rough and mountainous, the elevation varying from 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Pinal Mountain, the highest peak to the north, reaches an elevation of 8,000 feet. From the mouth of the San Pedro to the Buttes (36 miles) the river flows through about 20 miles of valley lands and 16 miles of canyon. Four miles below the Buttes and about 10 miles above Florence are several practicable sites, one better than the others, for a diversion dam. Shortly below the diversion-dam site the river emerges upon the plains at an elevation of about 1,500 feet above the sea. About 7 miles below Florence is the east boundary of the Gila River Indian Reservation, which extends along the river for a distance of about 52 miles. The Sacaton Agency is about 21 miles below Florence. Some 15,000 acres are under irrigation by the Pimas at the present time. 18. Above the Gila River Indian Reservation the principal tributaries of the Gila, proceeding downstream, are the San Francisco, which rises in westerly New Mexico, among mountains reaching the elevation of 10,000 feet, and joins the Gila a few miles west of the New Mexico-Arizona line; the San Simon, an intermittent stream which rises in southeastern Arizona and joins the Gila near Solomonville; the San Carlos, an intermittent stream, which, flowing from the north, enters the Gila at San Carlos; and the San Pedro, also an intermittent stream, which rises in Mexico and joins the Gila near Dudleyville. The Salt River, which, with its important tributary, the Verde, rises in central and east central Arizona, joins the Gila near Phoenix a few miles below the reservation. The Salt and the San Francisco are the largest tributaries of the Gila. 19. The proposed San Carlos project includes an impounding dam across the Gila River in the Box Canyon at a point about 7 miles below San Carlos, a diversion dam across the Gila at a point about 10 miles above Florence, and a main canal or canals from that point to the lands southwest of Florence and to the Pima Indian Reservation. (See Maps Nos. 1 and 2.) 20. The distance from the site of the impounding dam to that of the diversion dam is about 70 miles. From this point to Florence is about 10 miles and to Sacaton 31 miles. The site of the impounding dam is about 31 miles above, and the site of the diversion dam about 39 miles below, the mouth of the San Pedro River. 21. The Gila River Indian Reservation contains about 360,000 Mr. C. R. Olberg, superintendent of irrigation, in his report of September, 1913, divides this area approximately into the following classes of land: Land cultivated or formerly cultivated.. Level land, largely alkaline or swampy. River bed...... Total........ 44, 900 70, 080 37,375 96, 445 99,000 12, 200 360,000 22. The area lying under a canal having its heading at a diversion dam located as mentioned above, and lying north of the Southern Pacific Railroad track and east of the Pima Reservation and the Sacaton Mountains, is about 200 square miles. South of the Southern Pacific track is a contiguous area of perhaps as much more that could be irrigated from such a canal were sufficient water available. PRIOR INVESTIGATIONS. 23. The investigation of the question of water storage in the Gila watershed grew out of the fact that by 1896 the diversion of water from the Gila by white settlers above the Gila Indian Reservation had deprived the Pimas of much of their customary supply of water and reduced this nation, till then self-supporting, to dependence upon national charity. "The occasion of this investigation (that of 1896) lies in the necessity of promptly providing water for use in agriculture on this (the Gila Indian) reservation. The Indians here located have from time immemorial been self-supporting. They have carried on irrigation for centuries by means of water taken from the Gila River. * * * For a number of years the United States has been and still is rapidly disposing of the land along the river, it being well known that these lands have no value unless water is taken from the stream, and it has been equally apparent that by this action the Indians would be pauperized by being deprived of their only means of support. Public attention has been called to this matter from time to time. * * * Meanwhile it is asserted that the Indians, learning to depend upon the Government for food and clothing, have been rapidly losing their capabilities for selfsupport and are becoming a permanent charge and source of annual expense. If they are to be kept from further degradation it is necessary that prompt action be taken toward enabling them to practice some means of self-support. This is possible only by securing to them the means of obtaining an ample supply of water."1 24. The United States has continued to dispose of land irrigable under the San Carlos project until practically all the land in the Florence-Casa Grande district, except certain small tracts inferior in quality, is either patented or filed on. 25. A list of the more important reports, etc., relating to the San Carlos project, is given in Appendix A. 26. A brief outline of the history of the project will be sufficient for the purposes of this report. 