Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-02-06
WELLS MUST
HAVE SYSTEM
Irrigation by Artesian Wells q
Comparatively New Method
Much in Need Of
Supervision.
LEGISLATION REQUIRED
Enormous Waste Of Water Now in Pro.
cess in Pecos Valley Must In Some
Manner Be CurtaiIed.

J. M. Hervey. district attorney for
the Fifth Judicial District with head
quarters at Roswell, is at Santa Fe in
the interests Of legislation to protect
the artesian wells of his district.
Speaking of this matter to the New
Mexican, Mr.. Hervey said:
"The people of the Pecos Valley, es-
pecially in that part known as the
demonstrated artesian belt are very
much interested in Council Bill No. 20,
introduced by Councilman G. l.. Bal
lard, being An Act to regulate the use
of artesian wells and to prevent the
waste of subterranean flows of water
"Artesian wells are being bored in
great numbers in the Pecos Valley, and
no effort whatever is being made to
regulate the flow of these wells, to
prevent waste and to keep record of
measurements. No one in the Pecos
Valley except possibly the government
engineers. can tell whether the arte-
sian flow is decreasing or increasing
No one knows how much water a cer-
tain we'll flows, not even the owner
Each man. as soon as the flow is
reached, allows the well to continue it's
the water all over the surrounding
country. Furthermore the waste of
water from these wells in any part Of
the artesian belt is menace to the
artesian flow in other parts, especially
in the upper Pecos Valley where it is
considerably higher than in the lower
valley. Wells in the neighborhood of
Artesia are four or five times as deep
as wells in the neighborhood of Ros.
we'll and also flow four or five times
as much water. A continuous waste of
water in the lower valley will tend to
absolutely stop the flow in the upper
| valley. There are now two or three
hundred wells flowing in the Pecos
Valley. Others are being bored all
over the valley at the rate probably of
Ave or six wells each month. 1t can
readily be seen how much is wasted in
twenty-four hours if even half or a
fourth of these wells are allowed to
flow and the water go to waste. These
wells flow from three hundred to two
or three thousand gallons per minute.
depending upon the locality, the size
and depth of the wells.
Irrigation by means of artesian
wells is comparatively a new method
of irrigation. and in the Pecos Valley
Is pursued absolutely without any sys-
tenn or restriction, each irrigator re.
garding his right absolute to use or
waste the water as he sees fit. 1t will
be of great advantage to have Council
Bill No. 20 become law; it will pre-.
vent the waste of waters, which like
any other waste will sooner or later
become matter of regret; it will es
tablish a means of ascertaining the
value Of artesian wells as an irriga
ton proposition and of recording val
liable data as to the cost of these wells
in different parts of the artesian belt
the amount of average flow and the
average depth, and numerous other
matters of importance regarding this
very powerful factor in the upbuild1ne
of the agricultural resources of New
Mexico. There is certainly much more
to be learned about artesian wells ano
artesian flows than we have yet learned
and only by legislation Of this kline
can we hope to make any advance
ment in this line" -