Condition of the Navajo Indian Country, page 11

OS7000, 8 bit, 400 dpi, 8,260,000 bytesAnd in consequence is constantly caving in, and annually requires a much greater expenditure of time and labor to put it in order than if the cross section were originally of the approved form, thus:The Francis ditch will irrigate about 2,317 acres, and the cost as estimated by Mr. Coolidge will be about $8,100; in fact, he stands ready to put in the ditch for that amount, and can complete it, if desired, in about sixty days from the time the contract is awarded. Mr. Coolidge is a large property-owner in the immediate vicinity. I have every reason to believe that he would put in only good work and confidently recommend him when contracts are awarded. The Sandival ditch will irrigate about 2,317 acres on the south bank of the San Juan River. From the lower end of this ditch a line was surveyed directly across the river and valley, a distance of 1 mile, with a view to carrying the surplus water (and the ditch can easily be make large enough that there will be a surplus) by means of an inverted siphon (6-inch pipe) and irrigating about 640 acres of land on the north bank. In the survey of these ditches, the construction of which is recommended, I am under many obligations to Messrs. F. J Coolidge, civil engineer, and J. E. Francis, the farmer employed here by the Interior Department, who I found most active and earnest in his efforts to assist the Indians in farming. Leaving the San Juan for the mountains, I found at the point marked 23 on the general map, 4 1/2 miles northeast of the ""Needle,"" a mud spring, which, from its location in the center of good grazing land, should be improved by being cleaned out and walled up for about 18 inches, on top of which should be put a wire fence to keep out stock. At least two water troughs will be needed. Work required, twelve days.At our camp of October 14, 2-1/2 miles west of the ""Needle,"" is a mud spring which should be cleaned out, walled up, and water-piped a distance of about 50 feet to water trough. About six days' labor will be required. A mile north of here, at the extreme western point of a rocky ledge running west from the ""Needle,"" is another small mud spring which tow days labor would put in proper condition by cleaning out. Walling up and digging a small reservoir or putting in a small trough and covering the spring with large flat rocks or logs. Another small spring of good water was found in a little ca±on near 24. The water here comes from seepage through the sand rock. Two days' labor will be required to cut out a couple of small reservoirs for the domestic use; the overflow to be caught in water troughs below. A careful search will probably result in other small springs being found near here in the low sandstone ridge which trends north and south. A few miles west of here, at 25, a water hole was found in the dry bed of a stream. Drive wells could be located to advantage anywhere along here. Springs were also found to the southwest, at the base of a landmark which I called ""Mitten Rock"" (26), from its resemblance to that article. At our camp of October 15, water was obtained from a natural tank or basin in the sand rock. There is no spring here - simply water from the rains, caught in a basin in a ""wash."" The basin could easily be made to hold double what it does now by building a little rock and cement dam, 3 feet long by 18 inches high. One day's labor will be required to put a mud spring at 27 in condition to make it a small watering place, while a bore or artesian well might to advantage be located at 28.From this time on springs were found in abundance, and no special work is recommended other than that which may be done under the supervision of the farmers employed by the Interior Department to assist the Indian in farming. East of the Lukachuikai Mountains, in Black Horse's district, was found a running stream, along which were a number of Indian farms. Their ditch headings were very poor ones, but the indications are that there is an abundance of water during the irrigating season. The Indian name of this stream and valley signifies ""Standing Red Rock"" from a red sandstone butte in the middle of the valley, surmounted by a rock, which in appearance, resembles a kettle. The headings of the Indian ditches are very poor ones, but about half of a mile east of the rock above described there is a 20-foot fall in the stream, 20 yards above which is an excellent place for cutting a heading for a ditch which I have named Standing Red Rock ditch. This ditch will irrigate about 2,645 acres of good land. Its heading as seen by the accompanying drawing is cut out of the solid red sandstone rock. A cement dam less than 2 feet in height and about 25 feet in length will turn al