OCR Text |
Show 120b0? referred to, constructed to cover some 7,000 r.cres of allotted lands of the Oolorudo River Indians. Prior to the bxiilding oi" the 3oulder Dam and the conseo :ent control of the flood waters of the Colorado River practically all of the lands now included in the now and larger project were subject to overflow. Levees had to t>9 constructed to protect the lands in the pu&ping project. Due to the periodical flooding of the lowlands, grass and browse maae ^o^d food for cattle during a part of the year at least. At the peak of tbo cattle business the Colorado River Indians grazed over 5,000 cattle on lands now included in the project. 3ut since the Boulder Dam entered into the picture, the floods no longer overflow the project lands and as a consequence the grazing has practically disappeared, rhe cattle of the Indians have dwindled to something like 1,500 head, and many of these are being kept on fenced farms on the allotted lands of the smaller (pumping) project. Cattle raising has always been precarious and uncertain on the reservation. Lnrr.ediately after a flood and overflow, grass and browse grew abundantly and there was plenty of feed and water. This period of abundance lasted for varying periods. Recurrent floods sometimes extended the grazing time to some extent, but even in years of excessive floods there were periods whan the grazing was extremely sparse and the stock suffered accordingly. Some years, in order to avert severe loss, sales had to be made at times vhen the cattle were poor and unfit. Sounding up was extremely difficult and many were missed. Sudden floods often imperiled the herds and some considerable losses were incurred in this way. Altogether the area now included in the irrigation project was not suited to the development of any very important stock raising and grazing enterprise. The largest number of cattle ever on this range at one time was not over 6,000, and at least 2,000 of this number were non-Indian owned. The non-Indian cattle were not grazed on that range the year round, the owners had to take them off and feed elsewhere. The Indians, on the other hand, had to leave their cnttle on the uncertain range and take the chance that some considerable number would "pull through". Notwithstanding all this, the Indian cattle on this range furnished a considerable part of the living of the Colorado River Indians, and the use of from 75,000 to 100,000 acres of unimproved and unirrigated range land is what the Colorado River Indians stand to lose through the construction of the project and the settlement of outside Indians on a part of the reclaimed area. It ie planned to study the records of the agency regarding the stock industry on the Colorado -Uver Reservation and endeavor to arrive at a fair figure to represent the amount the Indians might be said to have lost by reason of the flood control necessary to make irrigation possible, and at the same time essay to evaluate the benefits accruing to the Indians by reason of the subjugation and irrigation of the area proposed to be set aside for them under the project. Just what these figures will show as the result of the studies mentioned is hardly predictable at this time, but it is likely that the Indians will find themselves on the debit side of the ledger. In other words, the benefits will likely outweigh the damages. 12 |
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] : |