Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-30
PECOS VALLEY SOIL.
Information Concerning the Necessity Of
Drainage to Overcome Alkali,

Drainage to Overcome Alkali.
The division Of soils Of the depart
lnent Of agriculture has issued a report
irrigated district of the Pecos valley.
The investigation was made by Thomas
H.. Means and Frank D. Gardner, and
vas to ascertain the extent of and dam
age from alkali and seepage waters and
to consider methods for the prevention
Of further damage. They say:
There are four large systems Of irri-
CATION on the Pecos river in New Mex
leo and Texas: First, the Roswell area,
deriving water from the North and
South Spring rivers and Berendo
springs; second. the Hagerman area, or
Northern canal system, the water for
which il obtained from the unused,
waste and drainage waters from the
Roswell area, and, in time of flood, from
the Hondo river; third, the Carlsbad
area, or Southern canal system, obtains
water directly from the Pecos river by
storage in two large reservoirs; fourth,
WIG AS0le oASeA oioO 0SSANS CD N0lNl
from the Pecos, but without storage.
The Roswell area Is confined to the land
Immediately around the junction of the
Hondo and Pecos rivers, with narrow
strips along the Berendos. The waters
Of the north and south springs com
from great depths on the Hondo flood
plain, and mo doubt are a part of the
water lost through seepage from the up
per part of the rivers and tributaries
just after they leave the mountains.
THE Roswell loans cover by far the
greater part of the irrigation district
Of Roswell. They differ from the Pecos
loan in being heavier; that is, they con-
tain a higher percentage of fine mate
rial. They are subdivided into sandy
loan and loan. A bed of clay underlies
both soils, but that under the loan Is
much nearer the surface than that up-
der the sandy loan. The clay Is very
lmpervious to water. When irrigation
water Ia freely applied, the excess seeps
down until this stratum OF clay 10
reached, when it accumulates and rises,
gradually filling the subsoil until the
soil itself becomes too wet with seepage
water for crops. Drainage is the one
great need Of these coils. The water
drawn off from the subsoil would lessen
the evaporation from the surface and
carry out into the rivers the salt which
has accumulated near the surface, be-
sides lowering the level Of the ground
water. Meadows or bottom lands occur
along the North and South Spring riv-
ers, and along the Honod. The soil In
all Of these is formed from mud, de-
posits1 BY the HczsU When 10. flood,
mixed with the remains of Tule swaiups
and other water-loving vegetation. |
Most of the bottom lands are wet and !
would require drainage, even In a hui
mid climate. but, situated as they are.
quantities Of alkali are accommodating In
the surface, and only by thorough
drainage and washing away Of these
salts can these lands now be reclaimed.
THE main problem Which confronts
the farmer at Hagerman Is similar to
that In the Roswell area-that is, the
prevention of accumulation Of alkali
rear the surface. Over land which has
adequate natural drainage very little
damage has been felt from this cause.
On the heavier soils and where gypsum
comes close to the surface these lands
must be u~nderdrained. The same may
be said Of the Carlsbad and Barstow !
THE Barstow area lies in an old lake
basin, and the soils are derived from
old lake sediments. The soils on
tain alkali in their lower depths, and in
many are underlaid by gypsum. |
The Pecos water. where taken out, con-
.atned in June, 1899, about 800 parts OF
soluble matter per 100, 900. while the Pc
.os opposite Pecos City contained 525
'arts. This concentration Of the water, |
which must be near its average condi-
lion, ialso rear the limit for plant
rrowth that only where the most favor.
lbls c1aSdstions Of soil and Drainage are
'oun9 an agriculture be termed sue