|
<br />
<br />--
<br />...
<br />CT:
<br />N
<br />~
<br />C.
<br />'--
<br />
<br />THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
<br />
<br />-~J.
<br />r...,.I-.I'"
<br />" ,.
<br />. ~ ')<
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br /> '.:.0;" ,
<br /> i.
<br /> I.
<br />~..
<br /> ".
<br /> ""'
<br /> ..
<br />i,1 \.;
<br />J(
<br />, "
<br /> >, . .
<br /> ~"-~
<br /> . .
<br /> , '
<br />.,,~~
<br />"'<?~. ~ ~
<br />~.
<br />
<br /> v
<br />,.;(' ,
<br />., ~ ~.
<br />'~
<br />,
<br />.,
<br /> . ,.
<br />.,
<br /> ..... ,.
<br /> , , '"'
<br />.' "
<br />
<br />.,
<br />
<br />-' "",
<br />~
<br />
<br />,t,
<br />.'"
<br />
<br />,.
<br />~: #i (' "
<br />,
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />\
<br />\'
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />~. .
<br />
<br />....4:
<br />
<br />"'l
<br />
<br />. ,
<br />" -:Ji,t"i
<br />" ~., ~ ""
<br />
<br />,.
<br />
<br />,~
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />.. ..,;"
<br />
<br />t
<br />
<br />;'
<br />
<br />.~.
<br />,",''';.:J''
<br />.,;...1.
<br />\:,.'.;t,r
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />...
<br />
<br />l'
<br />
<br />It
<br />
<br />,
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />"....
<br />~
<br />
<br />~.~..
<br />",.,.. '\,
<br />f.
<br />
<br />
<br />'" ~ 1 t
<br />,."f.... .
<br />-.l.
<br />
<br />tk'
<br />
<br />Farm worker John Rodriguez pushes cotton out
<br />of 8 picker bin and into a Iraller on the Carlos
<br />
<br />Carranza Sr. farm near Stanfield. The farm
<br />could benem from CAP water by 1988.
<br />
<br />Sunde)', Deeemb.r 18, 1983
<br />
<br />Farm family
<br />believes CAP
<br />will increase
<br />land values
<br />
<br />I,
<br />
<br />The Carranza family is waiting for -
<br />and banking on - the arrival of
<br />Central Arizona Project water.
<br />Since 1980, Carlos Carranza Sr., and his
<br />sons, Carlos Jr. and Chris, have farmed
<br />540 acres in the Maricopa-Stanfield Irri-
<br />gation and Drainage District. Before that,
<br />they lived on and worked another Stan-
<br />field-area farm.
<br />Their water supply for farming then
<br />and now is ground water.
<br />Because the Carranza farm is near the
<br />Santa Rosa turnout of the Tucson Aque-
<br />duct, their chances are good for getting
<br />CAP water delivered by 1988 or '89.
<br />"We're looking forward to the CAP,"
<br />Chris Carranza said. "Our land will be
<br />worth more because it will have a surface-
<br />water supply. CAP water means more
<br />cultivation of lands now just sitting
<br />there."
<br />CAP water also will mean savings in
<br />pumping costB.
<br />Carranza said it costs $225 per acre per
<br />year in electricity charges, paid to Arizona
<br />Public Service Co., to irrigate an acre of
<br />cotton. Labor and repair add $50 to the
<br />""I.
<br />He said he expectB it will cost him $325
<br />to irrigate an acre of cotton with CAP
<br />water by the time the water is delivered,
<br />but thinks by 1988 or '89, electric rates
<br />will be so high it will be cheaper than
<br />pumping ground water. It takes about five
<br />acre-feet of water to grow an acre of
<br />cotton.
<br />Carranza also doubts that ground water
<br />always win be available. The more the
<br />ground-water table drops, the more ex-
<br />pensive the water is to pump because it
<br />must be raised from greater depths.
<br />After three years of operation, they are
<br />breaking even on costs, Carranza said. He
<br />said that using CAP water instead of
<br />pumping will help their farm become'
<br />profitable.
<br />"Who knows what the power costs will
<br />be for pumping ground water?" Carranza
<br />said. "We certainly can expect them to
<br />rise. And who knows how long we'll have
<br />ground water to pump? The CAP i8
<br />80mething we can count on."
<br />Currently, the ground-water table in the
<br />area has sunk to about 600 feet below the
<br />surface.
<br />"At the end of the growing 8eason, when
<br />all farmer8 are pumping a lot, there's air
<br />in the pumps," he said. "We know the
<br />ground-water table 'is dropping signifi-
<br />cantly.
<br />"There's a lot of farmland that's
<br />abandoned around here. CAP water
<br />means that more land can be farmed that
<br />otherwise would be just fallow."
<br />
|