Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-30

mains to be damned. or course the
| depth and extent or the waters in
] the reservoir will depend upon the
height Of the dam, It is certain, how,
ever, that enough Of the waters Of the
streams can be conserved to ensure
the irrigation Of the twenty-five thous.
and acres or more lying west Of the
nearest eastern creston and south
Wari for considerable distance.
Ine Land to be irrigated.
According to the maps made some.
what hastily BY Engineer Davis, the
contour of the country seems to for
bid the passage Of water beyound the
eastern erosion, at least without the
construction Of tiftyfoot cut for d
couple Of miles. The much more de.
tailed and accurate maps to be pre-
pared hy the present corps viii settle
this point absolutely. However, fully
twenty-five thousand acres Of the
most promising land lies III the eonn,
#tfy where the contour will make the
project of irrigation wholly feasible.
it has been estimated that the cost
.of building dams, and canals ana III
bringing this area under irrigation
will be 100000, or d cost of $l2 an
acre. This would be a much more
economical project than that at the
Hondo. The land reclaimed should
be worth easily $50 an acre. Should
the taker Of the land be required to
repay SIS for each acre back to the
government during period covering
ten years, the payment would scarcely
be felt There seems to be little lik!i-
hood that the return asked would be
more than that and it would very
probably not exceed the twelve dol
lars estimated. The government
wishes to receive only the actual re-
turn Of the money expended.
The Water Ways.
The waters from the Gallinas can
be led into the reservoir BY d canal
little more than two miles in length.
No effort Is required to demonstrate
the feasibility Of this canal as water
has already been brought to the basin
by private irrigators. Owing to the
contour Of the country the canal from
the Sapello will be required to be
built for nearly ten miles. An excel
lent opportunity Is Afforded to place
4 dam in the Arroyo Pecos and lead
the waters BY snort canal to the
basin. The building Of the canals
from the streams presents no engin.
eering difficulties.
Dry Season No Bar.
Those who have been indulging the
fear that because the present sea
son Is SO exceptionally dry, the irriga-
ito neterprise will therefore not have
as good chance as It otherwise
would are fearful without warrant
The measurements even of this dry
year have been sufficient to justify the
sending of the party for d complete
survey. Bur the amount Of water
that flows regularly In the streams,
has little effect In itself in deciding
the proposition. Records Of the rain
fall IN the region have been kept for.
half d century. The amount Of the
basin that will drain into the reservoir
Will be accurately determined and ar
ter subtracting slight losses from
evaporation and sinkage the total
amount vi water from all sources
available each year FOR reservoir pur-
poses. will be guaged. That there
will be more than enough to irrigate
the twenty-five thousand acres Inn
mediately available, no one familiar
with the conditions will doubt.
The party that went from Las yag-
as yesterday afternoon obtained
number OF excellent views Of the res
ervoir. which have already been de-
yeloped by Photographer Stirrat and
which will be published both in the
Las Vegas number Of the Miner Il
Manufacturer and In q special number
Of The Optic. Las Vegas people have
much reason to hope that the much
needed reservoir will DO built.
will be built.
Tho grant commissioners have re-.
ceived practical assurances from the
department that their representations