Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-04-22
ANOTHER BIG |RR|-
CATION PROJECT
Eden Canal Com
pany to Reclaim
$4,000 Acres
IN SAN JUAN COUNTY
Active Construction on Ditch
Sixty Miles Long to
Begin Soon.

Blaire Belville, a civil ana lrrlgatlon
engineer with residence at Durango,
Colorado. and who for some time was
employed on irrigation works on the
Pueblo Indian reservation under the
direction of the late John B. Harper,
recently deceased, was in town yes.
terday and today on business. Mr.. Bel
Vile is thoroughly acquainted with
conditions and lands in San Juan coun.
ty and in other parts of the territory.
He talks very enthusiastically OF the
projects Of that blessed section of the
Sunshine Territory.
Among the projects now under con-
temptation and which will soon be-
come reality is the ditch system which
is to be constructed by the Eden Canal
company and which is to water and
irrigate about $4,000 acres of as fertile
and as fine land as can be found
anywhere on Gods green footstool.
The water supply for the irrigation OF
this large tract will be taken out of
the Animas river in Colorado at a
point about ten miles north of the New
Mexico line
The water supply is ample and per-
manent and therefore reservoirs will
not be needed. The canal will be about
GO miles in length and there is more
than sufficient water for irrigating
the number of acres given, although
there Is a much greater amount of land
in the section in which this tract OF
$4,000 acres lies. The land beyond
this system is not taken into consld-
Grafton In the present project.
Ample Capital to Complete Project.
w. G. Black, we'll known citizen
Of Aztec, Is the original promoter and
the present general manager of the en-
terprlse. There is ample capital behind
it. Mr.. Belvilie was the engineer who
surveyed the canal system and Is still
connected with the company. The can
al will be about fourteen feet wide at
the bottom, increasing in width as the
top is reached and will carry an aver
age depth of about four feet OF water
The actual construction work on the
canal is to begin about the first of All
gust and the work is to be pushed and
finished before next years season Sc
that for the season of 1909 the com
pany can sell water and water rights
The land is to be taken by homestead
and desert land entries. 1t will
produce with irrigation the finest
crops of wheat, oats, alfalfa and the
very best of fruit, such as apples
pears, peaches, apricots, cherries
grapes and the like.
Mr.. Belville has been a resident ol
Durango for great many years, has
had much experience in irrigation mat
ters and also in agricultural affairs ir
San Juan county. He feels sure that
with the finishing Of the canal system
of the Eden Canal company San Juar
county will blossom like rose ant
that there will be great boom ir
farming property in the county
viii Attract New Citizens.
The population will increase ant
several prosperous communities viii
be established on the tracts which
will be subjected to irrigation by the
waters to be furnished by the Elder
Canal company.
The climate is one of the best ir
the Southwest and in New Mexico
which is saying a good DEAL Many
people in great numbers are going in
to the section with view to locating
and taking up homesteads and deser
land entries and already San Juar
county is one Of the most prosperou.
counties in the territory. Its apple!
and pears being famous and supplying
many of the Colorado and Chicago
markets. The water supply in thu
principal rivers Of the county especial
ly the San Juan and the Animas Il
permanent and very great all the yea
around as the supply comes from thu
eternal SHOWS in the San Juan noun
tains.