Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-02-06
Company Organized to Utilize Natural Forma.
ton at the Foot of the San Audreas Noun.
ta;ns Just Weft of the Pass Which Sep
arates the Range From the
OsCura Mountains.
HAS BEEN USED In
THE AGES PAST

In comparatively recent geologi-
cal period the present surface of New
Mexico formed the bottom of q salt oc-
can. There were a series of upheava1s
and submersions, the evidence of which
is seen in the rocks of the country; the
last disturbance formed the present
mountain chasms and was no doubt
accompanied and followed by volcanic
eruptions.
Following the last great upheaval was
a period when large rivers coursed
along the foot of the mountain ranges,
while large inland lakes of both fresh
and salt water occupied depressions in
the mountain plateaus. These were fed
by copious rains as well as by noun
tain springs.
There is much evidence that during
this time and for ages following, the
country was thickly populated by a
people who had attained remarkab bic
degree of civilization. They built large
pueblos, the ruins of which are now
found many miles from water. The re-
mains of extensive irrigating ditches
and reservoirs prove this lost race con-
tinued living here after the birth OF the
desert. which was ultimately the doom
of a great people, the interruption OF a
civilization which had it been allowed
to continue might have equaled any OIL
olden times. AS the rainfall grew less
and less the people fled to the great wa
terways where they lived for thousands
of years. Their ultimate fate, which Is
a subject of much speculation, is not
subject matter for this article.
One of the most interesting OF the
large number of ancient lake-beds IN
New Mexico, is one at the foot or the
San Andreas mountains just west OF
the pass which separates the range
from the Oscuro mountains. Here
lake four or five miles long by a mile IN
width existed for ages and until COM
paratively recent PERIOD geologically
speaking. 1t ultimately found an out
let to the west, which drained 1t, ano
now floods of water annually follow the
ancient channel to go to waste upon the
desert below.
Several years ago the Hon. w. s.
| Hopewel built dam across the chah-
mol hut as If was of earth and brush, IL
soon washed away. Other parties nave
made spasmodic attempts to impounc
the water all to no purpose, as there Is
a large watershed to the basin and the
labors of many weary years were swept
awav. often in a few hours. The DAM
site is now occupied by E. w. Brown as
| homestead.
From previous experience and opser
walton, Mr. Brown saw the possibil1tle:
of the location for great reservoir an'
irrigation system. A few months since
the San Andreas Irrigation Compan!
| was organized by Messrs. E. W. Brown
| C. G. Cruickshank, S. G. Hanna, Franz
Johnson and few other progressive
citizens of San Marcial, and 1t Is be
lieved that before many months hav'
| glided by, active work will be unde
way in the construction Of the dam.
| While this is a work Of considerably
magnitude, it is a small undertaking
compared with others in existenc
which do not irrigate much more lan'
than this will when completed, as ma
ture has constructed the two ends
| this dam of everlasting mountains
rock from which can be quarried al
abundance of material for the work Il
hand. All this material can be take
from a point above the top of the pro
posed dam as it is being built. Thi
rock is a hard, fine-grained, stratifie
blue limestone, the different strata
VARYING in thickness from one to thre
feet, and at no time need the quarrle
rock be more than a few feet from TN
end of the dam while it is in course
construction.
The site chosen for the dam is belo'
where the work has been done,
rather attempted, in years past. Hell
the distance between hills at top
foundation is but 65 yards. To the ives
is a hill which is approximately the to
of the dam. To the east is lower hi
upon the top of which the dam will e1
tend, and careful survey and estimat
shows 125,OOO cubic yards will constru'
a dam so feet in height, 10 feet wide Q
ton. with a base width of 80 feet.
careful survey of the water level frol
these figures shows an area of one mi
by three-fourths which would be COY
cred to a depth of 80 feet, after ALLOW
ing for evaporation, seepage and sll
, age.
Surrounding this basin is an extei
, siye watershed, rough estimate
which gives a matter of 200 square mill
from which the water must drain
this outlet; and from past experien'
the projectors have right to assun
that one heavy storm will fill the rese
voir to overflowing.
At the lowest estimate made by qua
s ified engineers, this dam will conser'
water to irrigate 10000 acres of Ian
and it is needless to dilate upon the re
Utility of the soil of the Rio Grande WI