Evening star., 1905-07-31
WILL COST MILLIONS
Big Irrigation Planned for
Ell Paso Valley.
ORDERED BY CONGRESS
BILL PUT THROUGH By REPRE-
SENTATIVE SMITH.
Appropriation Of $7,2oo, 900 Available
First Effort of the Kind
in Texas.
ORDERED BY CONGRESS

| reclamation service in this city for car
| rying into effect one Of the greatest irrt-
cation projects ever attempted by the gov
/ ernment. 1t is known as the irrigation
project of the Ell Paso valley. A bill intro
| duced at the last session Of Congress by
Representative w. r. Smith of Texas to
pl ovide for this work was passed by both
/ houses of Congress, carrying with 1t an
/ appropriation of 81 100000.
| Officials of the reclamation service In
| formed Star reporter today that the pre-
| liminary work on the project has begun
! but that active actual operations are being
held in abeyance pending the settlement Of
| a treaty between the United States and
| Mexico.
| Treaty-negotiations are In progress. 1t Is
| said, between the Department of State and
| the Mexican government, and upon their
conclusion the vast improvement Will be
| commenced. In the meantime the people
| of the Ell Paso valley are taking active
| steps to cooperate with the government
| when the proper time arrives.
The history of this great project Is full
| OF interest and illustrates the magnitude OF
| the undertaking.
| The Ell Paso valley, which lies along the
Rio Grande in the extreme western part
| of the state of Texas, Is not surpassed in
! natural fertility by any valley In the world
| 1t was there just a few miles below the
| city of Ell Paso that farming by irrigation
was hrs' es'aoisieo upon 'ilis cohef''e''
| Time Irrigation.
| The Pueblo Indians opened their farms In
| this valley and raised crops by irrigation
more than four hundred years ago. No res
| ervoir or storage works of any kind were
| ,.a rIo o.or mo, +,Lan d,roctl, ont of
| - s,..ho,
the river by means OF canals ana oltches
| on to the farms on both sides of the river.
| The farmers of this valley had an abund-
L 1f afnr nd oinyya
prosperity cultivating many thousands Of
| acres up to about fifteen or twenty years
ago. when SO mucn OF .ne water was eaken aEaa..
Mexico alone for irrigation purposes that
none reached the Ell Paso valley except
during torrentiai or nooo perioos. Inc
~. y. 1 tsna %uss o. and ~ tho,,sands
OF acres which had been marvelously pro-
ductive for SO long became absolutely nom
productive and have SO renamed ever since.
me MeA,can s9Veant ,sda,it,, ne .he I1ntted
ceeoeo W ueliau tnhatf % har ,;tine.s
states soVeInlheh. on Dei" v. 80. nH. 1900
VINO were ,,nus uspi.Seu tSe .ro,,nt VI % .moh
water supply, anu INC nps ao M ~ e.
ciaiu.s now aset s,, -A"o -''
VI my Inil,oiis % uoi ....,.
oone T VI ~ i'soi -, eH1 ~ ~. g.
governor o. IeAas. o w. =. Aal,, sanIa an .neh
a representative IN Conssess rom ie4as'
pin asAs 20 eoi non a noa to 1s
onns4r,o.,or -, or a ratio,,.I dar, onS
reservoir at or near Ell raso ny 'ne Secre
tary oi war 10. me s.oIase VI lne Hooo
waters waters OF une no ,a GIanoe. ana provIoihg
lor an equItaoIe oistrlou.!oi y. tne wateI
so stoIeo net"eeh .iiS cI.iAehn .. MeAco
sa. aiu Inc o,,I5 ,,. ' s,,ii .a+.1a ING
Iorner wouiu aecept same Ia luli set.ie
,'. taei. t y, a.i pl,. anu iu'uie o1"'iS against
oul susernfnent' s,en eim ,o. hoeo,o c,r,..s
A similar nlli mas oeen nefore congress
q slea.si POI .ion u ~ no. a. .iie .sile
oinbth Tonoress n h,,t nona raooiyed 20 vnro
SIe ontioy ,,,o ~ ne .ha on,r,ttaa o
fnno;a., s;oh .sn ,,,arn aeerrod o
Aoi Gig" 0""'' . ~ WHICH 'i'eS were ieieiie eo'
Representative Smiths Success.
r,or ,. Wy c,.h o< ,r.,-.,
~ '"' i''. W. ~ oii'i'h VI .eNo"'
wno pieseH's the Ell fdso uisuict III
Congress, introduced a bill on the same
subject, but which was much more compre-
hensive In its scone than any Of the former
bills. 1t provided for the construction Of
a Dam ana reservoir on the Rlo Grande
near Engie. nS n NJ, apou. one nu.iuIeo illies
ant ~ rnoiam.t;on f,,nds for tba Storaaa ~
water suffcient to irrigate tha valleys
above Ell Paso and below the dam which
contain about 10000 acres; about 49,
w aei '- So eS peio~ @ f., aso oi .ne isxas sue
was ali the land m that side for which
was claimed ancient water rights. Like
the former bills. the Smith bill provided
that the water given TO Mexico should be
oSnS -" " iioi ei..iiiS
Ihe pill IN thls FORM promptly passed
the House or Representatives 1t passed
the Senate after al the provisions In favor.
or Mexico were stricken out
survey OF the project has been made
and the scheme as approved by the re-
clamation service involves the construction
OF one or the largest irrigation plants In
the United tSates. 1t Is to cost the sum
or $7,200OOO and will frrigate 10000
acres of what Is regarded as the richest
land on earth, 10000 acres of which lie in
New Mexico and 10000 acres in Texas.
The legislation providing for this project
as already indicated, was accomplished at
the short session of the Fifty-eighth Con-
gress which was the first term in Con-
gress of the author of the bill
The Mexican feature of the situation is
now being investigated by the State De-
partment and may soon be adjusted by
treaty
his personality.
rh .ho. 30 .ha hill, which r,or,a +,o
INC uo W w "oi -.,-' no w
beginning or the work or the reclamation
| service in Texas is Representative William
| Robert Smith, from the sixteenth district Of
| the lone star state which is said to ba tho