NEW FISH HATCHERY ASSET TO STATE

ARIZONA HIGHWAYS

CIVILIZATION FOLLOWS THE IMPROVED HIGHWAY

Volume VIII June, 1932 Number 6

By W. C. JOYNER, State Game Warden The State of Arizona, in addition to having within her borders many minor irrigation projects, small natural lakes and trout streams, is fortunate in having two major irrigation projects, namely the Roosevelt project, composed of four reservoirs and the San Carlos Project, composed of one lake.

The Salt River Project, which is located at the junction of the Salt River and Tonto Creek, has a total capacity of 1,637,000 acre feet and at the present time contains something over 1,000,000 acre feet; the dam next below Roosevelt dam has a capacity of 245,000 acre feet and at the present time has a content of 225,000 acre feet; Mormon Flat Reservoir, the third dam, has a capacity of 63,000 acre feet and at the present time is about one half full, while the last dam, known as Stewart Mountain, has a capacity of 70,000 acre feet with about 45,000 acre feet at the present time.

The San Carlos Reservoir, Arizona's newest major project, has a total capacity of 1,200,000 acre feet and at the present time is about one-third filled to capacity.

Until the winter season of 1931-32, Arizona had experienced a drought of several years duration, which had greatly depleted the available supply of water in the four reservoirs on the Salt, the result being the destruction of the spawn of the bass therein, due to the rapid falling of the water during the peak of the irrigation period in the Salt River Valley.

The past winter we experienced an almost unprecedented snow fall with the result that at the present time there is more water stored in Arizona than at any time in its history.

Plenty of Water

Since we are assured of ample water for an almost inexhaustible supply of fish, we are endeavoring to stock these waters by every available means. First by closing portions of these lakes during the spawning season, second by arranging with the Federal Bureau of Fisheries for two car loads of fish to be delivered late thisfall and third by the erection of the Hunt the California side of the Colorado River Bass Hatchery, composed of four concrete near Yuma, Arizona. and earth dams, located in Papago Park, about eight miles from Phoenix, Arizona.

The site of the Hatchery is located on land recently known as Papago National Monument, which has been transferred to the State of Arizona for park and recreational purposes.

The dams are located in the small canyon which extends between two irrigation canals of the Salt River Valley Irrigation Project, thus providing a gentle flow of water through the four reservoirs at all times. One dam has been completed and filled with water, which has probably been released by this time in order to flush out the impurities which might be contained in the soil underlying the waters of the lake. We intend to release there, the latter part of this week, a number of channel cat which will be obtained from

To Build Four Dams

The first dam contains about six acre feet of water and covers an area of approximately one and one-half acres; dam No. 2, which is under construction and which is about 50 per cent completed, will contain twelve acre feet and covers an area of three and one-half acres; dam No. 3, which will be completed within 45 days, contains fifteen acre feet and covers an area of three acres and No. 4, the last dam to be constructed at this time, will contain twelve acre feet and covers about two acre feet of surface.

The water behind each dam will in each case back up to the foot of the preceding dam.

In each lake, due to the physical characteristics of the land submerged, the (Continued on Page Six)