Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-08-05
DRAINAGE QUESTION ALL IMPORTANT IN CENTRAL
RIO GRANDE VALLEY ADJACENT TO ALBUQUERQUE

th" exception of 100 W goo acres nll
OF thu above land viii b. irrigated ny
direct diversion from rivers. crooks
'ud Hrrpvns. party from perennial
flow Hui paths from storage OF floods
The estimates under the different ape
plDluuuH arc Tor the most part cou-
sentative However. Go mako allow.
nueo for possible oycr-,stimutcs. 1t IA
Thought that o. per cent should boz
deducted from the total. leaving
3.N14.slu acres. which Nlll some iim'
hr watcr"d from our surface supplies
TIN" total annual run-oIr OF $3.50
600 acre foot BE- computed very cou-
a"rvutivoly. aud gives us u depth Oi
q little over ! inch for the entire sur
tar" of the territory. allowing 30 per
cont Tor luasrs iu distribution Uhis
being IA" very minimum, Il would
net us probably 1000. 900 acres with
from CA" Co one ana onc-halt acre
lcot o. water poI acre. Whit in
snmc soctions this amount OF water
is not sufficient IN the upper pnr-
tons of the territory some of the 1sst
crups have been raised with this duty.
In california thoy do much better.
IN order L. gyt anywhere near this
duty. as an average over thu entire
territory present day methods IN the
us" OF water for irrigation viii hHv"
to be considerably changed
Pumping
In outlining tho pumping resources
wish to state that white We have
som" data ON this subjcDt. the figures
sI
piled boy people who HAY, boon COM
ncctcd with this work In IA, rosprc-
tive pumping sections W. consider
the estimates great deal toe high.
enough remaining, however. after
making allowance for TINS to pro-
ducc homes Tor thousands and thou
sands of people who viii come Ia
New Mexico and pump.
Nimbrcs valley.
Estimates 81 the possibilities or
TINS valley place the figures ~ irri-
gable area from wells producing from
500 10 1900 and even 1900 gallons of
water per miuut, an l00.o0o acres To
this area IA IT. cOnscrvativrly ,stimut-
cd that there may be added 100 .oo0
acres irrigated from wells producing
30" gallons down To- possibly eGO gal
Ions ui water per minute
The known shallOwness and quan-
tity OF water IN this valley will an.
doubleday 40 10 make IL one Of the
greatest pumping districts in New
Mexico.
PortaIes Valley.
An idcu as To- the area available
Tor irrigation by pumping In this val
ley may hr had by reference to the
nit"d states general land office map
~ April J. 1871, showing lands In the
said valley excluded from dcslgna-
ton under tho Enlarged Homestead
act such exclusion en- braces about
i've townships, cor an area Of ll5. goo
acres, approximately. To this must
De added approximately 1000 acres
In HlHrkwater draw. parallelling Por-
tales draw north and east. eight To
ten miles, under which shallow water
is To be found and which eventually
VIII be irrigated hy pumping. Com
oinlng these estimates. therefore
iher" are some lG5. 900 acres available
Tor Irritation Dos pumping In the val.
ley
Already pumping upon n large
scale has been inauguratrd in the val
."y by installation Of "a central pump
ng plant at portalcs. This plant has
pumping capacity Tor the Irrigation
u Il""' acres. ana pumping was
commenced th"rcfrom upon It's com
'i"tion Ina August 1910. Thi, was too
ate for practical crop results during
nat season, bat this year more than
,h"" acres are being successfully ir-
igated from The plant Plans are
% foot to increase the capacity ufl
~ plant twu-fold
IstancIa Valley.
The area iu this valley hy pump-
MS mas not set been ascrrtlln,d be-
ond certain definite limits The wa
'r supplies have been determined in
hc Nieinitics OF willard ana Esian,ia.
ma because of tho great yariauc,
herein between the two localities
hey win Dee spoken OF separately.
Immediately surrounding willard
an area of $4,000 acres or more
wherein water may be- pumped for ir. |
isutiun az am average depth of from
% 20 go feet Immediately surround /
ny this area is another area of 20 0Oo /
eros wherein water may bc pumped 1
or irrigation az depths averaging /
rom 60 20 lsO feet.
Immediately surrounding Estancia !
an area of $4,000 acres or moro.
Mon maN bc irrigated by humping
rom depths VI $50 To- 500 feet. sur.
ounding this area. and extending to
Ne west, north and east rs q vast
r"n also susceptible 10 irrigation by
jumping at dctphs from 100 10 500
ret There are strcaks IN this saction
here water can be had NJ about g.
.et
AZ this time the Information is 70
lcomplete upon what areas may Dee
rigated by pumping in the valley
nat Il Will not hc estimated thae
'ore than 10000 acres are so sus.
spuble. when moro h. learned OF
H. valley II may transplrc thai the
'id acreage is greatly IN excess OF
'at figure.
AlamOgordo Valley.
There are those who go so tar az
claim that this whole valley. leo
lies long and Approximately 30 miles
ide, IL subject To irrigation by pump
X. Water has not yet been shown
exist for the same, however and