DISCUSSION OF PROJECTS. PRIMARY PROJECTS. (For detailed tables on cement, unit bids and contract prices, engineering data for projects on completion, summary of results to June 30, 1918, crops, finances, etc., see appendix.) ARIZONA, SALT RIVER PROJECT. (Project turned over to water users on Nov. 1, 1917.) W. R. ELLIOTT, Salt River Valley Water Users' Association, project manager, Phoenix, Ariz.1 Counties: Maricopa and Gila. LOCATION. Townships: 2 S. to 3 N., Rs. 1 to 6 E. and 1 W., and Tps. 3 to 5 N., Rs. 11 to 14 E., Gila and Salt River base and meridian. Railroads: Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix; Arizona Eastern. Railroad stations and other towns, showing estimated population June 30, 1918; Phoenix, 25,000; Mesa, 3,000; Glendale, 1,200; Tempe, 2,000; Chandler, 600; Peoria, 300; Gilbert, 50; Scottsdale, 50; Higley, Lehi, Tolleson, Alhambra, Cashion, and Laveen, each about 25. WATER SUPPLY. Source of water supply: Salt and Verde Rivers and wells in various parts of the valley. Area of drainage basins at Granite Reef Dam: Salt River, 6,250 square miles; Verde River, 6,000 square miles. Annual run-off in acre-feet: Salt River at Roosevelt (5,760 square miles), 1889 to 1916, maximum 3,226,000, minimum 153,394, mean 865,853; Verde River at McDowell (6,000 square miles), 1889 to 1916, maximum 1,822,000, minimum 116,679, mean 560,560. AGRICULTURAL AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. Area for which works are prepared to supply water, season of 1918: 192,077 acres, entitled to permanent water, including private, homestead, and school lands, and townsites; and 20,889 acres entitled to temporary water service. Area under rental contracts, season of 1918: 201,601 acres (on October 31, 1917). Length of irrigating season: 365 days, October 1 to September 30. Rainfall on irrigable area: 33-year period, average, approximately 8 inches. Calendar year 1917, 10 months, 9.6 inches. Average elevation of irrigable area: 1,200 feet above sea level. Range of temperature on irrigable area: 22° to 117° F. Character of soil of irrigable area: Sandy loam, with clay in places. Principal products: Alfalfa, grain, cotton, olives, citrus and deciduous fruits, and live stock. Principal markets: Phoenix and other Arizona towns, Pacific coast cities, and eastern markets. LANDS OPENED FOR IRRIGATION. Public notices. January 18, May 19, 1917, August 8, 1917. 1 William S. Cone and Walter Ward, project managers to November 1, 1917, when project was turned over to the water users. CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY. Reconnoissance made and preliminary surveys begun: 1902. Construction conditionally authorized by the Secretary: March 14, 1903. Grand, Water Power, Salt River Valley, Maricopa, and Joint Head Canals purchased: June 15, 1906. Intake Dam for Power Canal completed: October, 1906. Power Canal completed: October, 1906. Irrigation by the Reclamation Service begun: May 15, 1907. Granite Reef Dam completed: August, 1908. South Canal completed: June, 1909. Eastern Canal completed: December, 1909. Roosevelt Dam completed: February 5, 1911; formal dedication, March 18,1911. San Francisco pumping plant completed: October, 1911. South-Consolidated power plant, operation commenced: October 23, 1912. Arizona Falls power plant, operation commenced: May, 1913. Western Canal completed and operation commenced: February 16, 1913. Mesa District pumping plants (Batteries A, B, C, D, E, F), drilling commenced: December, 1908; final installation completed, June, 1913. Highline pumping plant put in operation: June, 1913. Highline Canal completed and operation commenced: June 16, 1913. Raising of spillways, Roosevelt Dam, completed: August, 1913. Joint Head Dam completed: March, 1914. Reconstruction of the Arizona Canal completed: February, 1915. Farm unit survey completed: April, 1915. Water over spillways of Roosevelt Reservoir: April 14, 1915; January-May, 1916. Survey for silt deposit in Roosevelt Reservoir: June, 1915. South Side Canal system completed: June, 1915. Installation of sixth unit, Roosevelt power plant, completed: November, 1915. Project turned over to water users: November 1, 1917. IRRIGATION PLAN. The irrigation plan of the Salt River project provides for the storage of water in the reservoir created by the building of the Roosevelt Dam, which is situated at the confluence of Tonto Creek and Salt River, about 70 miles northeast of Phoenix, Ariz. This stored water is carried down Salt River to a point about 4 miles below the mouth of the Verde River, where, together with such water as may be discharged by the Verde, it is diverted to the North and South side canal systems by the Granite Reef Diversion Dam. The water supply for the canals on the north side of the river is further