Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-02

seven feet high. The bottom or the
gates viii be seven and one-haiI Feet
lover than the crest Of the dam, aRd
The ton u the gates will be six inches
below the crest Of the dam. TINS VIII
enable the canal to drain b river ~
very low water. The sluice gates.
which are set al right angles to the
h~eadgates. also dug out Of solid rock,
are three in number, five feet VIDE
and eight feet high. The tops OF the
siuice gales are the same level as n
ton Of the h~eadgates. but the bottom
one foot lower. this for the purpose OF
dra wing off the sand and turning II
back into the river. In time OF high
water. when the pressure Is great
.against the headgates. these sluice
gates viii be opened to relieve h
pressure
The top. sides and bottoms OF these
gates Is concrete. The gates are made
N wood. and work up and down in
iron columns. encased In concrete
Thus the headgates COMPRISE %
\ SQUARE feet Of space which viii ad-
NIT n large volume Of water. the
amount. however. depending largely
on the velocity or pressure OF the
5 the 18th Of october the
headgates was completed. When
water was turned through them
into the canal This was done in
order that the contractor cOuls
and fifty feet OF the west end Of the
dam has been completed. and there
only remain i've hundred and fifty
feet more to build. This remaining
portion. however. Is across the present
channel Of the river and can not all
be completed until the river gets low
enough 70 t~u.spall the water through
the canal.
However. SO far as the Mesiila val
ley land'is concerned. when the head
gates are done the canal viii drain the
river. The river can not get out 81
the channel. enough Of the dam being
lone 20 prevent that.
Therefore. so far as the contract
bd ween The water Users association
and the reclamation service Is con-
cerned. the people 10 be benefited can
within a month have an the water
they want FOR irrigation. 50 long as
there Is wbter In the river. and this
will be practically all Of the time
only in case Of drouth, which does
not occur often, would the Elephant
Butte reservoir be OF any more benefit
to the Mesiila valley. All the land TO
he benefited by this project can now
be cultivated with an assurance 81
/ water.
Only one thing remains. The big
canal Is completed but It ends at the
old river bed. over a mile from the
heads Of the Dona Ana and Las Cru
ces and Mesilia bitches. that IL, the
old ditch heads. before the river
changed its course two years ago and
left the bitches without water. The
canal empties into this old channel,
just west Of the Stuart ranch. This
old channel can be used for a canal,
however. and viii make a very good
one.
n this Is done. then a diversion
headgate must be made. to DIVIDE the
water between the bitches In proper
tion TO the land 10 be irrigated. The
Las Cruces and Mesilla people at this
point use a joint ditch, the water In
the Joint ditch being divided about
three miles above Las GFuees. Al the
old river bed the Dona Ana ditch,
which irrigates the upper valley land.
Il "A higher ditch than the Las Cruces
ditch. At that point it il about six
feet higher. therefore. itfwiil be nee.
essary. " the old river bed Is used
as a canal. TO raise the water high
enough 10 give the Dona Ana ditch
her share of the water.
so far no provision has been made
for dividing the water, or for, In any
way. taking care Of the water when
Il leaves the canal.
II 81 not obligatory on the part OF
Z the reclamation service to furnish
plans and specifications or do any
thing for the diversion h%eadgate,
however. the engineers have said they
would, as a matter Of accommodation,
draw plans and specifications for the
division headgate, and would super
intend the construction. all free Of
charge. II the Water Users associa-
ton ~ desired. providing IL could be
done before the dam is completed,
and while the engineers are SIN In
camp at the dam; but after the dam
Is completed and the engineers have
lee. they will O come back for that
work. The Water Users association
so far have given the engineers no
data To work on.
n the reclamation service draw up
plans. they will be for a substantial
structure. The service can not afford
20 recommend anything only the best
The division headgate. properly put
in. will cost around $4,000. II the
people WHO are going to pay $780,
coo for the dam only and are TO get
the proper benefit from II. something
will have to be done now to take care
OF the water To put In a cheap.
nimsy structure would be like a man
getting "a fine SIS suit Of clothes and
"a ten cent hat