|
<br />In 1907 the United States acquired title ta the water distributian.
<br />system, and began ta rehabilitate ,Or relac:ate existing cana.ls and cranst:ru:crt
<br />new 'ones. Several powerdraps along thesE1 new canals crould be .developed at
<br />an estimated cast ,Of $900,0001 but since ~aney in the Reclamatian FUnd at
<br />that time was nat available far developnteut ,Of power, the U.S. asked the
<br />Assacriatian ta pravide funds. ElharehaldeX's ,Of the Praject at a spedal
<br />electian autharized the As-sacriatian ta enter a crantracrt with the gavermtlllnt
<br />far such cranstrucrtian.
<br />
<br />
<br />reservair from 190 feet ta220 feet, and t,O incrlude praducti,On and trans-
<br />missian ,Of power far use in develaping undergraund water and far drainage
<br />purpases.
<br />
<br />!'he dam was cOIlllllenCled in 1905, and in 1911, dedicrated and 'officially
<br />named far President Raasevelt wha attended the event. At tha.t time it was
<br />the largest stara~ reservair and dam in ~he warld and ~~ today the warld's
<br />highest masanry dam. Accrarding ta the ll-ph Annual Repart' ,Of the U.S. Recla-
<br />mation. Service, the crast ,Of the praject t9 June 30, 1912 was $9,508,831.12.
<br />
<br />When the Water Usersl Ass'ociatian Wll-S fanned, relative rights ta
<br />the water ,Of Salt River ha.d nat been d,eterm1ned. Tb.e Articles ,Of Incr'orpara-
<br />tian made na attempt ta rights) neitMr did the cantract between the Assacria-
<br />tion and the '!Jnited States. In 1905, suit was instituted by P. T. liu.rleY
<br />against Charles S. Abbatt and ather land owners in which Mr. Hurley sa-ugi1t
<br />ta ha.ve his title qu!eted ta the use ,Of an amaunt ,Of water suf'f'ident ta
<br />irrigate lands owned by h:lm. The 11nited ,Stat.e.s, by cranaent ,Of the Court,
<br />intervened as a party. It sought. and abt,ained pracress ta make party .
<br />defendant ta its crass.-com;plaint, the 48QO owners ,Of lands sUbject ta
<br />irrigatian from Praject canals. It asked far judgment establishing rights
<br />and priarity date ,Of each defendant and eacrh parcrel ,Of land ta Wll-ter ,Of the
<br />Salt River and its tributaries. Su:crh deqisian was entered by Judge Edward
<br />Kent, Chief Justice ,Of the Territarial Caurt, sitting as Districrt JUdge, an
<br />Marcrh l;t 1910, effective an and after Ap:t'il 1, 1910.
<br />
<br />The fi,rst distributian ,Of Wll-ter i stared behind Raosevelt Dam was
<br />J!lS,de in 1910. Hawever, ,Official crom;plettanaf the Pra,1.ecrt Wll-S delayeli until
<br />1917" due ta additianal cranstru.crtian within the Pra,1ecrt. Priar ta 1917, the
<br />sharehalders becrame disturbed aver increr;.sing crasts, all of which -were ta he
<br />paid by ,Owners ,Of lands ,Of the Prajecrt. '~ers ,Of the Assacriatian ~re
<br />alsa dissatisfied with the 1ll!lmler .in whi1ilh the Gavernment was operating the
<br />PraJecrt;t particrularly in the applicatian; ,Of the power even'U'Ss derived frOllt
<br />Pr(lJect warks. A <lanferenc:e was held between the Secretary at the Interiar
<br />and Artlxur P. navis ,Of the U.S. Re<lle;mat~an Servicre, repres.f!nting the United
<br />States, and Arizona1s Cangressman;t C'll.1:'1 j:[a,y.den, the Assoc:iat~ants President
<br />JahnOr1lle, and Caunsel Jaseph li. Kibbey.: A 1I1eIlLOrand1.lllt ,Of tbis cranf.erencre,
<br />by Mr. Davis, reads in part; .
<br />
<br />lr~ Secretary then amJ.ou:nced ta the Arizana.'
<br />delegatian. tha.t he was anxiaus ta get rid ,Of
<br />the PraJecrt and :l.f the'y wauld enter inta a .
<br />crantracrt ta take c~e ',Of all fUture expendi~
<br />turea and return the entire cast ,Of the ProJ~
<br />ect;t he would turn thl:l prajecrt ,Oyer ta them
<br />and they might apply all power recreipts in
<br />any way they saw fit.'1'
<br />
<br />-16-
<br />
|