El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-14
Water For Thirsty Land
ELEPHANT BUTTE DAM WILL CONVERT
RIO GRANDE VALLEY INTO ONE FERTILE TRACT

~ GOVERNMENTAL sanction has
II just been given for the con-
struction of huge dam which
will be the main structure of an irri-
cation system which will give water to
many thousand acres of land in New
Mexico, Texas and the republic of Mex
co. all in the vicinity OF FL PasO, Texas.
The construction of this great dam at
Elephant Butte will be the chief work
of the Rio Grande project which will.
when completed, restore 10000 acres
of desert to a fertility to be equalIed
only In the valley of the Nile.
VIII Restore Old Conditions.
A thousand years ago, or 1000
and before the American engineer and
his concrete dam construction had been
dreamed of, this part of the valley of
the Rio Grande was a huge fertile field
1t supported a population of thrifty
and Industrious people, possessed of
high degree of engineering and con-
structive skill. Modern man does not
know even the name of this race Of
people He does not know what the
color of their skin, what gods they
worshipped, what history they enacted.
He does not know if these people flour
ished before or after the mighty build
OF Egypt.
He knows only that these people, in
the morning of the career of the hui
man race were versed in the science Of
irrigation, for their sole remaining
monument is the system of cut stone
waterways which were used TO bring
the water from storage reservoirs to
the thirsty land.
Many Old Canals Repaired
Some of the ancient prehistoric can
q g H1A I'D Tx-
| the indians somewhere about the time
Columbus sailed into the west. Spanish
| explorers, soldiers and priests found
this valley inhabited by sedentary
| tribes, engaged in agriculture by irri-
CATION, hundred years before John
Smith came 70 Jamestown. The con-
struction Of an irrigation plant in this
valley has the sanction of the most an
cient and honorable precedent and US
| age possible to be found in the west
ern world.
Two Governments Involved.
The land which will be reclaimed
under this irrigation project lies partly
IN the territory of New Mexico partly
in the state Of Texas. and partly in
the republic Of Mexico. On this ac-
count, the project is peculiarly compli-
Gated by reason of the diverse inter
ests of the federal American govern
ment, the Texas state government, and
the Mexican government. Mexico is
the guardian and protector of the in
terestS of its people who dwell in the
Rio Grande valley just across the line
/ from Texas. These people and their
! ancestors for centuries upon centuries
| had been using the waters Of the Rio
| Grande to irrigate their lands. Enter
prising Americans settling in New
| Mexico, above the line, in many private
| irrigation projects, diverted the wa
ter of the river before it reached the
point where it becomes an international
| stream. The result of this was that the
land owned by the Mexicans no longer
| could get any water and was turned
| back to the desert.
Mexican Claim Covered by Treaty.
On this account, the republic of Mex
| leo instituted claims against the United
| States for damages aggregating about
| s30.000.000. These claims were pending
for many years. Three years ago a
treaty was entered into between the
| United States and Mexico, under the
terms of " hich the United States agreed
to construct a great irrigation plant
and to give, without charge water to
| the $4,000 acres of Mexican land which
had been ruined by the diversion of the
waters of the Rio Grande
The total cost Of the Rio Grande irri-
| CATION project will be $4,000 600, of
which 100000 Is appropriated di-
rectly out of the United States treas
ury- This sum goes TO pay for that
| proportion of the project which is
devoted to the uses of Mexico. Ac-
cording to the treaty, Mexico withdraw
all of its $50, 200 claims in consider,
alton of the construction of the new
irrigation plant. The other S., 600, 600
will be paid back to the government
by the persons who buy the land as
in the case in all other projects under
the reclamation service.
Teas Causcq Interstate Dispute.
There was still another complication.
The state of Texas formerly was the
! republic of Texas and was annexed TO
the United States by a treaty which
established certain peculiar relations.
The federal government never has owned
any public lands in Texas. and, there
fore Texas was not included in the
provisions of the general reclamation
act. A special law was passed by con-
WAN OTTpnkM mn