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Show COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 17 He fnrther reported: There seems to be an ahundantnnderground water supply in the valley of the Gila, and the operation of the Sacaton plant proves this. The water in the wells is drawn down about 22 feet almost immediately after the pump is started when the latter is dischamine 2.000 -m llons wr minute. It remains constant at this level during the Jay, and as noun a. the pnnq, ptope the water risea in tlre bord weibrapidly, coming up 16 fret in thirty necondj, 18 leer in une minute, 20 feet inpida of five minutes, a1.d Nun rrachu practically ita normal I~rvl. \Vc excavxtrrl a tP~tw ell in thehotmmof tttrt ht t le Gila River chnn~~e1l2.2 ftsct ;.outh of the suulil bored well. and the wakr was drawn down only some 18 inches below its normal level when the water in the bored wells was lowered 22 feet, thus demonstratingthat a very steep wneof depres-aion existed, a fsvorahle indication of a satisfactory underground water supply at this point. * * There has been some apprehension about the character of the water furnished by our plant, hence while at theagency I expressed someaf it to the chemist of theUni-versity of Arizona at Tucson. The analysis revealed a water much superior to that furnished by other pumping stations in the Salt River Valley. Regarding the installation of the central power station and pumping stations for the irrigation of 10,000 acres, the first cost of which he had previously estimated at $160,000, he said: While it is practically certain that the ahove-named area can be furnished with an adequate water supply by means of pumping, and that this is one solution of a very difficult problem, I desire to await the results of further investigations and teats before making a final rewmmendationon a proposition involving alarge expenditure. The inspector recommended that $4,000 be appropriated and that a drilling rig and an experienced driller be hired by the day to perforate fnrther the present wells, and subsequently, if deemed advisable, to put down two more wells of 15 inches diameter to a depthof 112 feet, the steam plant having sufficient power to lift nearly double the present amount of water. By Department authority of May 24, the auperin-tendent of the Pima School was authorized to expend the 84,000 as recommended. June 10, 1904, Superintendent Alexander reported that all data relative to the recovering of water to thepima Indians by judicial pro-ceedings had been furnished the district attorney and that in consulta-tion with him the attorney had said thaG There are 960 persons using water from the Gila River above the point where the Pima Indiana divert the water of the Gila for their lands; that there is no doubt hut that the w e wuld be taken up and prosecuted to a favorable ending, but the inter-ests are so varied;md the water is diverted by the whites as far as 200 milea above the Indian's point of diversion, that should a favorable decree he given by the court, it would be impossible for the court to enforce its decree, and that the expense of prosecuting such suit would wst between twenty and thirty thousand dollara; but that a suit against the usera of water under the Florence Canal may he won and the court's decree made binding on the few persons under the Florence Cml, and the expense to the Government would be about $10,OM). June 21, this Office submitted Superintendent Alexander's report to the Department, expressing the opinion that the institution of snit for 10170--05-2 |