SOIL SURVEY OF SOLOMONSVILLE AREA, ARIZONA. 



21 



to affect the supply, and greater econom\- in the use of water will be 

 necessary in the future. Several veiw important questions regarding 

 priority of rights claimed by rival cooperative companies are now in 

 litigation. 



The water of the Gila River carries large quantities of sediment 

 and small, but not necessarily dangerous, quantities of the alkali salts. 

 In the upper part of the valley there are usually less than 75 parts 

 of solid matter to 100,000 parts water. Such water is very good for 

 irrigation purposes. The results of a chemical anal}\sis of a sample of 

 the water taken from the Montezuma Canal at Solomonsville late in 

 January, 1903, are as follows: 



Analysis of water token from the Montezuma Canal at Solomonsville, Ariz. 



Ions. 



Calcium (Ca) 



Magnesium (Mg) 



Sodium (Na) 



Potassium (K) 



Sulphuric acid (S0 4 ) . . . 



Chlorine (CI) 



Bicarbonic acid (HCO :j ) 



Total solids 



Parts 

 per 



100.000. 



6.80 

 2. 20 

 5.50 

 5. 50 

 5.50 

 14.70 

 22.40 



Conventional combinations. 



62.60 



Calcium sulphate (CaS0 4 ) 



Calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) 



Magnesium chloride (MgCL) ... 

 Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO a ) 

 Sodium bicarbonate (XaHCO-j).. 

 Sodium chloride (XaCl) 



Total solids 



Parts 

 per 



100,000. 



7.80 

 12.40 



8.60 



14.00 



19.10 



.70 



62. 60 



Below Solomonsville, except during periods of more than average 

 flow, the river is several times exhausted for irrigation purposes, being 

 resupplied by underflow and b} T seepage from surrounding irrigated 

 lands. As might be expected, the alkali content of the water increases 

 with the progress of the river through the valley. Even in the lower 

 part of the valley, however, the percentage of alkali is not sufficient 

 to cause alarm if proper precautions in irrigation and drainage are 

 taken. 



The diverting dams, headworks, and canals are usually constructed 

 by the farmers themselves, and are built as cheaply as possible. They 

 are often of an unstable or temporary character and are readily destined 

 b} r floods. This is especially true in the case of the diverting dams. 

 These are generally built of loose bowlders and brush, and while not 

 possessing the permanency of more expensive headworks, are quickly 

 and cheap h T replaced. 



The alluvial sediments of the Gila River are of considerable impor- 

 tance as fertilizer. Chemical analysis shows this material to be very 

 rich in organic and mineral plant nutrients. In places several inches 

 of this sediment have been deposited upon the land in the course of a 

 few years, saving many dollars that would otherwise be spent for fer- 

 tilizers. The large percentage of sediment carried by the water also 



