Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-08
WORK NEEDED To
KEEP RIVER IN
CHAN
SURVEYOR RECOMMENDS
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS
TreacherouS Rio Grande Cut
ting Steadily East at Cor
rallies ~Bridge-SmaII Darn
Completed, Another Ordered,

tors-who viii not "be good'-are try
ing to secure an appropriation from
funds provided for that purpose, t.
put the city once and for all beyond
the reach Of floods and food sCares
the county commissioners are not idle
The money available for work along
The river is discouragingly scarce com
pared with the sums needed but eV-
cry cent is being made to count. Thu
commissioners have devoted consid-
cradle time during their several meet
ings This week to discussion Of river
improvements. County Surveyor Pitt
Ross has reported the completion of
the small! dam at a cost of $4,000,
across the enlarged channel of the
Chamisal ditch opening near the Cor
rallies bridge, ten miles north of the
city. In accordance with the recon- =
%mendations of the surveyor the COM
m%issioners Thursday duly authorized
the building of a second dam about
1000 feet below the one mentioned
at a cost of not to exceed $200-not
$4,000 as was enormously stated in
the evening paper. Mr.. Ross has made
various other recommendations re-
garding work that ought to be done
north Of the city.
At a point about a mile and a half
above the Corralles bridge the river
has been annually cutting into the
east bank until. in five or six years,
it has worked its way a full quarter
Of = mike east. It has thus left the
main channel entirely and now flows
through a formerly small channel
east OF the islands lust above the
bridge, and also through the chan
mel of the Chamisal |irrigating ditch.
This old ditch channel now carries so
per cent of the water as far south as
the bridge and only a thousand feet
north of the Alameda dyke. Here it
is turned abruptly to the west to the
main channel under the bridge.
The construction of the dam across
the Chamisal channel relieves the
present danger of further %encroach-
ments on the Alameda dyke. This dam
will also help divide the flow of high
which comes in The spring. But
unless something were done toward
returning the flow to the main chan
mel a mile and a half above the bridge.
and the banks protected from erosion,
the county surveyor is of the opinion
that it is only a matter of time until
the flow will work its way across the
county road at the south end oC the
I..tn.,.,, tho hrf1na and tho AL
dyke. The erosion of the river
bank at the south approach of the
bridge and 1000 feet east has been Sc
for two years; especially at Z
point 1900 feet east of the bridge,
where the damage was so great last
year that a breach was made in the
outer bank of the Chamisal ditch. 1t
is through this break that the water
diverted b. the recent dam across the
Chamisal %re-enters that channel and
flows therein to the river below the
county road.
The second dam, ordered Thursday,
and to be built Of brush and earth.
will remedy this. This win be a great
protection to the countG road.
There is great need for the protec-
ton of the present east bank of the
at various low points above the
dam recently constructed, chiefly Il
mile north of the dam and above the
present head of the Alameda ditch
and opposite a part of the upper
dykes. The best way to do this i'm the
Of Mr.. Ross, would be to an
large trees at intervals along the
Dank. and supplement them with
trees. The whole would then
a lodging place for drift and
.ilt. the river building its own dam,
n which cottonwoods and willows
would take root and fill the intersticcs.
Another measure which it is be-
ieved would be effective is TO eXca-
ate a small channel through a bar
n the old channel at a point opposite
he head of the Alameda ditch. This
would divert part of the present loW
o the old channel above the islands.
With the erosion of the first month of
Ugh water. this would afford an out
ut which would relieve the strain on
dykes and the new work to the
asst.
The construction of "a brush and
dam from the northeast point of ,
he island where the canal viii head !
.iagonally across the shallow chan
el To the east. would help materially. "a
II has been suggested also that the {
bank Of the river at the south ap- {
roach Of the Corral!es bridge and y
~ about 1000 feet east. be protected G
it'll trees and brush. y
Natural Protection. C
In the opinion of the county sur j
syor. careful conservation Of the na;- .
raj growth will go far toward re-
raining the antics of the Rio Bravo.
olunteer cottonwood and willows. {
taken advantage of. will :
the sob twice as easy. Many Of :
lese trees have been destroyed for
rel. posts and rats. and the cOntin- .
I'd browsing Of goats and other stock !
b the young growth along the banks
as done great damage. Steps should z
E taken 10 prevent this.
II is believed thai the measures out
above which would be COMPARE
veiy inexpensive would put the ordi- r.
airy flow OF the river where u could Z