TONTO RESERVOIR PRACTICALLY 



ASSURED. 



AGREEMENT LIKELY TO BE MADE SOON BETWEEN 

 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND ASSOCIATION OF PROP- 

 ERTY OWNERS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY THAT WILL 

 INSURE COMPLETION OF GREAT IRRIGATION PROJECT 



A MEETING held at Phoenix, Ari- 

 zona, on Saturday, April 19, gives 

 assurance that the early beginning of 

 work on the Tonto Reservoir, near that 

 city, is probable.. This is one of the five 

 reclamation projects which recently re- 

 ceived the approval of the Secretary of 

 the Interior. 



Through Mr. Chas. D. Walcott, Di- 

 rector of the Geological Survey, the Sec- 

 retary of the Interior announced offi- 

 cially at this meeting the position of the 

 government toward the people of the 

 Salt River Valley. 



Mr. Walcott stated that he was offi- 

 cially authorized to inform the citizens 

 of the Salt River Valley : 



First. That the Secretary of the Inte- 

 rior has granted authority to the Di- 

 rector of the Geological Survey for the 

 acquisition of the necessary property, 

 rights of way, etc. , preliminary to the 

 construction of irrigation works on the 

 Salt River, Arizona, under authority of 

 the reclamation act, approved June 17, 

 1 902 . The construction remains subject 

 to the feasibility of obtaining the neces- 

 sary rights, and the adjustment of pri- 

 vate claims in such a manner as to com- 

 ply with the provisions of the act. 



Second. That in response to inquiries 

 from a citizen of the Salt River Valley 

 the Secretary of the Interior has de- 

 cided : 



A. That the Secretary of the Interior 

 can, under the law, deal with an organi- 

 zation in receiving payments from indi- 

 viduals who have contracted for water 

 rights under the terms of the reclama- 

 tion act. 



B. It is not necessary or advisable at 

 the present time to determine upon a 

 general form of organization to be taken 

 as a basis in organizing every reservoir 

 district. 



C. The particular form of organiza- 

 tion for the Salt River Valley may be 

 modified in the future as necessities may 



require, but for the present .the form 

 already adopted is considered sufficient. 



D. It is probably possible in complet- 

 ing the details of distribution to make 

 arrangements whereby the owners of 

 vested water rights may be benefited. 

 Such details, however, are not essential 

 for present consideration, and may safely 

 be left for initiation by the local organi- 

 zation of water users. Their united 

 opinion upon the matter should have 

 weight in the final determination. 



In regard to the case of Salt River 

 Valley, where there are several thousand 

 owners of small tracts who desire to be 

 supplied with water under the terms of 

 the law, and in other similar cases, it is 

 clearly essential, to insure unity of pur- 

 pose and to secure the best results, that 

 such owners unite in an organization 

 which will act as the agent for the in- 

 dividuals. 



It is also essential that such organiza- 

 tion as a whole guarantee that the pay- 

 ments be made, and that the strongest 

 possible security be given the govern- 

 ment for the faithful performance of 

 contracts which may be made. 



Third. That the department has con- 

 sidered the appeal of the minority of the 

 Salt River Valley Water Storage Con- 

 ference Committee, and decided that 

 any interposition on the part of the 

 department would appear to be unnec- 

 essary and tend rather to delay and 

 complicate affairs and would not result 

 to advantage in the execution of the law. 



Relating to the plan of organization 

 of the Salt River Valley Water Users' 

 Association, the following are its main 

 provisions : 



Each share of stock gives : 



rst. Right of its proportion of all 

 water available for distribution by the 

 association. 



2d. Right to have that water carried 

 to the land to which the share is appur- 

 tenant. 



(251) 





