Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-03-08
RECLAMATION
BY PUMPING
Depth No Bar to
Profit By Under
flow.
CENTRAL PLANT EFFICIENT
Twelve Million Acres lrrigat-
ed By This Method
in India.

The New Mexican is indebted to
Professor j. j. Vernon, Of the New
Mexico College. of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts for the following au'
thoritative article on Pumping for
Irrigation" in New Mexico. The pos
sibilities of reclamation by this meth
cd are such that the 100000 acres to
be reclaimed by the gigantic Elephant
Buttes Reservoir seem Insignificant in
comparison:
4 Pumping for Irrigation in New
Mexico.
In an arid region, water for lrriga-
ton is of paramount Importance. The
land is practically valueless without
water. In localities where there are
no natural streams from which to
draw irrigation waters, other means
must be resorted to in order to secure
the needed water. The means usually
employed for this purpose are those OF
pumping from the undertlow. lrriga
ton by gravity systems has been
practiced for ages, and pumping for
irrigation has been employed for a
great many years Irrigators gener-
ally are not informed as to the ex-
tent to which pumping has already
| been carried on in the reclamation OF
lands throughout the arid sections.
and the idea Is quite prevalent that
pumping for irrigation will not pay
under existing conditions. II facts
and figures regarding what has been
accomplished by pumping were dis
seminated among the rural population,
this misconception, in most cases at
least, would be corrected. What has
already been accomplished In the way
of pumping for irrigation Is indies
tive of what may be accomplished in
the futdrA f'tatftic9 SHOW thar in
| British India alone there are 1885, ,00V
acres of land irrigated with water
which is raised from wells by me-
chanical means at a total lift of from
20 to 40 feet.
Pumping is employed for the irriga'
ton of very large areas in different
sections of this country California.
perhaps, leads In the total area Of
land watered by this method, and, IL
the writer is correctly informed, the
water is lifted from comparatively
great depths-in places from depth
as great as 300 feet-and yet 1t Is a
paying proposition. Pumping Is
spreading very rapidly in Colorado.
and very considerable areas in the
rice growing sections of the South are
being supplied with water In this
manner. In the latter, the lands usual
| ly lie slightly above the gravity sys-
| tens and the water has to be pumped
only few feet. 1t is evident, from
| the vast area of land that Is already
irrigated by pumping, that this meth
Cd of supplying reclaimed lands with
water is of considerable importance.
and will eventually have much to do
with the reclamation and develop
ment of certain portions of the arid
West.
Conditions Under Which Pumping
May Be Advantageousy Em-
poyed.
| First Where there are no surface
streams from which to secure water
for irrigation and at the same time an
underflow Is to be found sufficiently
| hp re ha
Second. Where the streams have
eroded their channels so deeply that
the expense prohibits the construction
and maintenance Of irrigation bitches
through which to lead the water by
gravity upon the lands.
Third. Where there is surplus Of
water in the irrigation canals, which
surplus may be employed by pumping
| it upon lands lying slightly above the
gravity systems.
Systems of Pumping Plants.
! Pumping plants in general may be
conveniently divided into the following
groups:
l. A power and pumping plant To-
Gated at the head of the ditch system.
2. Power and pumping plants dis
tributed at intervals along the ditch
system.
| 8. A central electrical power plant
to supply power to pumping plants dis
tributed at intervals along the ditch
system.
The three systems just mentioned
have the following disadvantages
Difficulty and great cost Of develop.
ing water in sufficient quantities at
one place. opportunities for misap
preparation of water; loss Of water by
seepage and evaporation; and difficult
ty of making an equitable division OF
/ the water.
r.