Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1900-01-13
ntshHAN1 burrE DAN cIsH.
plhtibgs b. Juiss PuEi na Ns,is
gation Of R'o Gfanas
not A HAvIa AstS sIREAM.

court, by direction Of the supreme rou,
OF the Ulited Stoies. inqulf,d INTO th
navigabIllty OF ths lower RIO arande
with the intention Of restraining M
storage OF water NJ Elephant Butte :,
The extent that such storage would In
terfers with navigation;
"The Rio Grande Il navlgab,s onI,
from its mouth 70 Rio Grande CITY, 20.
mlleq, and Il navlgated only between
Brownsville and Rio Graude City, M
miles
Navigation has steadily declined
since 1888 from lack Of water, now con,
slsls OF occasional trips on ono small
steamer OF 100 tons capacity. aud IA Of
small benefit TO commerce.
THE scarcity OF water il due largely
TO severe drOuth since 1887. with 90.
oasional interruptions extending over m
srea Of several hundred mites Ia width
and length along the river from its
mouth up, and 90 the drying up Of many
tributary streams. formerly large and
perennial rhs extent Of the effsc. OF
this diminusion OF rainfall cannot be
determined from the evidence.
THE Rio Grande IL torrentlal stream
In New Mexico Ia its course through
Colorado and New Mexico much OF its
wase's are lost by causes not accurately
determined. but generally classed A.
seepage and evaporation Between San
Narcial aud NJ PssO-3OO miles the
loss Is about one-third Of thu entire vol.
ume OF water. and elsewhere In New
hexic equal losses occur.
below NJ Pas0 the general character
OF the river bed aud valley IL the same a.
above. and the losses continue.
Between Elephant Butte aud Presi.
dio del NOrle. where the Conehos Joins
the Rio Grande from lhe south. no living
tributaries re-lniorca the Rio lrapde
The Conehos always carries large vol.
ume of water. and Ia seasons Is sorren.
tial stream Of great magnitude.
"Only on one occAsion has the eyi.
fence sho q that the waters OF the Rio
arande Tassed Preside del Norte I'm
large quantity--in May 1897. and then |
i raised It, water there three feet Tor
len days, but did not affect the height Of
he wster at Laredo TO any great ex-
ent.
"The evidence shows no obstruction 20
he how OF the water In she river bed
rom nj Paso to BIO 6rAnde City, 800
niles, but the character Of the river bed
continues the same, aud large losses OF
'ater BY evaporation and seepage occur
'etween Preside del NoFte and Rio
lTande City.
'Soun lings In tho river bed q. ~ Peso
how thu depth Of sand and gravel TO be
ixty feet aud the surface appearances
Indicate the same formation along tina
theF valleys and basins OF tbs river.
The Rio Grande water shed above Rle.
liant Butte Is 5000 square miles In
Tea' and from Elephant Butte 20 Rio
rande City, 10000 square miles. The
liter aFea largely supplies the water FOR !
avigaiiOn. which enters the Rio Grande
ON the Conch0s, San Juan. Pecos and
evils river or tortential streams.
Probably any dow lsss than 1900 8
cond feet At III PasO will have no effect =
the head Of navigation. q
Taking the recorded measurements Of y
Ater passing ri Paso during the paa, y
n years, and assuming the same ratio =
losa BY seepage and evaporation below "
above III Psso. and assuming further q
At & rise OF two feet At Rio Granda CITY q
necessary 10 substantially aid aaVlRs. u
m, 10 appears that In only two or shrae q
AFs oct OF the last ten would sufIlelent u
lount OF water from the upper Rio 'e
o 6ranGs have reached Rio Grande D
~ 10 materially aid navigation" A
Judge Parker concludes tina. the pro.
sed impOunding Of the waters OF the Va
6rande at Elephant Butte will not ~
ostsntially diminish she navigabillty a'
that stream within she limits OF pres. o'
nsVigability." and orders the dlasolu. m
n OF the injunction. ca
Although In the hearing q. Las Cruces Of
government based its entire theory 10
u the decrease In the dow OF the BIO OF
Ande below Rio GEands City In reoen,
lrs is cue the diversion OF water In
dorado for irrigation. Judge Parker ia -,
decision nowhere allndes TO the pro ~
'ltlon.