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Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 02 November 2014 02 November 2014

Dear Editor:

I am prepared to get much criticism, flack and backlashing, but I feel very strong about this subject.

For the past 10 years or so I have been reading and monitoring the meetings held regarding the Arizona Water Settlements Act. I admit that I finished reading the articles with many disgusted and confused feelings.

At many of these meetings, there were people from various groups that I feel had no business being there. Who were they and whom did they represent? Were they just sent there to filibuster/lobby and just prolong the project and extend it beyond the statute of limitations date? Another question—where do they get their funding to participate in all these meetings as they do?

What water are we talking about? With this severe drought that we have had for the past decade or two, by the time the farmers get their meager allotment and Freeport gets theirs for Lake Bill Evans, those "poor" farmers at Redrock and Virden don't have much to work with.

I am no newcomer to the area, as I was born and raised on the Gila 87 years ago. Therefore I know the Gila River and its history pretty well. I lived there until after WWII and labored in many of those nice fertile farms that you now see covered with rocks, sand and gravel.

During these many meetings it appears that the farmers and ranchers who own the ancient water rights on the Gila and San Francisco rivers have had very little input, and when they did, they were "shot" down. They should be very much in the middle of the decision-making.

There is a group of people that keep talking about keeping the Gila as a "wild" river with no dams or diversions. There has been a dam on the Gila River for almost a century. Have you heard of San Carlos Reservoir, near Globe, Arizona, which was created by the constructions of Coolidge Dam (named for President Coolidge, making it almost a century old). There is is Lake Bill Evans, which would qualify as a diversion, would it not?

Let's back up here a little bit in time—some of you were around then and many of you were not. In about the mid-50s, there was a movement to construct a dam on the Gila River.

The first site that was considered was building a dam at the "lower box" of the Gila. The name was to be Conner Dam (in honor of a prominent family in the Redrock area. After much study, this plan was ruled out, because it would cover all of the valley, including all the beautiful farms and the towns of Riverside, Cliff and Gila. Then another dam site was considered, studied and approved. This plan would be to build a dam at the mouth of Turkey Creek on the upper Gila and back up the water into the "wilderness" area. It was to be named Hooker Dam (in honor of the longtime Hooker family of the Gila Valley).

This project was acted upon in Washington, D.C., with funds set aside for it, and with the help of one of our "distinguished" politicians, we were SOLD DOWN THE RIVER, resulting in no dam.

This has been a sore spot with me for these many years, and I will probably get much criticism from the readers, but look what a lake in that area would do for the county. People keep complaining about the loss or revenue and tourism dollars, and this would help this situation a lot. It would not be as large as Elephant Butte, but there would be no comparison as to the beauty and climate between the two.

Another thing that bothers me is why does Silver City and Deming think that they have any right to any of that water. They are in another district.

I mentioned earlier those beautiful fields as I knew them that are now covered with rocks, sand and gravel. That was brought about by another of our government agencies—the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They came in there in the 60s and pushed all those old cottonwoods and willows down and straightened the river channel, thus causing the river to just rush down the channel during flooding season, with no trees, etc. to slow it down. I was told that this was a good idea, if it had been maintained, but it was never maintained resulting in what you see today.

Again, I repeat, how do Silver City and Deming think they fit into the program?

What I predict is that if this is not acted up and settled before the expiration date, some CROOKED POLITICIAN will find a way to run a pipeline to the Rio Grande and sell the water to Las Cruces, El Paso or use it to pay the water debt that New Mexico supposedly owes Texas.

As you know, this plan is already in the legal stages in the Augustine Ranches near Datil to drill wells and pump huge amounts of water into the Rio Grande.

Perhaps you feel that I am too outspoken regarding this subject, but the Gila River Valley is very dear to me and always will be. I have too many fond memories to have some "bureaucrats" come in and erase them without some form of opposition.

Gene Stailey
Mimbres