27. Report of J. B. Lippincott, 1899.-The first description of the San Carlos project is found in the able report of J. B. Lippincott published in Water-Supply Paper No. 33 (1899), in which the construction of the dam was recommended. 28. Report of J. D. Schuyler, 1900.-Mr. J. D. Schuyler, consulting engineer, reviewed Lippincott's report and indorsed its conclusions (S. Doc. No. 152, 56th Cong., 1st sess.). 29. Investigation of 1903. The Second Annual Report of the Reclamation Service (1902–3) states: * Everything considered, the San Carlos site was by far the best discovered on Gila River, but the investigations of foundations were incomplete, only two holes being sunk to bedrock, and one of these being near the edge of the canyon. The bedrock problem is very important at this point, as there is a fault in the strata almost directly across the canyon at the dam site, and it became necessary to locate the dam either above or below the narrowest part of the gorge in order to avoid this fault. Investigations of the foundation problem were begun by the Reclamation Service in February, 1903. The steam diamond drill and pipe apparatus were placed in charge of W. G. Steward, under the general direction of C. R. Olberg. The work was 1 Letter of F. H. Newell, hydrographer, to the Director of the Geological Survey, dated Nov. 11, 1896, transmitting report of Mr. Arthur P. Davis on "Irrigation investigation for the benefit of the Pima and other Indians on the Gila River Indian Reservation, Ariz." (S. Doc. No. 27, 54th Cong., 2d sess.) discontinued in August, 15 holes having been sunk to bedrock and diamond drill cores being taken therefrom. These are shown in figure 2 and Plate XI. The general result shows that the depth to bedrock is somewhat less above the fault than below it, and this fact, together with the general desirability of leaving the fault entirely out of the reservoir, pointed to the location above the fault as a more feasible position for a high dam. Final conclusions with reference to this project have not been reached, but the result of borings shows that the foundation difficulties are not by any means insuperable. Two other problems are, however, involved in this storage project which are of a very serious nature. The quantity of sediment carried by Gila River is very large; and while it is believed that this problem can be solved, it must be admitted that no plan has yet been submitted which meets with the general approval of experienced engineers. The plan proposed for this purpose by Mr. Davis is published in the First Annual Report of the Reclamation Service, page 83. For properly carrying out this plan or any similar one it will be necessary to find some auxiliary storage on the upper waters of Gila River. There is now no steady flow to depend upon for sluicing out the reservoir or for serving the lands below during the process. At present no such site is known except at York Canyon. The treacherous nature of the abutments for the dam and the great expense caused by removal of the large amount of railroad make the construction of a dam at this point of doubtful feasibility. Incomplete reconnoissance of the upper basin made by Cyrus C. Babb in 1899 failed to reveal any feasible site. It is proposed to continue this reconnoissance the coming year. Still more serious than the sediment problem is that of the water supply. Since previous investigations were made there has been a progressive decrease in the flow of water past San Carlos, due probably to more complete diversion of Gila waters in the neighborhood of Solomonville, in Graham County. The total discharge for the year 1902 was less than 100,000 acre-feet, and the total discharge for the year 1901 less than 200,000 acre-feet. In fact, no year has occurred since 1897 when a reservoir of the proposed dimensions would have been filled at this point. It is conceded that the last four years have been abnormally low in their small water supply, but such years may occur again, and must be reckoned with. A reservoir of large capacity must be constructed in order to utilize the flow of wet years to supplement those of minimum supply and to provide for the immense silt deposits It is advisable, therefore, in order to consider this phase of the subject, to make surveys for a higher dam and a larger reservoir than heretofore contemplated and, if possible, to find auxiliary storage in the upper part of the basin. In addition to these complications, the water supply data indicate that under the exacting requirements of irrigation in the hot climate of Arizona it will not be possible to irrigate from this reservoir as large an area of land as heretofore contemplated. The drawings referred to in the above extract of the report are incorporated in drawings herewith. 