The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1905-06-03
A Report on the Estanoia Plains
aud the Jornada del Muerto Is
in Preparation by
DR.. KEYES OF SCHOOL OF MINES.
Also Report on Underground Water
Conditions of Rio Grande Valley
in New Mexico.

In connection with the prepara-
ton of a geological and mining
map of New Mexico, which for
the past two years has occupied
part of the attention of members
of the School of Mines at Socor-
rO, number of special and
interesting problems have come
up for solution which are of
great practical Importance to
other interests than those direct
ly associated with the mining
industry. One of these separate
subjects which has presented
itself has been the determination
of the arteSian conditions of the
Estancia Plains and of the lorna
da del MueTto to the south. "A
large amount of data has already
been collected. Some additional
features have yet to be studied.
This special work has been
done under the direct supervision
of DR.. KeyeS of the School of
Mines. The subject matter will
soon be in shape for publication.
The report will be an exhaustive
one and will probably appear as
one of the special bulletins issued
by the federal government, so
important are the results that are
obtained. This publication will
be similar to the special report of
similar nature on the underground
conditions of the Jornada Plains,
which has already been printed
and will shortly be ready for
general distribution.
These reports together with
several other reports of wide
interest to the mining industry
will also soon be printed under
the auspices of the New Mexico
School of Mines. Thus the work
of this institution is becoming of
the highest practical value to the
Territory and is reaching into
every branch of the mining
industry, which will always be
one of the most important indus
tries of the great Southwest.
In the Estancia Plains and the
adjoining plains there are a num-
Der of geological factors which
enter into the consideration of
artesian flows which are.not met
with in more humid regions. Two
of the most important of these
factors are that there must be
an outcrop of an extensive porous
stratum that will permit of the
free percolation of water and
there must also be rainfall Suf-
ficient TO secure an adequate
water supply. Although in New
Mexico neither of these factors
have the high value that they
have in other states it does not
preclude artesian conditions.
The meteoric conditions of
water supply, the conditions of
water transmission under ground,
the attitude and arrangement of
the geological formations, and
the geographical distribution of
the geologic formation, all have
a very important bearing upon
whether or not given place will
produce an artesian flow when
the drill has penetrated to a suf-
ficient depth.
The location of the several
permeable formations and the
depths to which the drill must go
TO reach them is from a practical
standpoint probably the most
important single factor.
During the present inveStiga-
ton these features and factors
have already been largely
determined in a general way, but
some additional details have 10
be made out before the report on
the region can go TO the press.
Another branch of similar work
that has been undertaken and
that is already we'll advanced is
the geology and underground
water conditions of the Rio
Grande valley in New Mexico. In
practical value the report on this
district is expected 10 be the most
important of the series to be
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