Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-01-06
STREAM SYSTEMS
BEING SURVEYED
Territorial Engineer
Has Charge of
Work
INITIATIVE ON BLACK RIVER
Will Effectually Settle All
Disputes Arising Over
Water Rights.

territorial Engineer Vernon l.. Sui.
livan Will have his hands full for some
time to come making photographic
surveys OF several rivers in the ter.
rltory for The purpose of adjudcat.
Ing water rights which are in dispute
in compliance with a law enacted by
he legislature last year He return
ed yesterday after an absence OF two
weeks during part OF which time he
was engaged in making a survey OF
the Black river which has its source
IN the Guadalupe mountains. Sneak.
ing of this work he said
Under the new irrigation law when
water rights are in litigation all par.
Ties having any water rights on the
stream system, in which said water
rights are in dispute. are made parties
to the suit This Is done to avoid any
injustice that might be done in adjust
ing rights Of two or more without con
sdering all Of the rights that receive
their supply of water from The same
stream system.
First Survey on Black River.
I'm order that the court may have
sufficient data to adjust all the rights
lequltably, the law provides that the
territorial engineer shall make a com.
plete photographic survey OF the
stream system where suits are pend
ing and am now engaged in making
the first Of such survey of Black riv-
er.
BLACK river heads in the south cen.
tral part of the territory In the Quad.
alupe mountains near the Texas line
and flows northeasterly emptying into
the Pecos river near Malaga. New
Mexico. The survey of this stream is
progressing very satisfactory. Weirs
and measuring stations have been In
stalled on all the main bitches. springs
and the river at different places and
daily measurements have been taken
! for months past and will continue for
some time to come.
The topographic land survey IS near
| ly completed and will include all old
bitches as we'll as those that are in
use at present and the size and aline.
ment of same, all ground that has ever
been irrigated and the amount OF same
The fields in use now will have the
kind of crop raised and the number Of
acres in each.
Hondo River to Be Surveyed Next.
"The relative elevation Of all fields,
bitches, springs, rivers. ETC.. are indi-
Gated, thus by comparison of the time
and amount of water in the bitches
for irrigation and the discharge Of
the springs and the river at the differ.
ent periods Of the year, one can calcu-
late 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, il any, can
be ascertained All weIrs, measuring
stations, buildings, springs, creeks,
draws etc, are also upon the maps
The next photographic survey will be
on the Hondo river, as these surveys
are taken up in routine as they are
ordered by the courts. The Hondo sur
vey will commence very soon and will
take year or two to complete
as there are very little records Of
water 9lpply on this stream and the
yearly fluctuations of the flow of the
river has to be considered as we'll as
the fluctuations during the different
seasons"