30. Following the publication of Water Supply Paper No. 33 and the passage of the reclamation act, an effort was made by the white settlers near Florence to have the San Carlos project carried out as a national reclamation project. When the Salt River project was adopted and the San Carlos project failed of adoption the disappointment was keen. 31. Report of board of United States Reclamation Service engineers, 1905.- Under date of December 7, 1905, the following report on the San Carlos project was submitted to Mr. F H. Newell, then Chief Engineer of the United States Reclamation Service: In compliance with your instructions, the board of engineers designated to consider the San Carlos project have carefully considered all of the available data bearing upon the matter, and have to report as follows: A reservoir of sufficient capacity at San Carlos to store 300,000 acre-feet of water will require a dam 140 feet high, and, in view of the large amount of sediment carried by the flood waters of the Gila River, the dam would have to be 180 feet high to maintain such a capacity for a period of 60 years, as the silt deposited in the reservoir would amount to about 7,500 acre-feet yearly. The topography of the country around the proposed reservoir is of such a nature that it will not be financially feasible to construct canals around the reservoir for flushing purposes. Borings in the bed of the San Carlos River at the dam site indicate that the bedrock on which the dam will have to be founded is about 60 feet below the low-water level of the stream, making the structure very expensive for the length of time that it can be expected to serve a useful purpose. The dip of the bedrock at the site of San Carlos Dam is in the direction of flow, and may be a dangerous formation on which to found the structure. During the years 1904 and 1905 observations and investigations made upon the upper tributaries of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers in New Mexico indicate that reservoirs can be constructed upon these streams of sufficient capacity, in connection with the natural flow of the Gila River to irrigate 40,000 acres, at less cost per acre than by constructing the San Carlos dam. The San Carlos reservoir site is already occupied by the Gila Valley, Globe & Northern Railway, and the Southern Pacific Railway Co. has located a line through the canyon for its main transcontinental line. Estimates for the cost of this line for an elevation of about 40 feet and 150 feet above the river bed show a difference of $2,773,000 in favor of the lower location. The officials of the Southern Pacific Railway Co. state that if the Reclamation Service will abandon the San Carlos dam site the railway company will withdraw application for right of way through reservoir site on San Francisco River, and will gladly make any concessions that they consistently can, in other localities. In view of the above-mentioned facts and conditions we recommend that the dam and reservoir site at San Carlos be abandoned, and that the lands be restored to entry. We also recommend that observations for stream discharge be continued on the upper Gila and San Francisco Rivers. A plate showing the area, capacity, and useful life of the reservoir for different heights of dam is transmitted herewith. The resolutions of the directors of the Southern Pacific Railway Co., withdrawing application for right of way through the San Francisco River reservoir site, will be transmitted as soon as received. Respectfully submitted. A. P. DAVIS, 32. The only information which this board has concerning reservoir sites on the Upper Gila and the San Francisco referred to in the above report is contained in Water Supply Paper No. 33 and in report of W. A. Farish to L. C. Hill, supervising engineer, United States Reclamation Service, dated September 3, 1904. The Guthrie site on the Upper Gila is discussed in Water Supply Paper No. 33, pages 77-78. A dam 140 feet high there would impound 255,800 acre-feet. At the Red Rock site on the Upper Gila Mr. Farish reports that a dam 100 feet high would impound 80,000 acre-feet. He reports on four sites on the San Francisco, of which only the Alma site has storage capacity reasonably commensurate with the height of dam-a dam 150 feet high impounding 135,000 acre-feet. River gaugings made subsequent to Mr. Farish's reconnaissance indicate that the run-off at Alma is less than one-third that at San Carlos. Information as to the character of the foundations at the various sites is too meager to permit estimates of the cost of dams to be made. 33. It is possible that reservoirs on the upper tributaries may serve some useful purpose in the future, either to delay the date when desilting will be necessary in the San Carlos Reservoir, or to reduce the amount of material to be removed annually therefrom, or to take the place of the San Carlos Reservoir if that should be allowed to become filled with silt. But for the purpose of supplying stored water to the Pima Indians or to private lands near Florence and Casa Grande, reservoirs on the upper tributaries would be inferior to a reservoir on the main stream at San Carlos. 