the Zuni unit, a diversion dam and canal system under the Nutria unit, 2 diversion dams, 1 storage dam and 1 canal system under the Pescado unit and a drainage canal which taps the Ojo Caliente springs and provides irrigation water together with 2 storage units under the Ojo Caliente unit. All of the above areas are utilized by Indians with the following exceptions: Approximately 110 acres are farmed by the agency under the Zuni unit and the Soil Conservation Service has leased 1,327 acres for a nursery from the Sandia Indians. Approximately 2,111 Indian families support themselves either wholly or partially by farming on these areas. No collections of money are made for the maintenance and operation of these irrigable lands, except for the leases of the Soil Conservation Service and for the area furnished by the agency at Zuni. From 1932 to 1936 there were installed upon streams at Taos and Nambe, six water stage recorders for the measurement of flow in irrigation ditches and streams supplying the ditches. These stations were installed to gather data to be used in protecting the water rights of the Indians of these Pueblos, under funds provided by the Public Works Administration. Fifty-eight additional gauges were installed in 1935 and 1936 on other streams and ditches which affected water rights of Indians of the various Pueblos. For the continuous operation, maintenance and compiling of these records, furnished by these recorders, it will be necessary that the Geological Survey be furnished additional funds by the Indian Service. The district engineer of the Geological Survey states that $15,000 will be necessary for carrying on this work. The data which will be made available by this work will be very valuable in determining the water rights of the Indians in adjudication proceedings which are apparently coming in the near future. A suit is now under way by the waterusers of the lower Rio Grande against the middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Undoubtedly an adjudication of the water rights of the various users of the water from the Rio Grande and its tributaries will be necessary before many years. It is, therefore, requested that $25,000 be made available for the carrying on of the above described work. 17. Zuni, decrease, $4,000.-The funds required for carrying on the work at Zuni is included in the amount of $25,000 requested under item 16 for "Miscellaneous Pueblos." 18. Colville, $4,000, including $500 from collections. The irrigation features on this reservation include the Nespelem, San Poil, and Hall Creek units. The estimated expenditures for 1938 are as follows: Nespelem unit: Operation and maintenance, Owhi storage_ Operation and maintenance, distribution system_ San Poil unit: Repairs, distribution system... Operation and maintenance, Twin Lakes storage.. Total... $400 2,750 200 50 300 300 4,000 On the Nespelem unit, which includes Little Nespelem and Owhi Reservoir, capacity 5,000 acre-feet, some 23 miles of canals must be cleaned and 85 structures kept in repair, in addition to the 3 diversion dams. There is only a small amount of water available and it is necessary to keep the canals and structures in the best of condition to conserve the water in the reservoir. On the San Poil a small amount of work must be done to keep the flumes, pipe lines, and several miles of ditches in order. On the Hall Creek unit a part-time employee is required to keep the Twin Lakes storage spillway, 15,000 acre-feet capacity, open and free from snow in the wintertime to prevent overtopping of the earth-fill dam. During the irrigation season the outlet gates require occasional regulation. The acreage irrigated on the Nespelem unit is about 274.50, of which the Indians farmed 62.5 acres of garden. The estimated crop value was $9,288. On the Hall Creek unit 212 acres were irrigated with an estimated crop value of $8,946. Collections are being made from white lessees. The collections to June 30, 1936, aggregated $3,430.88. Collections for 1938 are estimated to amount to $235. 19. Lummi diking project, $3,000, including $2,000 from collections.-The Lummi Reservation is 10 miles northwest of Bellingham, Washington, fronting on Lummi Bay adjacent to Nooksak River and traversed by Lummi Channel. The reservation includes 10,761 acres established by the treaty of Point Elliott, January 22, 1855, and by Executive order of November 22, 1873, and is divided into 109 allotments and a 2-acre school tract. The Indian population is 667, of whom 548 reside on the reservation. The project includes 4,192 acres, of which 277 acres are Indian and 1,414 acres are white owned; of the latter 750.1 are east and outside of the reservation. The works consist of about 21⁄2 miles of bay dikes, with protective piling and tidegates to keep out salt water, 6 miles of dikes on both sides of the old Lummi Channel for the same purpose, 3 miles of dike on the west side of the Nooksack River, including a structure at the head of Lummi Channel to prevent flood overflows, and recently about 2 miles of main drain and some laterals. The work was authorized by the act of March 18, 1926, the original construction was begun in September 1916, and concluded June 13, 1929. Damage was caused by floods and tides in February, November and