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Show 42 COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN ~ B A I R S . should eventually be provided with water in the projects now ini-tiated or favorably reported upon is more than one and one-half million acres. At present 490,000 acres may be supplied with water from~completed works, and of this area already more than 220,000 acres are actually being farmed. During the year of this report no notable new undertakings were possible in the irrigation work because of the failure of the passage of the Indian appropriation act. Nearly all irrigation projects. are specially authorized, and as special appropriations are maae therefor it is impossible to initiate some of the very urgently needed work, pending such time as funds are appropriated. There was, however, increased activity in the maintenance and care of the structures and systems already completed and more careful supervision of the ex-penditure of all funds to see that the highest economy was obtained. This is, of course, desirable in the expenditure of all Government @rids, but as the irrigation appropriations for the benefit of the Indiafis are, except in a few instances, now all reimbursable to the United States, the Indian Service considers itself custodian of a trust for the Indians themselves in the expenditure of irrigation funds. There is constantly kept in mind the necessity of securing ' the greatest benefit to the Indians for each dollar expended. EXTENSION OF IRRIGATION. On several of the reservations surveys were made, including ex-aminations and reports for the extension of present irrigation facili-ties or the initiation of new projects. On the Colville Reservation .practically all of the economical irrigation possibilities have been studied. These are scattered in 12 or 13 districts and include a total . area. of more thin 33,000 acres. Several projects upon this reserva-tion have been reported upon which are feasible from an engineering standpoint, but in some instances the desirability of undertaking these is contingent upon the attitude of the Indians toward irriga-tion farming, which as yet is not altogether favorable. The Little Nespelem project to irrigate about 3,300 acres has been nearly com-pleted and some assistance given the Indian farmers on the San-Poi1 River, but no other projects on Colville Reservation have been under-taken by the Indian Service. The extensive surveys and investigations, including not only the phy-sical but the legal questions involved with reference to a water supply for the Pirna Indians, have been completed and the ha1 field reports made. From a thorough study of these data, recommendations as required by the act of August 1,1914, are expected to be submitted shortly. In the meantime the possibility of improving the water supply for the deseming Pimas by means of better facilities for |