Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-06-29
B0N|TO RIVER
WATER RIGHTS
Desired By Ell Paso
and Southwestern
Railway
BY USERS
Claiming Prior Rights and
Decrease of Supply.--Great
Project Obstructed.

Some weeks ago the New Mexican
published the news that the Ell Pasc
& Southwestern Railway Company
had secured certain water rights on
the headwaters of the Bonito River
in Lincoln County and that it was the
intention of the company to turn the
water supply thus secured which was
running east in the bed of the river
towards the west and to pipe this
water supply about 175 miles over the
White Mountains to one of it's sta
tons between Alamogordo and Santa
Rosa and then to extend pipes north
and south TO various places for the
purpose of furnishing water for its 10
comotives and railroad uses.
The company filed its application
to do SO and to carry out its plan
with Territorial Engineer Vernon l.
Sullivan as prescribed by law; due
advertisement was made in local pa
pers in order to give those interested
opportunity toprotest and to object to
the approval Of the project by the Ter.
ritorial irrigation engineer which ap.
proval is necessary before the plar
could be consHmmated.
Water Users File Protest.
The Hondo River Water Users As
sociation has filed a protest with En-
gineer Sullivan protesting and re-
questing that no action be had in the
premises until the water rights OF
the Bonito and Hondo Rivers were
adjudicated, the Bonito being an
afluent of the Hondo. A number
OF users and orners of water rights
on the Bonito ard Hondo Rivers have
combined with those on the Hondc
River and H =. Hamilton, of tina,ln
came to the city yesterday to take ac
ton in the matter, as today was the
last day for such protest in objection
Hon. T, B. Catron of this city is asso
ciatcd with him and A. H. Hudspeth
of White Oaks also appears for the
contestants.
The case is a very important one
The FL Paso & Southwestern Railway
has made careful surveys and inves
legations which have fully estab
lished the feasibility of the plan tc
carry five cubic feet per second ol
water from the headwaters of the
river Bonito towards the west and
through a pipe line 175 miles long for a
water supply for it's road through the
counties of Otero, Lincoln, Torrance
Guadalupe, and probably Quay. This
project if carried into effect will cost
a great deal of money and probably
not less than million and hall
dollars. The legal questions connect
ed with it have been carefully looked
into by the attorneys of the road and
1t is believed they can be met by
them.
Might Cut Off Supply.
On the other hand, the water users
and owners of the two rivers named
have protested and objected upon
the claim that the water supply
of the Hondo River will be in
iuriously affected and VIII be re-
duced should the project of the El
Paso & Southwestern Railway Com
pa1ly be carried into effect.
The users and owners of water
rights on the Rio Bonito about thirty
in number, held a meeting at Lincoln
last Saturday and resolved to do taeil
utmost to protect what they declare
as their interest and their valid anu
prior rights to the waters Of the Rit
Bonito. They employed H. B. Ham
ilton, of Lincoln, attorney, with in
structions to come to this city and t(
present their case before Territorial
Engineer Vernon L. Sullivan; at the
same meeting it was resolved thai
Hon. T. 3. Catron of this city should
be asked by Mr.. Hamilton to be as
sociated with him in the conduct Of
the case.
Section in Question Finely Guilt
vated.
The lands in the Rio Bonito Valley
are settled and have been in cultiva
tion for many years, the principa
crops being fruit and alfalfa Tnt
section is finely cultivated. The cul
tivated area along the course Of tht
stream is rs to 30 miles long ant
takes in what is called the valley ]ant
all the way from one quarter to ;
half mile wide. Land titles in tht
valley have not changed for nun
ber of years to any extent as the peo
pie like the country and as not man.
new settlers have come in.
AS already stated, it is the purpose
of the railroad company to secure {
permit from the Territorial Engineer
to divert water from the south fork o
the Rio Bonito for use in locomotives
and for other purposes along the line