Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-06
How Water Is Stored for Irrigation
and Other Purposes at Santa Fe,
by the Construction of Immense
Reservoirs and Dams.
RETURNS OF NRW MEXICO ALFALFA
Nowhere in the World is to Be Found
the Standard Varieties of Fruit and
Vegetables Growing in Such
Absolute Perfection as at
Santa Fe Under Irri-
cation.

Inc numerous advantages Tor lrr1gatlOn
found along the Rio Santa Fe no doubt in
duced the early settlement of the town of
Santa Fe.
The Santa Fe river rises among the
snow capped peaks at the southern ex.
tremity of the Rocky mountain range, at
about an elevation of $4,000 feet, and in
less than 60 miles as the crow flies, des-
cends more than 5000 feet to it's con-
fluence with the Rio Grands. The water
flow in this river is semi-annual from
melted snow in the mountains during
March, April and May and from the rain
fall during July, August and September.
Without adequate storage at Santa Fe
for the surplus flow, it will be readily
understood how on grade of 100 feet to
the mile this semi-annual flow must speed
lily find its way into the Rio Grande and
out of the county. With it would of
course 60 the basis of all successful at
tempts at agriculture in the Santa Fe
valley.
Under these conditions, some five years
ago the Municipal Investment company
of Chicago commenced the construction
of the water system now in use in the city
of Santa Fe. The town had outgrown the
limited supply furnished by local COM
pany that had been in operation for about
II years. The reservoir completed three
years ago with its system of pipes forms
the city system proper and also furnishes
water power for electric lights of the
town.
The reservoir is located in the Santa Fe
canon, three miles above the city. 1t
was planned by Engineer j. M. Howells
of the San Diego Water company, and
intended to store all the surplus flow of
the river. The dam for the second reser-
voir nearer the city is now in course of
construction and is intended for the stor-
age of water for purposes of irrigation
only. The capacity of the com pleted
reservoir is 150,OOO,OOO gallons, and the
average annual surplus water flow in the
river is sufficient to fill it six times; ca
pacity OF the reservoir is the equivalent
of about 5000 acre feet 5000 acres -
inches deep.) The dam, at this reservoir,
is built on bedrock, of concrete made of
English Portland cement and earth-work.
It is 800 feet wide at the base, 20 feet on
top, 85 feet high, and 1850 feet long-the
upper or water side is rip-rapped with
three feet of stone. Two lines of pipe
-15 inch and 10 inch-extend from
the reservoir to the oity from which is
taken one-half the pressure at half the
distance for the purpose of power for
electric light, the water being returned
to the pipe system, without waste, for do
mestic use and irrigation in the city.
system extends to all parts of the city and
suburbs, including the capitol grounds,
penitentiary, United States Indian school,
National cemetery and United States
court house, all of which are furnished
water under pressure for domestic use,
fire protection and irrigation.
| The question is often asked but never
answered, "How much water does it re.
| quire to irrigste an acre of land?" The
method is in vogue everywhere ir the
arid regions when water is abundant, to
flood the crop with several inches of
water, leaving the oversoaked ground to
bake in the sun, till the opportunity Of
fers to repeat the dose. Under this un-
certain method the crops are correspond
ingly uncertain. The thing of first i'm
portanoe in all farming operations with
irrigation is sure source of water sup
ply for use at the right time and in the
right way.
On the Pacific coast the Chinese meth
cd is to keep the ground always moist
and mellow; and only in this way can be
obtained maximum crops from minimum
use of water. In Ohio and Kentucky the
average rainfall during the growing
season is about one inch per week, and
this insures not only abundant crops, but
fair stage of water in the rivers for navi-
cation. In Santa Fe the average rainfall
during the same period is less than one
third that of the region of the Ohio river,
On Santa Fe valley lands naturally rich
or we'll fertilized, under thorough cultiva-
tion and irrigation, with intelligent use
of sure water supply, crops, appropriate
to the climate and situation in the arid
region, may be expeotec, that are not
only satisfactory, but surprising. How
ever, farming by irrigation is high-class
work, and whoever will succeed in it must
give it patient, plodding and skillful at
tention. single man will find his hands
more than full with from ten to 20 acres.
As to the quality of fruits and vege-
tables grown under irrigation, old army
officers having served at Fort Marcy declare
that at no other military station in the
United States have they found celery of
superior quality to that grown by irriga-
tion in the gardens of the military post