augmented by the water diverted by the Joint Head Diversion Dam. There have been completed and put into operation nine pumping plants with an approximate capacity each of 10 second-feet. A pumping plant located at the junction of the Western Canal and the Kyrene branch pumps water through a 54-inch pressure pipe 5,930 feet long to an elevation of 40 feet and waters approximately 7,500 acres of land. The United States claims all waste, seepage, unappropriated springs, and percolating water arising within the project, and proposes to use such water in connection therewith. The canal and lateral system at present comprises 815.5 miles, and on completion of the project provides for the delivery of water to each 160-acre tract of irrigable land. A power plant located at Roosevelt generates power from stored water in the reservoir and from water delivered from the Power Canal, heading at a diversion dam in Salt River, 19 miles above the storage dam. Three other power plants have been constructed by the water users' association and have become a part of the project, viz, the SouthConsolidated, the Arizona Falls, and the Cross Cut. A portion of the power developed will be used for pumping water for irrigation and the remainder for industrial purposes. The principal features are the Intake Dam and Power Canal, the Roosevelt Dam, Granite Reef Dam, Joint Head Dam, the main canals of the distributing system and the greater part of the lateral system, and the power system, comprising four power plants, transformer house, transmission lines, switching station, and four substations. Some work remains to be done on the sluicing tunnel through the Roosevelt Dam, and rather extensive repairs and now needed on the Intake Dam and Granite Reef Dam. SUMMARY OF GENERAL DATA FOR SALT RIVER PROJECT, TO END OF FISCAL YEAR, 1918. Areas: Drainage: Cost of drainage works to end of fiscal year.... 232, 167. 19 232, 167. 19 2,278, 309. 26 2,278, 309. 26 1,029, 254. 08 1,029, 254. 08 7, 673. 05 SALT RIVER PROJECT TURNED OVER TO WATER USERS. A notable event in the history of the Salt River project, Arizona, and of the Government's operations under the reclamation law generally, took place on November 1, when the works of that project were turned over to the water users to operate and maintain for themselves. The project system as planned by the Reclamation Service had been practically completed for some time, and on January 18, 1917, the Secretary of the Interior issued the public notice called for by section 4 of the reclamation act, announcing construction charges, irrigable lands, etc. Meanwhile there had been considerable discussion looking to a transfer of control to the irrigators' own organization, the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association. This was in line with the policy of Secretary Lane, so that it was necessary only to agree on details. The association was represented in the preliminaries by its president, John P. Orme, and counsel, Joseph H. 1 Includes 20,889 acres entitled to temporary water service. All uncollected and unpaid items assumed by Salt River Water Users' Association when project was turned over under the provisions of contract dated Sept. 6, 1917. Kibby, former governor of Arizona. The negotiations resulted in a contract of September 6, 1917, between the association and the United States, "acting in this behalf by the Secretary of the Interior." Under this agreement the association assumes full management of the project works, including outstanding obligations and contracts, and repays the construction cost in 20 annual installments of 2, 4, and 6 per cent, following section 2 of the reclamation extension act. The first payment was due December 1, 1917. The association receives all income arising from operation and agrees to maintain the works in as good and efficient condition as when taken over, excepting only the depletion of storage capacity by natural silting and injury by public enemies or by the United States as a war measure, which shall suspend or postpone repayments. To secure proper maintenance the works are subject to inspection under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, and his prior written consent is necessary before making any substantial change in the works. The association agrees to cooperate in providing water for the Salt River Indians, in accordance with the act of May 19, 1916. The proper representative of the United States may inspect the records of the association, which has similar rights respecting Reclamation Service records. The association holds the United States harmless as to damages arising from operation and maintenance. It must operate in accordance with the requirements of law as well as the rules and regulations, past and future, issued