Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-05-19
TO IRR|GATE
ARID WEST
$27,0CO. 900 Has Been Appro'
priatet for the Work and Four.
teen Projects Approved.
THE HONDO RESERVOIR
Will Store Flood Waters to Supply
bitches for 10000 Acres in Cha.
yes County to Be Constructed.

Washington, May 19-An apportion
ment OF S27,000,000 of the reclamation
fund for the construction of fourteen
irrigation projects in the arid west ha.
been decided upon by the secretary O.
the interior, who has approved the
plans OF the engineers for works il
the following states:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mex
ico North Dakota, Oregon, South Da
kota, Utan, Washington and Wyom
ing.
Actual construction has already be-
gun on the Salt River project in Ari
zona, and on the Truckee project in
Nevada. Each of these projects in
volve a constructive cost of $3,000,000
The rondo Project in New Mexico.
The flondo project in New Mexico
is located on Hondo River, tributary
of the Pecos River, in southeastern
New Mexico about twelve miles south
west from the town of Roswell The
river is torrential in character and it's
ordinary summer supply is already ap-
propriated.
1t is proposed to construct reser-
voir in depression near the river, di-
vert the storm or flood waters, and
unappropriated water flow into the ir-
rigation season, to irrigate lands lying
east of the reservoir and south and
southwest from Roswell. These lands
are adjacent to productive fields near
Roswell, and with an assured water
supply could be put under cultivation
al once.
The area to be irrigated under this
project embraces about 10000 acres,
and the cost will probably be about
100000.
Hyorographc Data Invaluable.
Washington, May 19-None of the ir
rigation work contemplated by the
government would, ordinarily, be pos
sible without long delay were it not
for the photographic data accumulated
by the geologic survey during many
years of observation and measurement.
In addition to that, the work of private
individuals is constantly facilitated by
the same records. No large engineer
ing enterprises are now undertaken
without reference to the surveys rec
ords concerning the supply of water
available at the chosen site. The
South Platte Land and Reservoir Com
pany. which has under way canals and
reservoirs that probably aggregate
$5O0,000 in value, has established sta
tions at Orchard and Kersey. Colorado
because Of the superior photographic
advantages offered by those localities.
The choice of those points Is directly
traceable to the data compiled by the
survey. Equally important is the fact
that projects that would have resulted
disastrously have in numerous cases
been abandoned after study of survey
records that threw light on the prob
able outcome. Data concerning the
flow OF water on the Arkansas and
South Platte Rivers prevented the ex-
penditurs of great sums of money on
the State Canal in the first instance,
and upon the Pawnee Pass reservoir
project in the second.
Survey data seem to be in great de-
mand as unimpeachable testimony in
the legal controversies that have aris-
en- in this state in regard to irrigation
matters. A most notable instance is
the case Of the Colorado & Southern
Railroad VS.. the Denver Union Water
Company, in which the sum of $780,
900 was involved.
Data obtained by the survey in re-
gard to the amount of water power
available at certain places have in
1uenced the plans of the Glenwood
Springs Light and Power Company,
the New Century Light and Power
Company, and also proposed power
companies ON Clear and st. Vrains
Creeks. None of these projects has yet
been carried to conclusion, but some
of them will undoubtedly be eventually
constructed.
Colorado cities seeking a suitable
water supply have frequently consult
ed data obtained by the survey. In
the case of Durango, in southwestern
Colorado, the discharge of Florida
River was especially studied in order
to ascertain whether a gravity water
system would be feasible at that point.
The location of various manufactur-
ing industries has been determined by
reports from survey engineers on the
available water supply. Conspicuous
instances of this are the construction
OF the American Beet Sugar Com
pany's plant at Rocky Ford and the
erection of the sugar factory at Love-
land.
Uncompahgre Project in Colorado.
There is $2.50O.O00 reserved for the
completion of the Uncompahgre pro-
ject. This project is located in Mont
rose and Delta Counties in western
Colorado, on the west side Of the