Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-02
THE DIVERSION DAM
At LEESbURG IS
COMPLETE
Interesting Description of
Great Government Work
Above Las Cruces, Now
Nearing the End.

ter. which has been going out through
the sc0ur-ditch or slulceRay 81 the
big canal. was turned down the canal
and emptied into the old river bed
at the mouth Of the canal.
Work IL being rushed on the main
headgate. and. within a month, the
headgate and canal viii be completed
and the water turned into the canal
through the ~hcadgates. This VIII De
done by The contractor. Mr.. Nelsong In
order 10 lower the river 50 that he can
go ahead and complete the dam.
II the commissioners Of the bitches
are not ready 20 take the water. II
will be turned back into the river
+ through ~ sluiceways. II Is quite
/ likely. however. that the commission
ers VIII take advantage of this easy
way TO get water for fan and winter
irrigation. The people viii not have
10 pay for this water because II Will
have 10 be turned into the canal to
get rid Of H.
A trip 10 the dam is a delightful
DAYS outing. IL Is only about twelve
miles above Dona Ana. The view af-
forded one. from the road on the NIL.
al the old river bed. showing the up
per valley. the winding river. the
bitches. and all. Is very picturesque. A
fine bridge has been put across the
canal az Forbes ranch and from there
the road follows the canal clear 10
the dam. al the Penasco Rock or sell
den. The canal Itself Is very pretty
From the bridge looking north II Is
as straight as an arrow for nearly two
miles. The fOu foot drop. or falls.
Is Just below the bridge and can be
heard some time before one reaches
the canal. The big six-f0Ot drop ia
about a mile above the bridge. This
drop or falls Is very pretty. The ca
nal. from tile dam 10 the terminus.
has n fall OF over twenty feet.
This fall f. 50 great that II the wa
ter was allowed 10 run. without drops,
the current would be so swift that the
banks OF the canal would be IN danger
% being washed out, consequently he
water Is allowed 10 run with Just
enough current 10 keep II moving,
and the fall is taken are Of BY means
Of drops. These drops are built OF
concrete. The sides Of the canal are
walled up with concrete. the bottom
where the water goes over Is concrete,
and the basin into which The water
falls IL concrete. Above the six foot
fails are three large bridges or fumes
over the canal for the purpose OF car
rylng arroyos over The canal. WeN
M not for 4hcse fumes the arroyos
coming down the hills would rush into
the canal and III II up and tear out
Is banks. Now the arroyos pass on
over the canal and spread out In the
lowland on the other side.
At about one-half mile this side of
the dam IL the sand gate and slulce-
way. This gate h. an underground
tunnel. " Is made Of concrete ana
stands up about "A foot In h bottom
OF, thc canal the fun width Of the
canal When these gates are opened
the loose sand settling IN the canal is
secured out and turned hack into the
river. Heretofore one % the great
troubles With the bitches has been The
ditch filling up with sand This sand
gate will avoid the canal experience
ing his difficulty.
The canal. from the and gate TO
Abe head gate. has been dug out or the
side hin aud at this point b. % feet
az the bottom with very high bands.
The bank between the canal and the
river h. used as a road II Is about
forty feet wide on top and makes "a
very good road. although it looks a
little 'skeery." with the wide canal.
some twenty feet deep. on one side
and the river about thirty feet down,
on the other. when going up this
high line road. the whole dam and
head gates are In sight II is "A verS
pretty sight.
The dam proper Is over half done
i NJ nHn InNlHitAtn u VIII fhAfAAh iARAh
Penasco Rock. which D. a high noun
tain Of red rock projecting into the
river called by old-timers and Indian
scouts Point OF Rocks" By the Mex
leans "Penasco Rock, on the east, "a
an Immense iron and concrete abut-
ment on the west
The dam is 600 feet long. 80 feet
wide az the bottom and 3 feet wide
on top. IN constructing the dan q
.-M..a ~ 81 H.NNA aAam IHHN mIRNHf
feet below the present bed or the
river-the present bed Of the river be-
ing rather difficult 90 locate. because
IL b. constantly changing
In the bottom 81 this trench round
pIling (Which look like telephone
polesl 80 feet long have been driven
four feet apart each way. There are
II0g9 Of these poles used ON each
side OF this trench there are three
rows Of pilinP driven 30 feet deep.
These sheet pillnFs are pianks 30 feet
long. ~ inches wide and = Inches
thick. They are put down close toe
gcther so as Co break Joints and make
them practically wuter-tlght The ODE
icct OF these piiiug is to stop the un-
dernuw as much AS possible. and
force 90 over the top of the dam,
also. to prevent the surface water
from cutting out underneath The pile
. HHA ANL "L| .L"" " ""--" "-" -"
tom Of The trench Six inches ~
crushed rock foundation is pounded
down boo the bottom 0f the trench.
and ON top of This is placed concrete
rubblc. which d. "a mixture 10 broken
rock and concrete. This concrete is
built az nine feet high Du the up-
Z river side and two feet high uu the
doWn-riyer side. three feet wide on
breast and e opinE iu "a semi-circic
ito the dowu-riyer side Thus the disc
|nnce from the crest 90 the dam to the
bottom Of the plling is fs To feet. hut
the crest OF the dam b. % the same
heighth as the present huttom OF the
river. 50 thai when completed and
water runs over the dom she dam will
be barely perceptible. in the Flow of
ths water.
The west abutment D. built on pU-
ne. sause as the dam. and D. built ten
feet higher than tho dam Or is 30
feet wide and 4 feet thick with urinrs
ON either side This ahutmrut De- butt
W structural iron. enCasei Dob cone
crete. Fnnm the abutmcnt to the
hills on the west is an ea-l em-
harkment 1855 feet long an built
.fa the same height as the ahufment
ON the east end 81 che dam and
dug out 1f solid rock. ore The head
eates FOR the big canal also. the sIuice
gates Tor turning water and sand
back into the n below the dam.
These h~f1Igafes are nearing conn