Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-02-22
RESERVOIR FOR
THE RIO CRANDE
Particulars Of Engle Project
Furnished by Director
Wslcott 10 Senator
Beveridge.
LAS VEGAS PLAN
SPOKEN OF
Possible Reservoir Enterprises
In New Mexico and Ari-
IONA TabuIated.

The following extract from n letter
from Director Walcott TO Senator
Beyeridge. Is Of interest as giving
n rccapitulation OF the Irrigation
situation In New Mexico and Arizona;
Department OF the Interior, United
States Geological Survey, Washing.
ton, d. G., Feb. 2, 1905.
Hon. Albert J. Beverage. United
States Senate, Washington, ID. 9.
sir;--In reply TO your request for
n statement concerning the principal
physical and cultural advantages OF
Arizona and New Mexico. ! send here.
with facts relating to the geography
and topography Of these two ter.
ritorics.
The rainfall throughout the Two
territories Ia small. and does not av-
eragc fifteen inches In New Mexico
and ten inches In Arizona. Agricul.
turc IL dependent almost wholly upon
tho artificial application OF water.
There are soine exceptions 10 this In
the high plateaus In the northern part
Of the two territories. where so.called
dry farming Ia practical nj attitudes Of
from 5000 TO 1000 feet and upward.
Here the crops OF tho north temperate
zone. especially those adapted 10 re-
sisting drought. are frequently raised
with success The amount OF land
cultivated without irrigation. however.
will probably never be any conHidera-
BILE percentage OF the total area OF
these territories,
Future agricultural growth and de-
velopment IL very largely dependent
upon irrigation, This In turn ia de-.
pendent upon the ability 10 al rn The
flood waters as the ordinary flow or
practically all of the streams has nj
ready been put 10 beneficial nse.
Amy notable development In arrioul.
tural development rests larsely upon
the efforts OF the government through
The operation Of the reclamation act
OF June ~. 1909 Under the terms
Of this act the reclamation service has
beens systematically studying the
streams, all the available water supply
and has bean bringing together facts
upon which TO base plans for struc'
lures. Construction has already been
begun on the Sal, river. In Arizona.
and on The Hondo river. a tributary
or the pecos. In New Mexico.
Careful survey has also been made
along the Rio Grande, where the alt.
uation ia peculiar. owing to the inter.
state and international character OF
the waters, The lands under cultiva.
tion along this river already exceed
I'm extent the possibility Of supply In
ordinary years by the low.watcr flow
and considerable loss and suffering
has already resulted from lack OF wat.
er ms has been the case In the Salt riv-
er valley In Arizona. On The Rio
Grande, however, the situation Is com.
plicated by The claims of Mexico 10
the water and acting under the advice
OF the state department. the secretary
Of the interior has refu led Tor many
years to permit grants " right q. way
for storage works on thcse 4. tams
pending the settlement OF he Mesi
can claims,
Room Tor Only One Dam.
The measurements of the flow c.tht
Rio Grande show that there Il only
sufficient water for one large reser,
voir. and upon the proper location OF
this reservoir depends largely the ny.
ricniinral development Of New Mex.
Ice, II the reservoir Ia placed at the
extreme lower end of the territory. the
agricultural population In the Rio
Graude valley cannot notably In.
crease II, however the dam Ia plac,
ed higher M. It win be possible 10
irrlgate from $4,000 10 100000 acrep
of land in New Mexico.
The irrigation census Of 1902 shows
thai there were In Arizona 8, SCI N.
rigated farms. with a total extent OF
2I7 $50 acres, In New Mexico the
number Of irrigated farms was 2. ?sS.
and the irrigated area 26l, 9ts acts
There were nearly three times as
many farms In New Mexico. hut ,he
total acreage was M much larger
than that Ii Arizona This large
number u farms IL due to the aclu
sion OF a great many small tracts rul
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