226 THE IRRIGA TION A GE. 



For ascertaining the depth of the bedrock at a place on the Gila river in Gila 

 county, Arizona, known as The Buttes, and particularly described in Senate Docu- 

 ment No. 27, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session, and for ascertaining the feasi- 

 bility and estimating in detal the cost of the construction of a dam across the river 

 at that point for purpose of irrigating the Sacaton Reservation, and for ascertaining 

 the average daily flow of water in the river at that point, $20,000, or so much thereof 

 as may be necessary, the same to be expended by the Director of the United States 

 Geological Survey, under the direction of the Secretaay of the Interior: Provided, 

 That nothing herein shall be construed as in any way committing the United States 

 to the construction of said dam. And said Director shall also ascertain and report 

 upon the feasibility and cost of the Queen Creek project mentioned in said Senate 

 document. 



Under this appropriation a preliminary investigation has been 

 made, and the following summary is given to show that the Govern, 

 ment can get its money all back from the land (p. 94): 



Total water supply to be delivered to the point of diversion from San 



Carlos reservoir for irrigation each year ............... .acre-feet .... 241,396 



Estimate requirement for Indiana 40,000 



Remainder available for irrigation of public domain or private lands 



acre-feet 201,396 



Assume a duty of water of 2 acre-feet or 24 inches in depth used each 

 year on each irrigated acre; this would permit the irrigation of lands 



outside the reservation to the extent of acres. . . . 100,698 



There are 289, 211 acres of arid public land in the district to be supplied 

 from this system. Assume that the water is given to the Indians with- 

 out cost to the Government and that these 100,698 acres must pay the 

 total cost of the works, then the necessary charge per acre for the re- 

 maining water rights to be sold would be $10.24 



It is believed that the public lands with this water right could at this 

 rate, be sold within a year. 

 If 3,000 Indians have to be fed by the Government at a cost per ration 



' per day of 10 cents, the annual expenses would be $109,500 



The capitalization of $109,500, at 4 per cent, would represent the practi- 

 cal permanent expense of feeding these tribes This is equivalent to a 

 permanent Government debt, which would be liquidated by this con- 

 struction, of : ... $2,737,500 



The value of the 100,698 acres of irrigated public lands that would be 



taxable would be $50 per acre, or a total of $5,034,900 



The saving, without expense to the Government, by irrigation of 20,000 



acres of lands belonging to the Indians, has been shown to be . 2,737,500 



Total increase in value without public expense $7,772,400 



There will also be a large increase in value of taxable town property 

 not estimated upon. 



The report that came in is very elaborate. They examined all the 

 modes of supplying the reservation with water. It is. presented here 

 [exhibiting] with plats, and with a full detail of surveys, and they 

 come to the conclusion that this is the only feasible and practical way 

 of irrigating it. They have to a great extent estimated the cost. 

 They spent the $20,000 in making this examination. The amount was 

 entirely inadequate to complete the examination. 



This provision simply proposes to complete the investigation and 



