Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-10-27

gas as at either the Hondo or Triton
Lake sites, but al the work here was
begun later, the account of Ii did not
0nd It's way into the engineers an
nual report. Il may be- said. alsu, TINT
IS far as investigations here have been
carried. the objections mentioned In
reference 20 the other sitns can not
BIO raised. Following Is the article
relating TO New Mexico sites:
A preliminary examination has BEEN
made by the engineers Of the United
States reclamation service OF two i'm
portant projects In New Mexico,
known a the Hondo and the Triton
lake projects. A cursory examination
indicates that each project Is feasible
from both an engineering and flnan-
cial point Of view.
The land or the Hondo project.
which could be irrigated to advan.
tage, amounts to possibly $4,000 acres,
and the first estimate of cost Of put
ting the water on the land IL about
$40 per acre. Land which can DO
Irrigated most easily from tho Hundo
reservoir is nearly oil in the hands OF
private parties. 90 that the question
Of colonization would cause no trouble.
II Ia all frst-class irrIgable
land, free from alkalI. and. because Of
the underlying limestone formation II
win be troubled from that
source. The lands. II watered. Will be
easily worth 800 an acre when plant
ed In alfalfa and corn. and II used for
fruit raising will eventually have a
higher value. The works contemplat.
cd for this project are the enlarging
Of tho natural reservoir and nm inlet
and outlet canal, which involve no
engineering difficulties.
Al Government Land.
Tho land on the Urton lake project
ID all government land. with the ex-
ceptiuns Of a few claims bordering on
the river. This land Ii underlaid by
. very porus red sandstone. which viii
probably AFFORD good sub-drainage and
prevent trouble from alkali. The res
eryoir site is an excellent natural
depression and will hold 100000 acre.
feet without any expense except for
the outlet works, which will be in
red sandstone.
The works contemplated In this
project are q dam and head works on
the Pccos river, about ten miles above
Fort Sumner; about thIrty.six miles
Of canal 10 carry 1900 second.feet IN
times Of food; three structures mt
crossings OF creeks; the necessary
outlet work. including a tunnel 1000.
feet long. and about thirty miles of
distributing canals on the lands 10 be-
Irrigated. A rough estimate Of cost
Of this project IL q. o20, 050S. or Sf7 per
acre There Ia little doubt that this
land would all be settled up rapidly.
~ II 10 within twenty miles Of the
Pecos Valley Z Northeastern rail-
road. which line would build a branch
% this section.
There are. however, some uncer-
tainties In connection with the project
which will have TO be considered, one
being the possibility Of the reservoir
not being filled 10 some years. The
data relating 10 the stream measure
ments are not complete. and Il viii
BE- necessary TO continue the records
Of the run on Of the Pecos river during
the time Of the surveys OF the canal
and OF the irrigable lands that are
being made. and during the construc.
ton until the works are finished. n
appears from the best information
that the reservoir could be filed every
ordinary year. but occasionally a dry
year. such ms 1903, creates a donbht
o. to the possibility Of always hillng
the reservoir. II is probable thar The
seepage from the irrigated lands CON