Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-03-11
Territorial Engineer
Completes Diff.
cult Work
CONSUMED SIX MONTHS
Consists Of Complete and
Extensive photographic
Survey.

Territorial Engineer Vernon l.. Sui
llvan has just finished the most com.
plete and extensive photographic sur.
vey ever made In New Mexico. 1t was
made for the purpose of determining
the flow of the Black river in settling
dispute over water rights to the
stream and awaiting adjudication In a
civil suit pending In the district court
Of Eddy county.
The photographic survey, which has
just been completed by the territorial
engineer and forwarded to the court,
covered period of practically six
months, during which time regular
measurements OF the flow of the water
was taken at regular intervals, togeth-
er with maps showing every ditch and
irrigated field in that stream system,
as we'll as giving the number of acres
irrigated, the kind of crops raised, the
condition of the soil, the alignment of
the dltches, and other data that might
prove of value to the court.
This suit was brought about by par
ties who claimed to have right to the
water In this stream system but had
been deprived of 1t by an injunction
restraining them from the use Of same.
Claim was made that certain parties
were using water In excess Of their
needs and that certain portions Of that
water belonged to them. The survey
shows the amount Of water used by
each individual while irrigating and
also proves beyond doubt, that about
so per cent of the water used by these
parties returned to the rivers below,
and thereby is available for irrigating
lands still further down the river.
All Are Made Parties to Suit.
Under the new irrigation law when
water rights are IN litigation all par.
ties having any water rights to the
stream system In dispute are made
parties to the suit. This is done to
avoid any injustice which might re-
suit In adjusting the rights Of two or
more without considering all of the
rights that receive their supply Of wa.
ter from the same stream system. In
order that the court may have suff1c-
lent data to adjust all water rights
equitably the law provides that the
territorial engineer shall make com.
plete photographic survey Of the
stream system involved and the first
survey of this character under the
present statute Is that of Black river,
which has just been completed by Mr..
Sullivan.
Weirs and measuring stations were
installed on all of the main bitches,
springs and along the river at differ
ent places. Measurements of the flow
of the water were taken daily at these
several gauging stations. In addition
to ascertalning the flow Of the water
as stated previously topographic sur.
vey was made of the land in the
stream system furnishing exhaustive
information regarding the location,
character of soil, etc.
Survey Entails Much Detail.
In the topographic survey the rela'
tive elevation Of all fields bitches,
springs, etc, are indicated for the pur.
pose of comparison. In discussing this
feature of the survey tho territorial en-.
gineer said:
"Dy comparison Of the time and
amount of water in the bitches for IT.
rlgation and the discharge of the
springs and the river at the different
periods of the year, one can calculate
what relation the irrigation of the land
has to the flow of the springs or the
river. Hence the return water from
the irrigation of the land, if any, can
be ascertained.
Mr. Sullivan is now preparing to
make photographic survey OF the
Hondo river, which Is bigger under.
taking than that of the Black river