Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-19
VALLEY
FUTURE HOME OF
MAN WITH HOE
SPLENDID POSSIBILITIES
OF IRRIGATION PLAN
Record Breaking Yields of
Crops Have Already Been
Obtained in Parts of Fertile
LoWIand Cultivated,

one o fthe most important private
irrigation projects now under way in
the southwest is that of the Bluewater
Development company with head
quarters here. which proposes to re-
claim several thousand acres of land
in the Bluewater valley, some 100
miles west of here in New Mexico.
John l.. COwan. writing in the current
number of THE Earth" says of it:
Having read an article in the May
issue of The Earth. concerning the
Bluewater Development company's ir-
rigation enterprise at Bluewater, on
the Santa Fe route. about 100 miles
west of Albuquerque, boarded No 3
the other night n took a run down
to see for myself. Having notified Tom
Davy. an accommodating ranchman
located near the station, of my COM
ing. l was met by one of the boys"
and in fifteen minutes after the train
stopped / was safe in sunderland.
Bright and early next morning l
started out on a tour of inspection.
The Bluewater valley proper is not
more han two miles wide, but in its
lower portion it merges into the San
Mateo valley. the two having a COM
bined breadth of perhaps six miles. To
the east, some eighteen miles distant,
rises the lordly crown of Mount Tay-
Tor, one of the brightest peaks in New
Mexico. Almost directly north is Hay
stack mountain and an extinct vol
canic one and the foothills of the
Zuni mountains almost girdle the re-
naming portion Of the valley. The
whole valley is thus protected from
the fierce winds that sweep the plains,
and despite the altitude of about 5000
feet. really cold weather is never
known. The rainfall is slight. making
dry farming" which is revolutions
izing agriculture in many parts of the
territory, impossible here. The scanty
rainfall, however, may be counted an
advantage, when there is an abundance
Of water available for irrigation. The
dry climate, high altitude, and equablc
temperature make the valley and ideal
health resort. Abundant water is
Insured. not only by the great capacity
of the storage reservoir more than 90
600 acre feet.1 but also by the extent
of the watershed tributary to the
stream whose waters will be inn
pounded. TIE watershed comprises
more than 200 square miles of terri
tory IN tho Zuni mountains and nearly
all very heavily timbered.
This is one Of the very few extern
sive irrigation projects now under
way hat offers to settlers the great
advantage Of location directly upon a
great transcontinental railroad system.
Another advantage is the proximity of
ample markets. tina will AXE every
thing the settlers can raise at top
prices. The United States government
is buying Colorado alfalfa at $50 a
ton. delivered at Fort Wingate; and
prices fully as high in proportion are
paid for fruits. vegetable small
grains. poultry and dairy products. not
only here. but at Gallup. at the lum-
her camps In the Zuni mountains and
at many otheri places within easy
reach.
Much of the land in the Bluewater
valley has been under cultivation some
years. More than ten years ago, the
Pluewater Land and Irrigation com
pany built a reservoir in Bluewater
canyon, and placed fully 5000 acres OF
the land In barley. corn, wheat. rye,
alfalfa. potatoes, onions, sugar beets,
sorghum and other crops. Record
breaking yields were obtained, and
the uneXccllcd production Of the soil
was demonstrated. But the dam was
too weak for the strain placed upon
&c. II broke. and the cultivated fields
We're allowed To lapse into a semi
desert condition. with the exception of
a small portion that Is still irrigated
with the normal flow of Bluewatcr
creek. on the lands under the small