December 1932, and again in June, October, November, and December 1933, again in April and December 1934. Repairs were in progress, but due to delay in securing funds the damage kept ahead of repairs. Finally additional funds were secured in June 1935, Federal project 430, $20,000, and contract approved July 12 for complete repairs and some drainage work to be completed before November 12, 1935. The total cost including this work is $143,228, or about $34 per acre average. A small maintenance fund is indispensable for the proper patrolling and maintenance of the works. The land is very fertile and will produce extraordinary crops and will be a valuable asset, if protected. It is expected that ultimately the landowners will be able to pay for the entire maintenance, but the recent flooding of the land has made it impossible for the present. The crops for the past few years were of an average value of approximately $80,000. Collections were begun in 1930 and the small amount available each year has been expended on maintenance and repair. The total collections to June 30, 1936, aggregate $2,987.91. The operation and maintenance rate for 1930 to 1932 was 25 cents per acre and for 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1936, 40 cents per acre, the 15 cents additional being for repayment of a special appropriation of $8,000, reimbursable as operation and maintenance. 20. Administration, $60,000.-There are more than 100 projects involved, many of which comprise comparatively large areas of irrigable lands. On the larger and more complicated projects the irrigation division is in direct charge of the projects. On many of the smaller units the operation and maintenance is handled by the local superintendent. The projects under the direct management of the division comprise a total irrigable area of approximately 1,032,000 acres, of which 670,000 acres are under constructed works and 410,000 acres are now being irrigated, of which ares 107,900 acres are irrigated by Indians. The projects for which the irrigation service has only advisory relations are in all instances small in area, the aggregate irrigable area being approximately 118,400 acres of which 56,720 acres are under constructed works and 37,330 acres are being irrigated, of which area 32,850 acres are irrigated by Indians. For the proper administration of the irrigation activities the following principal field administrative offices are required: Assistant Director of Irrigation, Los Angeles, Calif.; and three district offices located at central points in each of the three districts into which the arid portion of the Indian country has been divided. The headquarters for district no. 3, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota, are located at Billings, Mont. The headquarters for district no. 4, including California, southern Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, are located at Los Angeles, Calif. The headquarters for district no. 5, including southern Colorado, New Mexico, northern Arizona, Oklahoma, and that part of Utah lying south of the San Juan River, are located at Albuquerque, N. Mex. District no. 2 was abolished April 15, 1935, and the territory divided between districts 3 and 4. The estimates included under "Administration" have been worked out on the basis of the administrative organization that would be required on a strictly operation and maintenance basis. Where further construction work is involved some additional expense will necessarily be incurred, which must be paid from funds available for construction work. On each of the projects that are being operated and maintained by the Irrigation Division a local operating force is maintained. The expense of the various project offices is borne entirely by the specific appropriations applicable to that particular project. The regular field administrative organization upon which this estimate is based is shown in the following tabulation: Mr. JOHNSON. There are only two changes of importance in that item. Please explain them briefly. Mr. DODD. On page 162 of the justifications, we show a number of small projects for which specific appropriations are not made. You will notice that there are 30,455 acres of irrigable land, and 14,532 acres in the area under constructed canals. For construction to date we have spent $811,637.52. With Public Works funds we have put in some other small irrigation projects, and this increase is to cover the small maintenance and operation costs of those projects. The other item of increase is in the Pueblo item, where we go from $4,000 to $25,000, an increase of $21,000. Of that increase $4,000 is accounted for by the consolidation of the Zuni operation and maintenance item, which is bracketed out on page 116. That leaves an increase of $17,000, which Mr. Wathen will explain. 