thereunder by the Secretary of the Interior, and will use its powers to enforce these. Water must be delivered to each farm or as near each farm as at present, and the association will use all practical methods to insure economical and beneficial use of water. It must keep records of water deliveries and crops. grown on the project. The association may terminate the agreement on March 1 of any year by written notice a year before. The Secretary of the Interior may terminate it at any time the association fails to carry it out or if he reasonably believes the security for the Government's investment is being impaired. The Salt River project is one of the most successful in this country. The works include the famous Roosevelt Dam, providing a storage capacity of over 1,300,000 acre-feet, Granite Reef and Joint Head Diversion Dams, and over 800 miles of canals. The power possibilities made available by the irrigation works have been developed by several hydroelectric plants and transmission lines. The net cost of the works on June 30, 1917, was something over ten and onehalf million dollars. During that year the works delivered water to about 200,000 acres, from which crops were harvested with a value estimated at $13,692,000, or substantially more than the total cost of the project. A census of the project on October 1, 1917, shows on the farms live stock and equipment worth $8,500,000, a gain of more than $500,000 during the preceding year. CONSTRUCTION DURING FISCAL YEAR (TO OCT. 31, 1917). Spillways. In order to obtain a more uniform distribution of water in the upper north spillway channel, guide walls were constructed through the center and the south half of the spillway crest 83290-18 5 was raised one foot. This work was all completed before the spring floods of 1917 and during that period the water overtopped this spillway to a depth of about 18 inches. The results indicate that the guide walls are going to operate satisfactorily. The concrete construction at the foot of the north spillway cliff was subjected to the 1917 overflow and the regular discharge of the north outlet tunnel during the 1917 season and is in good condition. Concrete facing in the south spillway channel was completed. North outlet tunnel.-In order to control the discharge from the north outlet tunnel, a new tunnel connection was started on the south face of the north abutment cliff, to tap the present tunnel at a point immediately below the end of the pipes leading from the balanced valves. The excavation for the connecting tunnel and operating chamber is 75 per cent completed, and all of the material, with the exception of the needle valves which are to control the discharge from the reservoir, was on the ground November 1. Power canal penstock connection. The pipe line and tunnel connection between the two pipe lines in the sluicing tunnel and the 7-foot power canal penstock was completed in October, 1917. Power house.-Work on the 2-story 18 by 17 foot concrete warehouse at the north end of the power house was completed. Granite reef dam.-The spring floods of 1917 washed a large hole at the end of the apron and threatened to undermine the cut-off wall of the sluiceway at Granite Reef Dam. Repairs were made by filling with large wire sacks full of bowlders which will probably prevent further damage being done. Sluiceway at North Consolidated power house. A new apron and cut-off wall were built extending 17 feet downstream from the old cut-off. The new cut-off wall rests on bedrock for the west 20 feet, and for the remaining 60 feet extends 10 feet in depth into the river gravel. Consolidated canal.-Three additional jetties were built at a point below the South Consolidated power plant. Joint Head Dam.-Work of resurfacing the apron with concrete was 75 per cent completed November 1, 1917. The necessary equipment was on the ground for construction of another apron (30 by 120 feet) and cut-off immediately below the present apron. Grand canal.-Three rock and brush jetties were constructed at a point immediately east of the wasteway from the Grand Canal into the Salt River. Goldfield-Superior transmission line. On November 1, 1917, construction work had progressed as follows: Conductors strung to pole No. 180; poles erected to pole No. 220; holes dug to pole No. 590; all material received with exception of one carload of poles in transit; machinery for the power plant contracted for with the Magma Copper Company. SEEPAGE AND DRAINAGE. No drainage construction has been done by the Reclamation Service, but investigations have been made to ascertain the groundwater conditions on the portions of the project where the indications are that drains will have to be provided in the near future. The reading of wells was continued to November, 1917. |