Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-10-19
WATERS OF THE RIO GRANDE.
They Are Involved In AZ Important
Question Of Interstate
Rights.

Governor Thornton n New Mexico
has called masss convention Of resi-
dents Of New Mexico, Arizona, West
ern Texas and the state II Cninuhhun,
Old Mexico,to meet ia Deming, n. NJ,
on Tuesday, November 7tb, TO consiu'r
some important questions OF irrigation.
One is In regard 10 the construction OF
reservoirs to store the waste watora oil
the river; the other Ia thus etated W the
governor in bis nroclamatoni
Whoreas, Large quantities Of the
water OF said river which nave iDi
many years been appropriated anu
used by the citizens residing III the
valley thereof south " Albuquerque,
for the purposus OF irrigation, aud upon
M, continual use Of which depends lhe
Nh, ami prosperity Of the community
has been wrongfully appropriated AM
diverted TO other uses ny Tue IehiueuA
near the headwatuu Of snid stream, ~
Colorado, thus causing a wafer lailluV
IN the lower valley, which nom year 20
wear gfpya greateI,un the ngficullu'
raj iniertsts are imminent janBer %
destruction unless huoh DIVERSION u"
checked.
The main question before the conyen-
lion eay the Denver NCiCs, viii be that
of interstate water fighte, anu u may
be added, International water rights ~
well since the residents Of OLD Mexico
In the Rio Grande valley, uat lhe
waters Of that stream for irrigation
Ills abistorical fact which cannot be
denied that the waters Of the no
grande were usei for irrigation by
feddenta Of New Mexico from 100 u
300 years before Colorado was settled,
or became a territory. New Mexicnns
must be acknowledged 10 be the ofigi.
mai approptiatotH Of the watufa OF that
river Their claim ~ that the use Of
the water by residents Of san LUIS
valley, In this state, II destroying thelf
The Nous is not dispoaed to admit
this proposition. IL Is true that there
are thousands Of acres Irrigated rom
the Rio Grande AMI u. tributaries Ia
the Sau Luis valley, but every men OF
water used la the San Luis valley
save that lost by evapoTation-inds lie
way back into the rivor ana Howe
awkward through the Espanalo can'
Won TO be used ugaiu In the lower va
ley. Tue difference In the volume OF
water IN the river Il not duo q irrigh
ton In the San Luis valley, hut u
quite another cauer, aud that IL Tue
cutting oil Of timber about the head
waters Of that sire. m
ItisR fact that thv volume Of watol
In all the Rocky mountain streams hHi
been reduced, AMI II Is eel eclally tJu'
Of the Platte, tho Arkansas and tbs
Rio Gtanue ana their tributary streams
They arc lower la the dry months nu,
subject 10 greater floods IN spring time
but the general dow Of the year II less
The cause II plain. The snowbank
which formerly lay on the mountain
until August are now gone early II
July. They melt away quickly ~
stead OF gradually, 40 was the east
when heavy timber covered the noun
iains. IL every ditch la thr San Lui
valley were shut III the Nous does MOI
believe there would he any difference
IN the volume Of the Rio Gundo a
Albuquerque, Las Cruces OF III Peso
The real trouble IL with the origlup
source oisuppiy, not with the ditehe
of the San Luis valley.