139751-37--pt. 1- -65 MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF GAGING STATIONS ON THE RIO GRANDE Mr. WATHEN. That is primarily for maintenance and operation of 58 gaging stations on the Rio Grande, installed under Public Works allotments. Those records are very necessary in connection with the probable early adjudication of water rights in the Rio Grande Valley There is litigation now before the Supreme Court in this connection The case is entitled "Teras v. New Merico", but it indicates very clearly that complete checks will be made within the next year of two. Mr. O'NEAL. This item is marked "Reimbursable": Does that mean that under this est mate you are making the Indians put up a certain sum to liquidate this cost? Mr. DoDD. The Indians contribute a large amount of labor on the projects, and expenditures are made by the Government cover the cost of lumber and other materials needed for repairs in the project works. Mr. O'NEAL. That is a regular charge? Mr. DODD. We have established a per-acre charge per year, which is usually $1 per acre. It is worked out on that basis. Mr. O'NEAL. You do not have any funds coming out of these projects going into the Treasury, do you? Mr. Dopp. No, sir; except in a few cases, one being the Ganado project, in Arizona, where we have some white people on the project We collect from them $1,000 a year, or approximately that the Pala and Rincon, California, project, we collect $2,000 a year From the Southern Ute project, in Colorado, we will collect abit $1,000 a year Mr. O'NEAL. That money is covered into the Treasury. Mr. Dopp. Yes, sir; and is reappropriated by this act. Section 4 of the Permanent Appropriations Repeal Act directed that those funds be covered into the Treasury and be reappropriated. Mr. O'NEAL. Then, we increase the amount spent on those projecte by that amount. Mr. Dopp. No; that is included in the total here Prior to 19%, we spent that money without congressional review, but now you have it before you in this bill. If you will notice the language on page 115. it says - $11,000, together with $4,000 from which amount expenditures shall not eve! the aggregate receipts covered into the Treasury in accordance with sect. i the said Repeal Act. Mr. O'NEAL. That amount would reduce the total amount of the appropriation by that sum, so far as new money is concerned Mr. Dopp. Yes, sir; as far as the direct charge against the Federal Treasury is concerned. Mr. O'NEAL. I think that ought to be brought out, Mr Johns in a statement on the floor. Mr. JoHNSON, Yes; I think so. as Mr. WATHEN. We might add that collections from the Indian themselves are increasing every year. For instance, collections for all irrigation work for the fiscal year 1936 amounted to $316,7 compared with $604,950 for 1937 and an estimated amount of $4 for the fiscal year 1958. Mr O'NEAL. If there is a charge, it is not collected, it is not held as a debt against the Indians; or is it just a theoretical debt? Mr. WATHEN. It is theoretical; it is held there until Congress charges it off. MAINTENANCE, SAN CARLOS IRRIGATION PROJECT, ARIZONA Mr. JOHNSON. The next item is for operation and maintenance of the San Carlos irrigation project in Arizona. There appears to be a slight reduction in this item. Mr. DODD. The following justification for the San Carlos estimate is submitted: Regular appropriation, 1937 act Deduct nonrecurring and other items not required in 1938: Reduction in operating costs.. Base for 1938_ Total estimate, 1938. The proposed expenditures for 1938 consist of the following items: Telephone system.. Buildings and grounds_ Power system, including an emergency item of $25,000 Irrigation and drainage wells... Total 2. Indian works: Distribution system.. 3. Non-Indian works: Distribution system: Operation by district. Maintenance, by project.. Total operation and maintenance cost Less credit due district for operation non-Indian works......... Net total appropriation... GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT 299, 500 Irrigation system.-The San Carlos project is designed to irrigate 100,000 acres of which 50,000 acres are owned by whites and 50,000 acres are on the Gila River Indian Reservation and owned in part by individual Indians and in part by the Pina Indian Tribe as a whole. The white-owned lands are mostly included in the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District. All of the white-owned lands are now under constructed works. Approximately 40,000 acres of the Indian lands are under constructed works. During 1936, 24,813 acres were irrigated on the Indian part of the project, of which 23,428 acres were cropped and had a crop value of $306,063, or $13.06 per acre. On the white part of the project, 37,002 acres were irrigated and cropped with a crop value of $1,449,987, or $39.20 per acre. The total crop value was $1,756,051 or an average of $29.06 for the 60,430 acres cropped. The total number of acres irrigated was 61,813. During the early part of the present year, approximately 71,000 acres of land were being irrigated and cropped. It is expected that during 1938 about 80,000 acres will be irrigated and cropped with a crop value of approximately $2,500,000. The population of the project consists of 4,718 Pima Indians and approximately 7,000 whites, including those living in towns and villages. Those living on project farms include about 4,600 persons of whom approximately 2,600 are Pima Indians. It is expected that water will be delivered to 800 Indian farms farmed by the Indian owners and to 500 white owned farms. The principal crops are alfalfa for hay and pasture, cotton, wheat, maize, corn and pasture grasses. Water for irrigation is delivered practically every month of the year. |