is dry with temperatures reaching as high as 127° F. in midsummer, and a mean annual precipitation of only 5.08", facts which create problems of adjustment for persons coming from higher elevations and cooler climes. Probably half of the Navajo-Hopi colonist farmers returned to their home country because of failure to master the techniques and adjust to the management requirements for successful irrigation farming in the Colorado River area. During the initial phase of the colonization program, farmers, received assignments of 40-acre areas of irrigated land, and full responsibility for budgeting farm income rested with the individual. The 40-acre plots proved 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. |