The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-02-19
SUCCESS FOR
THE HONDO
A Synopsis of Repart Of the Terri.
torial Engineer on the Hondo Hy-
geographic Survey Complied by
J. 3. Herbst.

oro9rapnic survey Complied py
J. 3. Herbst.
A very valuable report has recent
ly been issued by the Territorial En-
gineer, Vernon l.. Sullivan, relative
TO conditions existing ON the entire
lengta of the Hondo from its source
TO the Hondo Reservoir.
All matters pertaining to the var
lous topographic and photographic
features along the Hondo River have
been carefully studied, a corps of en-
gineers having been steadily at work
from April. 1908. to September, 1909.
in compiling data over that territory
extending for over $50 miles along
the Hondo River. The flow of the
river has been investigated during
this entire period and records kept
the actual flow of the Hondo during
all seasons of the year Six gau-
ging stations for measuring the flow
were located on the Hondo, proper;
eleven on the Bonita, and three on
the Ruidoso, besides one hundred and
forty weirs on the various irrigation
bitches taken out of the above named
streams. The purpose OF this report
is for the adjudication OF all water
rights along the Hondo and tributar-
les and was made In response to an
order of the court to be used In con-
nection with a certain suit in which
The El Paso and Rock Island Rail-
road company ct al, are plaintiffs
defendants. Which suit has been
k~~.
provisional permit to the Railroad
Company by the Territorial Engineer
to conduct water from the Bonita ov-
er tle mountains and away from its
natural basin for the purpose of sup
plying 3 railway with water suitable
for use in its locomotives in a conn.
try where 5Jch water is not obtain
able. Protests have arisen over such
application of these waters. as to the
Use as above mentioned and a ques-
ton raised as to whether they should
be diverted from their natural course
where formerly they were used ben
e6ciaily for irrigations purposes. The
question also OF priority Of the var
ious water rights has arisen which
1t was thought best to settle for a.!
times and the only means of accom-
plishing these things was by institut-
ing suit for the adjudication of all
water rights on the Hondo and its
tributaries.
Another matter that has been care
fully gone into in the preparation of
this report has been a systematic
study OF the losses OF the water from
'-e Hondo on certain stretches of its
course by seepage through the bed
of the river. Tais feature OF the re-
port is especially interesting to the
people of Roswell
1t Is difficult for persons who are
familiar with the Hondo In the vi
cinity of Roswell to realize that on
ITS upward stretches II as a perpetu-
al flow of pure soft water and that
there are many farms along its
course all watered by bitches taking
water from the river. AS a matter
of fact there are some 5.7s6 acres
above the Hondo Reservoir in culti-
vation growing srca crops as alfalfa.
corn. oats. wheat, beans, barley, clio
yer. millet. timothy. potatoes, straw
berries, apples, and various fruits.
There are 2,211 acres alone of alfal
"a and $50 acres of orchard and all
this land under cultivation is water
ed by 40 different irrigation bitches
The average acreage under each
ditch is about forty-five and the av-
arage number of farms located on
each ditch is about three, there being
about 2s2 far1ers occupying these
farms.
AS for the amount of water flow
Ing IN the Hondo River at various
periods OF the year 1t was found to
vary considerably. At the town OF