Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-10-19

Hove this should be done Immediately,
that water rightly belonging to this
project may be saved. The report
| loss of water between what is known
as the diamond A. station about
twelve miles above the intake of the
reservoir. and such intake. due TO
seepage into the bed of the stream
between these points.
Referring to the report Of the ter
ritorial engineer. on pages z and is OF
such report. we learn that there was
a loss Of 5.037 acre feet of water with
in few miles above the Intake of
the reservoir. during the eight months
from January 1st, 1903. to August
31st. 1909, and that the loss at the
same point. from May 1908 TO August
1909, was 12S22 acre feet; and that
above the Diamond A. station and
below what is known as the Border
station there is also great loss,
though not 40 great as there is be-
tween the Diamond A" station and
the reservoir. Assuming from these
figures given, that there is a loss OF
10, 900 acre feet per annum below the
Diamond A" station, which we be-
lieve to be conservative, and assum-
ing that so per cent Of this loss could
be saved by a canal from the 'Dla-
mond A" station. direct to the reser-
voir. and direct to the farms also, we
would have safely 8 600 acre feet OF
water to distribute TO these farms
during the dryest seasons, which we
do not have under the present con
ditions The question now is, what
could he done with an extra 5000
acre feet of water permanently de-
livered through the four dry seasons
that have Immediately passed. orI
rather what might have been deliver
ed had the farmers been ready TO re-
ceve the same. During each of the
past four years, there has been at
least two deliveries Of water from
floods that have come down the
river During these floods. there has
been sufficient water to have given
a good irrigation to every acre of the
/ 600 acres 1t was not given be-
cause the farmers were not there tol
cceive it, The above table will show
that more than one-third of the en-
nual rainfall in the vicinity, occurs
during the months of July. August and
1t is during these months
ordinarily that the floods come down
the Hondo, and make irrigation pos
sble Let us assume that the 5000 |
acre feet of water that might be saved |
by the constructions of canal as
above mentioned, has been used dur
ing the fall winter and spring months, |
to irrigate the farms let us assume |
that this water has been sealed up /
in the soil by a or inch dust !
mulch secured by intense cultivation |
and pulverization, and that a crop of |
kaffir- corn, milomaize or cane Is plant |
ed. we have the following condition:
A season" in the ground to start
with, and assurance that in the three
months in which the crop viii ma
mre that it will receive at least 5
inches of rainfall. that in addition to
the rainfall il will receive two good
irrigations from flood waters coming
down the Rio Hondo. Can there be
any doubt that with this moisture
and farmer-like cultivation of the soil,
that good crops Of kaffir-corn, maize
and cane can be obtained? Is ii not
then feasible for the time being at
least to lay aside our ambitions for
llfalfa farms and orchards under the
Iondo project, and organize system
attic use Of the water that we are GER
ain to obtain if the government will +
the canal which we desire,
'or the growing of corn crops men
toned? They are almost as profitable
as other crops, and the demand for
,orn and the forage is unlimited.
We respectfully ask that your board |
give the matter of the construction /
lf this canal, and the matter of the
Early adjudication of the water-rghts,
due and careful consideration, and
hat YOU ultimately recommend the
of such canal which we
advised would not call for more than
m outlay of $4,000 In this position
we assume that the reservoir for the
line being, win not be used. and be-
ieve that some arrangements might
be made for a smaller payment per
lcre per annum for the irrigation that
would be afforded under the plan pro-
posed If later, what has heretofore
been normal conditions, are resumed
lpon this stream system, and the res
'rvoir is filled with water (and when
80 filled. it will afford copious irri-
cation for two seasons without fur
her supply) alfalfa growing and fruit
'aising might be made feasible and
he farms under this project be as
essed to pay the entire outlay of the
government that has been made