Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-06-07

over this fertile corner OF New |
Mexico between the agriCulturist and |
stOekmen is now on. 1t is the exact re-
petition of what has been done in Iowa,
Kansas and elsewhere. The stockman
generally knows a good thing when ne
sees it and says but little about it to his
friends or strangers, inevitably there
comes time when it is found out that
he is monopolizing piece OF ground that
could be made to pay better by cultlva-
ton. The pillow comes and the Texas
steer moves back, not without a mild
whoop of the cowboy, but he goes just
the same. 1t so happens that in this Ia
yored portion OF the territory
TRANSPORTATION SCENE
has been effected in very short time,
and still greater change is to be brought
about within the next few months. The
farmer is getting the upper hand and Will
continue to hold it, and the cattle men
are not discouraged. They realize that
quite as much money can be made out OF
their business by feeding as by ranging,
and the profit is dsbursed by two pairs OF
hands where formerly it went into one.
WHY SUCH A CHANGE,
in 80 short time is the question which
naturally confronts every man who sees
or hears OF the Pecos valley. One word
sulfices to answer-water. Like nearly
the whole of the western country, this
section has to depend upon artificial
means of watering the lands to insure
CROPS; and although the valley has a mag
nificent water supply, it has been the
problem of the people how to distribute
this water over the surface. The question
has at last been solved, and by so doing
hundreds of thousands OF acres of fine
land will be brought under successful Gull
tivaton and the vast prairie turned into
one big field Of grain, grass, orchards,
vineyards, etc.
FIRST NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR AND IRRfoA-
TON COMPANY.
Six years ago, Mr.. Leslie M. Long, civil
engineer, having occasion to visit the re-
cos valley, made careful examination OF
the country and found that it is capable
of great possibilities. Mr.. Long is a
graduate of the Polytechnic Institute OF
| Engineering, Troy, n. Y, and has devot-
ed number of years to the study OF the
reservoir system for irrigation in this and
other countries He saw here great masses
of water going to waste and broad acres
that could not be irrigated successfully
without system OF reservoirs, idle ano
unproductive, although at that time there
we're number of farms producing
lands being irrigated by the ditch system
and water taken out of the streams
This already demonstrated that the more
elevated lands could be made to produce
in a like manner by supplying them with
water. He conceived the idea OF organ
izing company for the purpose OF build
ing reservoirs and canals, and thereby
, bring the whole country under cultivation
He made thorough survey of the gfounc
and succeeded i'll organizing the company
which was incorporated under the laws
New Mexico, December OF, 1883. Tit
articles set forth that the purpose was tn
. storing of water supplied by the hond'
river in
TWO RESERVOIRS,
and reservoir and distributor. Theicapita
stock of the company is 100000, an'
every dollarwas paid in. Estimatesin deta
were made out, and it was found that tn
n total cost OF carrying out the scheme, woul
be 1882 900. Becoming more impresse
with the importance of the plan, 1t wa
decided to increase the capacity of tn
reservoirs, dams, water ways, etc., almoi
furnished with two dams, which will hay
a width of over 200 feet at the base an
from sixteen to twenty feet at the croWl
with ripraps on the upper side. The c.
pacity of these reservoirs will be ov'
10 100000 cubic yards. They will be il
=, closed on all sides by natural and eve
. lasting walls, excepting at the Quite
ST where the dams are to be constructs
r It is estimated that If one cubic yard
v sediment passed through the channel
% the Hondo river an imaginary line evel
- minute for each day OF twenty-four hour
u it would require over 400 years to t
y their basins; and if the contents OF tt
', reservoirs were to be distributed ov
r, 100 900 acres OF land, it would cover it
- depth OF about seventeen inches.
|
! The site of the lower or DISTRIBUTE
- reservoir is on the Hondo river, in Chav
- county, and about eleven miles from Ro
10 well, the county seat. The upper or r
70 ceiving reservoir is to be about four mill
G above the lower one. The drainage sy
tenn, belonging to these great basins, er
braces an area of nearly $4,000 squa
Z. miles. The average annual rain fall
;, twelve inches, which alone is snfiicie
to more than fill them yearly.
=, SOURCE OF SUPPLY.
ii The reservoirs will receive their supp
le from the Hondo river, which is formed
pr the junction of the Bonito and Ruidoi
W. ", each OF which finds its source in the VIII
m mountains in western Lincoln count
These mountains are covered the ye
around with snow, which, with numero
49, springs. furnish the Hondo large "
" ume of water at least nine months in t
Il year. The streams have two yearly ov'
e. flows, and during these seasons it is pl
at posed to store the surplus water in orc
lie not to interfere with the settlers and far
ers along the valley who may have pr
C. rights. Thus it will be seen that the co
le pany has no intentions Of abridging t
at natural flow of the Hondo, but merely
q catch and store the waste and surplus v
at ter. Almost invariably the dry perio
an occur at times when the water is an 1
'st solute necessity for the planting and pr
90 ervation Of crops, and it will be read
IL realized that settlers will be enabled to
10 cate lands where they may be certain
d. permanent water supply.
10, TIE LAND RECLAIMED.
10, About $50 900 acres of rich land, vi
i'd a sandy loan, locally termed "Wo