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Show 16 00~188IONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. them during the three preceding years; what sums had been Luther ized and expended for the development of a water supply and the extent and character of the work performed; how much water it was expected would be obtained, and what quantity of land would be properly irri-gated hy meansof the pumpingplantauthorized the previoupDecember. February 8, 1904, J. R. Meskimone, superintendent of irrigation, submitted plans and estimates for both the development of seepage water and the diversion of the waters of the Gila River, the carrying out of which plans he believed would place about one-half of the Indisns that dependupon the GilaRiver for water upon a self-supporting basis. On Office recommendation of February 29 these plans were referred to Inspector Code for investigation, and he replied April 14: On examining the above temtary for the second time on March 25, 1904, I remeasured the various Indian ditches diverting seepage water from the river chau-nel of the Gila and adjoining sloughs, finding a total quantity of approximately 1,400 inehes, which is coesiderably in excess of the amount found on the ocoaeion of my first measurements, made during August in 1902. This is not surprising, how-ever, since August of 1902 was an exceptionally hot month of an unusually dry year. With such a supply of water as at present available, the Gila Croasing Indiana should have under cultivation at this time at least 4,000 acres of grain, whereas, according to the statement furnished me by Superintendent Alexander, they are cultivating only 1,035 acres. This statement further gives the population of Gila Croming at 1,195 Indians, or 280 families. Until the present water supply is used by these Indians in a proper manner and made ta irrigate every acre it can sucwssfully provide for, I would not recommend spending lrurge sums of money in this locality in an experimental attempt to furnish them with a further wpply as suggested by Superintendent Meskimons. \ (1 He further stated that open-channel seepage ditches on a large scale had not proved a success anywhere in America, so far as he could ascertain, but many failures along this line could be chronicled. Re-garding the proposition of former Inspector Graves for the develop-ment of underground water by means of submerged galleries and con-duits, he stated that it is possible that a considerable quantity of water could be developed, and by the use of sewer-pipe conduits in lieu of wooden pipe such work would he permanent, but the expense of such development would be so great that he would hesitate to rewm-mend the experiment. He regarded Superintendent Meskimons's plan for a dam across the river at Gila Crossing impracticable. April 19, 1904, Inspector Code reported that when he left Arizona, March 29, the Sacaton pumping plant on the Pima Reservation was a success, being the most substantial and efficient steam irrigation plant he had seen in Arizona. The five wells were discharging 185 Arizona inches (approximately 2,000 gallons a minute), sufficient to irrigate properly about 250 acres of land if pumped nine hours a day for six days in the week, or 600 acres if pumped continuously. A test run on wood showed that 3 cords of mesquite were sufficient for a twenty-four-hour run. |