Damming the Gila: The Gila River Indian Community and the San Carlos Irrigation Project, 1900-1942
Arizona Heritage Center
Saturday, Dec 14, 2024 10:30 AM
Damming the Gila chronicles the history of water rights and farming activities on the Gila River Indian Reservation up to 1942. Centered on the San Carlos Irrigation Project and Coolidge Dam, it details the history and development of the project, including the Gila Decree and the Winters Doctrine. Embedded in the narrative is the underlying tension between tribal growers on the reservation and upstream water users. The story underscores the idea that the Gila River Indian Community believed the San Carlos Irrigation Project was first and foremost for their benefit and how the project and the Gila Decree fell short of restoring their water and agricultural economy. Damming the Gila is the third in a trio of important documentary works, beginning with DeJong’s Stealing the Gila (2009) and followed by Diverting the Gila (2021) that tells the story of the Gila River Indian Community’s fight to regain access to their water.
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