New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-29
AN INTERNATIONAL DAM.
PROPOSITION TO STORE THE FLOOD
WATER OF THE RIO GRANDE

FL Psso Tex. April Is (speciaD-The equitable
n the arid sections United States is prob
len that has commanded the best thought of legis-
lators and engineers In the Rocky Mountain and
Pacific States and Territories the success of agri-
culture depends upon artificial process Of secur
ing the requisite moisture for the soil. The an
nual rainfall is barely sufficient 10 make grass
grow the ranges and then the supply is
rneagre. since from FIVE 10 twenty acres OF graz
ing land is necessary to sustain a single animal
L Is therefore impossible 70 produce a crop Of
grain or grow an orchard, save by means OF irr-
cation. There many thousands of acres OF
naturally fertile land the valleys that are IN
cultivated on account OF an inadequate water sup
ply because OF negotiable distribution Of
available water. The soil is often a wide level
stretch OF slluvial deposit. upon which nothing
thrives but cottonwood trees and useless bosk
but. wRtsTed amply. the returns for each acre are
surprisingly profitable All the cereals and a
variety OF fruits and vegetables are produced.
ideal climate lends its aid to the agricuturist;
there IS scarcely day in the year when he can
not labor n his fields. more than one crop re-
wards him annually and his products bring better
prices than are realized fl the East and South.
Considering then, that there is more land than
water with which 10 irrtgate It, and that in the
West, elsewhere agriculture is an essential
foundation Of prosperity is not surprising that
there IS constant agitation OF the question OF
equitable distribution of the available supply
Recently bin introduced in Congress that
provides for the construction Paso Tex and
C.uGad Juarez Mexico OF an international dam
and reservoir. This measure sets forth the neces-
s.ty for legislative action in order that
water rights might De preserved. and that the
Rio Grande River shall be entirely diverted
for the purpose Of irrigation in one section 10 the
cetrnent Of another. and 10 satisfy certain claims
which The Republic of Mexico has filed against the
Government OF the United States. In the main the
bill provides that interna tiCnaI shall be
bUilt-ar the expense OF the United states-to hold
the waters o. the Rio Grande for equal distribu-
ton II the valley spreads below Il Paso Tex.
and Ciudad JUarez, Mexico
CHARACTER OF THE RIO GRANDE.
And this suggests hrst, the character Of the Rio
Grande River, the valley through which II flows,
and the present use and distribution of its waters
The Rio Grande rises among the mountains Of Colo
rado. flows south through the middle OF New Mexf-
CO. turns southeast from F. Paso, and enpties into
the GuC OF Mexico. ct forms the boundary line
OF the United States and Mexico from FL Paso 10
The r=ultl At IFS source II IS a beautiful clear
mountain stream; through New--Mexico il is yell
low uncertain current Of swiftly flowing silt and
water; ~ FL Paso. except during the food season,
Z IS g cry channel Of sand. Annually for twelve
years the Rio Grande has become dry at E. Paso
and C1udad Juarez, and for three years past there
has been current except during the month OF
MAJ and part Of June. Prior 10 1885 there was
water every day the year; time
al The normal flow Of the river has been diverted
II Colorado and New-Mexico. In the San Luis
Valley OF Southern Colorado about thousand
second feet OF water Is drawn from the current
the irrigation bitches below FL Paso and Ciudad
Juarez have aggregate capacity Of five hundred
second feet and a. there has not been sufficient
water, except IL the food season, for twelve years
I'll the bitches, Il will be readily how the
diversion % thousand second feet IN Colorado
affects the river at FL Paso-it renders It a dry
channel
TIE annual food which pours Gown the Rio
Grande n The latter part Of May and the first
part Of June is caused by the melting IN the
qrzfr, n CoFor -hAr
wide raging torrent that sometimes endangers
property along is course. It's fow has been as
much twelve Thousand cubic feet per second
But g weeks II is entirely spent Successful
agriculture depends upon a continual current. The
water must be available at all times. And 10 make
tie food water available by storing 1t is the object
OF the bill presented 10 Congress
For Two hundred years or more the inhabitants
Ct The valley about and below Ctudad Jparez have
drawn upon the Of the Rio Grande in order
10 cultivate the soil. Fifteen years ago when the
formal current OF the river was sufficient 70
gate their lands the year around. there were
y thousand people in and below Ciudad JIarez-
n Colorado and northern New-Mexico. The
'arez Rave been deprived OF their source of i've
EhOOd; population has dwlndled 10 less tnan fVe
az r1ee y3Ig Ti5evsrds have burned and died
f-t trees perished and fertile acres heretofore
yielding abundant crops. have lapsed into dry
along the NiIe but without irrigation Is scarcely
mere fertile than 3 desert
THE CLAIMS OF MEXICO.
The present deplOrable conditions nave leo 10
discussion OF the right Of the people OF Mexico TO
claim damages against the United States. II has
been that the prior diversion OF the waters
Of the Rio Grande has caused in years loss 10
the Mexican people Of the valley below CiUdad
Juarez Of s5 900 0o and the commerce Of the re-
public about s2oO00.000 This mentioned
by the late n. Romero, Mexico's Ambassador at
Washington. in a draft OF treaty which he drew
and submitted 10 M. Olney, then Secretary OF
TIE principal obstacle 10 the construction OF the
International dam has been the projected cam and
reservoir al Elephant Butte, 125 miles above FL
Paso ne Elephant Butte company , Is an I-14s-4sti
corporation II was not gf@lLec q 10 eeI u Pc Pc.
the Interior Department 10 build dam. put
authorized under the Right OF Way act to OBJ
strGct the river SUBJECT 70 eAlstlng pIIoI s.s,
According 70 their prospectus they proposed 70
create the largest artificial lake IN the world by
storing the food waters OF the Rio Grande, and in
tended 70 supply water 10 the valley below IN
short they set out 70 secure al the water IN the
Rio Grande and Uo furnish II TO whoever was will
ing 10 pay FOR IL either IN money or lands Il per
a. the normal and the abnormal current OF the
river, and from Elephant Butte TO 81 Paso ana
again be a drop Of water IN the Rio Grande. But
an Injunction was secured and the Elephant Butte
Company was restrained from prosecuting It's
plans The United States assumed the position that
ne Fio CIrande was a uavigable stream and that
the proposed dam would violate the Federal law
that keeps every river. either navigable or sus-
ceG+fta - 7aZ-fzs-fon from being obstructed with
OUT the consent % the Federal Government. The
United States lost the IN the courts OF New
Mexico bur carried Il 70 the Supreme Court al
Washington Justice Brewer rendered the opin-
Of me Court: the decree reversed and the
case rernanded with Instructions TO set aside the
decree OF dismissal and order inquiry into the
question whether the intended acts OF the defend
ants ia the construction Of the dam and IN appro-
priating the waters OF the Rio GranGe VIII sub
sJantially diminish the navigability OF that stream
70 enter decree restraining those acts TO the
tent they win diminish"
THE PROPOSED LAKE.
The annual flow Of the Rio Grande Ghis IS prac-
tcally nothing more than the flood occurring in May