34. In 1906 the Arizona Eastern Railroad Co. was granted a right of way through the reservation and the dam and reservoir sites. This right expired by limitation early in 1909. Later in 1909 the railroad company filed a new application (under the act of Mar. 2, 1899); and in the same year Julius M. Jamison applied for the right to construct the San Carlos dam and reservoir (under the act of Mar. 3, 1891, as amended by the act of May 11, 1898). con 35. The briefs submitted to the Secretary of the Interior by the rival applicants, and the reports submitted by the applicants' engineers, review in detail the history of the San Carlos investigation and the advantages and disadvantages of the project in the light of the data then available. The decision of the Secretary of the Interior, dated February 17, 1912, rejects the application of the Arizona Eastern Railroad Co. for the reasons that "* * struction of the road as contemplated would prevent use of the canyon for reservoir purposes and that it is practicable to construct the railroad at a higher grade without interfering with the reservoir site," and holds that "An application for a reservoir site should be accompanied by a showing reasonably demonstrating the feasibility of the contemplated irrigation scheme and the capability of the applicant to carry the project to a successful conclusion." As the decision contains an able summing up of the claims of the applicants, it is quoted in full below: DECISION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, 1912. The so-called San Carlos Reservoir site is located on the Gila River in the White Mountain, or San Carlos, Indian Reservation, in Gila County, Ariz., near the junction of the San Carlos and Gila Rivers. The Gila River at this point traverses spurs of the Pinal Range of mountains and for a distance of about 30 miles below the proposed reservoir site flows in a narrow "box" canyon. Explorations on the Gila by hydrographers of the Geological Survey, in 1899, resulted in the location of what was believed to be a suitable site for a dam and reservoir for the purpose of storing the waters of the Gila River for irrigation of lands in its valley, including part of the lands occupied by Pima and other Indians some miles below. In 1905 a board of engineers of the United States Reclamation Service examined the site with a view of determining whether or not it should be utilized for a reclamation project under the act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat., 358), and recommended that the project be not undertaken by the Reclamation Service. April 13, 1906, the Arizona Eastern Railroad Co. filed an application for right of way through the San Carlos Indian Reservation and through the reservoir site in question under the provisions of the act of March 2, 1899 (30 Stat., 990), which application was approved by this department. No construction has been made under this approval and the period within which such construction should have been made has already expired. August 3, 1909, the company filed a new application for a right of way through said reservation and reservoir site, which application is now up for consideration. December 17, 1909, J. M. Jamison filed application for right of way for a reservoir site under the provisions of the act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat., 1095), as amended by the act of May 11, 1898 (30 Stat., 404), which application covers the so-called San Carlos Reservoir site, conflicts with the pending application for right of way of the Arizona Eastern Railroad Co., and also covers a part of the constructed line of the Arizona Eastern Railroad Co., which leaves the main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. at Bowie and extends in a northwesterly direction through the reservoir site and terminates at Miami, a town located in the Globe mining district. The Casa Grande Valley Water Users' Association, a corporation formed under the laws of the Territory of Arizona and composed of certain landowners whose lands would be subject to irrigation from the reservoir site, and the Gila River Water Co., an Arizona corporation, have also filed applications for rights of way for said reservoir site under the provisions of the acts of 1891 and 1898, supra. Various resolutions adopted by the boards of trade of cities and towns in the vicinity, and by the inhabitants or land owners of the Gila Valley, have been filed in the de |