Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-27

The following account Of the meet
ing of the citizens Of the Mesilla
Valley with the officers of the Re-
clamation Service, which was taken
from the New Mexican. will be of
especial interest to people Of this
section in view Of the hope of q SIM
liar project being undertaken by the
government above this city:
LAS CRUCES, N. NJ, Oct. GA
large and thoroughly representative
meeting, composed Of all the leading
farmers of the Mesilla Valley, was
held on Thursday OF last week II the
court house in pursuance Of a call
issued by the Mesilla Valley Chamber
of Commerce. Thei object Of the
meeting was to afford the people Of
the valley an opportunity to hear
what the Reclamation Service OF the
government had 10 report with ref
erence to the construction of the Ele-
plant Butte Dam and a diverting dam
in the n%eighborhood Of the Penasco
Rock. The Reclamation Service was
reresented by Messrs. Davis, Sanders,
Hall. Storr and Ried. the three first
named being members OF the Consult
ing Board of the Reclamation Service
and in immediate charge ofs the pro-
posed irrigation work Of the govern
ment in New Mexico. The party came
in on the delayed Tuesday mornings
train from the north, after putting In
a day in the inspection Of the Ele-
plant Butte site, and on Wednesday
inspecting the proposed site for the
diverting dam and canal near Penas-
co Rock. All of Thursday morning
was put in careful examination and
revision of the facts and figures
which have been gathered during the
past two years by the engineering
corps with reference to the two irriga-
ton projects above mentioned.
At about 3 o'clock the members OF
the party we're escorted by a commit.
tee of the Chamber OF Commerce to
the court house, where a large and
interested gathering Of people Of all
walks OF life gave them a cordial
wslcon{e. The meeting was called
to order by Secretary Wade OF the
Chamber Of Commerce and after
election Of Professor Hiram Hadley
IA president and Mr.. Wade as sec
rotary Of the meeting, Assistant En-
gineer Davis of the Reclamation Ser
vice was introduced. Mr.. Davis went
thoroughly into all phases of the
Elephant Butte Dam project and At
ter his statement was subjected to
a fire of questions on the part of per-
sons in the audience. 1t developed
that the Reclamation Service had at
last made up. it's mind as to what 1t
was and was not willing TO recon-.
mend to the Secretary OF the Interior
with reference to this important work
on the Rio Grande. 1t appeared that
these engineers had provided for and
contemplated a dam at the Elephant
Butte site which would be 255 feet in
height above bedrock and IT'S feet
above the bed OF the river; that the
reservoir to be created by this dam
would hold two million acre feet OF
water, that 1t, all the water which
would pass, judged by past experien'
ce, down the Rio Grande at any Civ
en- time, no matter how excessive
the flood; that the water to be stor
ed in this reservoir would be suffi
cient to irrigate 100000 acres of land
allowing three and onehalf feet Of
water annually for the irrigation Of
each acre, that there is in New Mex
leo 10000 acres oil land below the
dam which could be economically ir
rigated therefrom; so that the dan
would contain enough water to ir
rigate 10000 acres Of land in excess
of the irrigable land in New Mexico;
that the water for these 10000 acres
could be profitably used In the irri
CATION Of the land in the neighbor
hood of FL Paso and in Texas and
Mexico; and that the board Of engi
neers were disposed to recommend
that this surplus be so applied.
It also appeared that the board re
cognized that these in the neighbor
hood of FL Paso could not participate
in the storage scheme without some
legislation by Congress, but thai