1 904 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 379 



dians has decreased from 14,000 to structing and maintaining a deep ditch 



7,000 acres and the Pimas and Mari- in the loose gravels and quicksands is 



copas of this valley are now impover- large compared with the amount of 



ished. water obtained, and at best only the 



To find a remedy for this shortage of uppermost part of the underflow is pen- 

 surface waters Mr. Lee has carefully etrated. On the other hand, Mr. Lee 

 studied the geographic relations and believes that sufficient water can be 

 geologic conditions of the Gila Valley, drawn from the underflow of the Gila 

 He finds evidence that there is an Valley by means of pumping to supply 

 amount of underground water in this the needs of the Indians and also ma- 

 region sufficient to saturate the val- terially to extend the cultivated area 

 ley soil and still give an overflow of without exhausting the available sup- 

 2,000 inches. This water is probably ply. He estimates that ten plants of 

 due to the junction of three under- a capacity similar to that of the one 

 flows those of Gila, Santa Cruz, and now under construction at Sacaton wil 

 Salt rivers. These are fed from at least supply the required 40,000 acre- feet a 

 three sources rainfall in the valley, year and allow 36 per cent of the time 

 springs from the hillsides, and various for stoppage and repairs. Taking the 

 streams that enter the valley from the cost of the pumping plants in the Salt 

 hills, the most important of which is River Valley as a criterion, Mr. Lee 

 the Gila itself. The quantity of waters finds that money spent in the construc- 

 held in the gravels at any one time tion of such plants will be safely and 

 within easy reach of pumps, is estimated profitably invested. 

 at from 1,120,000 to 1,960,000 acre-feet. One of the most interesting phases of 

 It is calculated that 40,000 acre- feet of Mr. Lee's investigation is that on the 

 water a year will supply all the present economic conditions of the Indians, 

 needs of the Indians on the reservation. Though peaceful, honest, and industri- 

 If the computations are correct, there ous, they are lacking in executive abil- 

 is now accessible enough water to sup- ity. They are, however, easily man- 

 ply the Indians for at least twenty-eight aged and are prosperous when wisely 

 years. The chemical character of these directed. When left to their own de- 

 waters of the underflow is fortunately vices, they do not properly appreciate 

 favorable to their use in irrigation. or utilize their advantages. At the 



Two means of making this water western half of the reservation their 

 available for irrigation are in use seep- most imperative need is adequate super- 

 age ditches and pumping plants. Where vision. Their needs at the eastern half 

 seepage ditches have been tried the re- are, first, a water supply ; second, super- 

 suits are disappointing. The quantity vision. It is Mr. Lee's opinion that a 

 of water actually obtained falls far water supply without supervision would 

 short of expectations ; the cost of con- be unwise. 



EXPERIMENTAL FOREST IN MINNESOTA. 



BY 



GENERAL C. C. ANDREWS, 



CHIEF FIRE WARDEN OF MINNESOTA. 



AN act of Congress at its last session tion has been made on the Vermillion 



authorized the State of Minnesota, range, in townships 64, range 13, and 63, 



through its state land commissioner and range 13, distant about 1 2 miles west and 



state forestry board, to select 20,000 acres northwest of Ely. It is a rugged forest 



of third or fourth rate land for experi- region in a fine lake setting. Most of 



mental forestry purposes, and the selec- the surface is underlaid with granite, 



