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Show COMMISSIONER INDIAN AFFAIRS. 31 contract with this bureau, nor several other large projects known to exist but for which plans and estimates have not been made. In my last annual report particular attention was invited to the Indian water-rights situation on a large number of reservations, and the necessity for some provision of law whereby individuals bene-fiting by construction and maintenance of irrigation systems on In-dian reservations, allotments, and lands, should be chargeable with the cost of the work done in their behalf, especially in cases where the cost of the work was reimbursable from tribal funds or where the work in the first instance was done with the expenditure of tribal funds. This matter was brought to the attention of Congress by this office and provision was made in the appropriation act for 1915, whereby it is hoped that these conditions can be adjusted in a proper manner. I t is also provided in the Indian appropriation act that one of the seven superintendents of irrigation heretofore authorized shall be competent to pass upon water rights, and the general irrigation ap-propriation was made available for protection of irrigable lands from damage by loss of water rights, under which provision this branch of the irrigation work will receive special attention. Specific authority of law is also given for'the apportionment of the cost of any irrigation project chargeable against tribal funds, in accordance with the benefits received by each individual Indian, as far as practicable, from such project. These legislative provisions are considered as a marked advance in the policy of the office toward protecting Indians in their water rights and apportioning to individuals the cost of benefits to be derived from expenditures of tribal funds. The attention of Congress was also invited by the office to the con-ditions existing on the larger reservations, where water rights seem to be more or less in jeopardy, and provision is made for the submis-sion to Congress of special reports showing the status of the water rights of the Indians and the method of financing the projects and other general information as to the Uintah, Shoshone, Flathead, Blackfeet, and Fort Peck irrigation projects. Active field work in carrying out this prorision will be completed in the early part of the fiscal year 1915. Particular attention is invited to the progress during this fiscal year in respect to relieving somewhat the condition of the Pima In-dians and in preparation for an adjudication of the waters of the Gila River. Extended and exhaustive researches are being conducted to have the data necessary to protect the water rights of the Pimas. A great many of theolder Indian ditches have been cleaned out and extended to their original length and capacity, new diversion and distributing structures have been installed, a,nd a gratifying increase in the irrigated area is reported. |
