The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-02-19
SUCCESS FOR
THE HONDO
CONTINUED from First Page,

Augus September, October, NOvem-
Der and December during the e a of
1908, was 40 second feet; at the Bor-
der Ranch, 81 second feet and at the
Diamond A Ranch, % second feet,
bota Of the latter points are down
the river from Picacho about 10 and
90 miles respectively. 1t must not,
however be supposed hat these
measurements represent a loss OF the
water of a difference etween the
flow at Picacho and lower down, al
though there is a loss OF water, ditch
| es are taken out between these
points which cut down very material
ly the flow of h river.
The average flow in the river at
Picacho from January to August 1908
was 80 second feet and the maximum
low at that place during his period
| occurred July 18th, which was a flow
of 1900 second feet. This will give
one some idea of the fi~uctuation in
tae low of this stream.
The bed of the Hondo is composed
IN its upper reaches of a sort of
broken granite, lower down, the for
nation is stratifed lime stone and
on the lower Hondo, strata of gyp-
sum and gravel. Mr.. Sullivan's meas
Irements IA small losses of water
in the granite formation and an in
crease of water from the stratified
lime stone and immense losses of
water where ii comes in contact with
gypsum and pervious gravel.
AS a direct evidence of the actual
loss Of the water on the lower Hon.
do the Engineer has prepared a ia
BILE of losses through different per
iods and by measurement he found
thai the discharge of the River t Pr
cacho between May and December,
1908, was 1892 acre feet, for the
same period at the Border anc 1t
was 1926 acre feet while at the in
take to the Hondo Reservoir it was
6,74S acre feet. there being an actual
loss between the Diamond A Ranch
and Holdo Reservoir of 6,74S acre
feet during that period, there being
no bitches u no water used for ir-
rigating purposes between the Dia-
mond A and the Hondo Reservoir.
The difference of water in acre feet
between the Diamond A and Border
Ranch for the same period was 5,672
acre feet of which about 2,S22 acre
feet was used for irrigation and 1850
acre feet lost through seepage.
During the period from January /,
1909. to August 81, 1908 the total dis
charge in acre feet at the Hondo
Reservoir. was 1887: the discharge
at the Diamond A Ranch for the
same period was 6,O74 acre feet;
'eaving a total loss of 5,O37 acre feet
md the total loss for the same period
between Diamond A Ranch and Bor-
der Ranch was 2,615 acre feet.
BY actual measurement the seep-
aGe loss in the bed of the Hondo be-
tween the Diamond A Ranch and the
iondo Reservoir varies from % to
30 second feet and the actual loss
between the above mentioned Ranch
and the Border ranch is Z second
feet. 1t is very evident from the fore
Eoing figures that if there had beer
running water down to the inlet ca
nal of the reservoir during all the
ear that the loss in acre feet would
he much more than it really is. ow.
ing to the fact that there are times
when there is no water to be lost.
1t is furthermore evident hat If ar
ioAF ana WIS constructed
with a capacity of 60 second feet
from the Inlet Canal on the Hondo
Project to Diamond A. Ranch, that
practically all of the water lost be-
tween these W points excepting such
water as would be consumed in eva
Doration would nave been saved.
which would have been considerable.
as the total loss between these two
points from May. 1903 to August,
1909, inclusive was 1892 acre feet.
Mr.. Sullivan has gene very care
fully into the beneficial use of irri-
eating water under this stream sys-
tenn and more especially the conser-
vation of the water n has cor
piled a valuable table showing the
duty of water and the various ditch
es, with result that are often aston
tshing. AS an example of tina the
nigh duty of water he calls espec-
tally attention to the Northern Canal
Of the Hagerman Irrigation Company
and says of that system TO use his
exact words: THE duty of water un-
der the best irrigation system In the
Territory is under the Northern Ca
nal. Under this canal there are grea-
ter results obtained from irrigation
than any other large canal system in
the Territory, and al the same time
they use water. The average duty
under this canal system during their
irrigation season of 1909 was 216
acres for one second foot of water"
II is not reasonable to expect such
a high duty as this along the Hondo
River although the and under the
Hondo Project may be expected in
tine. to show a ven high duty for