El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-10

A short time ago mayor COrbett re
ceived a request from l. N. Allen, pas
senger traffic manager OF the ROCK
Island lines. for accurate Information
regarding irrigation possibilities in the
sfimbres valley. Is Ford Bacon & Da-
Wis. q prominent firm Of engineers In
New York city. were DESTROYS CO Cd
tanning such Information.
Being DESTROYS Of giving reliable ana
accurate information. mayor COlDst.
arranged with r H Case, civil en-
Eineer whose ability and 1uos IleLt
would be taken at par or ABOVE ~ any
person wanting ground IlOof Lacls.
After speaking Of the superior ra-iA-
road advantages Of Demlns' the 4eteeE
The Mimbres valley is a bolson plain.
or pocket plain. a geologic type when
is found frequently IN the sOutl" est
1t has no drainage outlet All the wa
ter that falls upon its water sned IS
retained in the subterranean strata OF
the valley. The Aimbres river proper
has a watershed Of about 1900 square
miles It IS a perennial stream 20
where it leaves its narrow mountain
valley, and enters the open level
stretch OF country known as the Lower
Mimbres valley, the area OF which Is
on leaving its mountain valley some
IS miles northwest OF Demlnss me va
ter sinks, finding its way INTO the IN
ana colluvial deposit which fills the
The Underground Lake.
During the rainy season from June me
to august the dry channel carries the
flood waters escaping the sink ana
also the flood waters draining into u
below the sink a distance Of ABOUT -
miles southeast from its point or exit
distributing these flood waters also
into the underground strata
No lake exists at tAe emo Ok TINS
dry waterbed and what water IS not
lost BY evaporation ana aosorp l tlon
along its banks finds its way also into
the underground system
The river a its sink has been gagged
go, 600 acre feet OF water pour into
the sink" at this point annually. IN
addition 10 this IL is estimated Lhat
100000 acre feet. are added from mat
Part OF the catchment area known As
the Burro mountains watershed.
The valley fiji consists Of, first soil
from to so feet deep, then alternate
Of 100 wells from 80 70 zoo feet in
depth showing gravel stratas varying
IN thickness from 5 20 SO feet and from
2 to 10 stratas occurring within that
me water plane. or depth from the
surface varies from 10 to 100 feet
there being an area Of probably Az9.-
for wells Of from 500 10 1900 gallons
capacity per minute viii range from
so to IS feet
OF this $4,000 acres, probably not
more than 1000 acres are under culIl-
walton now. That area viii PROBABLY
be doubled next year. and II Is not
unlikely thai 1900 acres VIII nave
been reclaimed BY the close OF 1872
The AGRICULTURAL history OF this VAL
ley began in 1908 when the first irrl-
eating wen ana pumping plant were
Installed. Prior 10 that year Il was
strictly a cattle country and its thou
sands Of acres OF grass and mesquite
land afforded range for numerous cat
tie. Deming at one time being one OF
the principal shipping points Tor cat
tie n the southwest
The advent Of the farmer was hard
IL anpreciated. Considerable doubt eN-
listed as 10 the success Of agriculture,
but land was being rapidly taken up
In 1909 q Californian VINO Tor several
wears had BEEN manager OF the Cudahy
ranch IN South Los angeles. visited
this valley. saw the one pumping plant
then in operation. delivering 1000 gal
Ions per minute and Immediately real
lied the possibilities
Is years experience in pumping va
ter for irrigation in California, IN
stalled plant Of 1850 gallons and the
commercial possibility OF agriculture
was definitely determined
Following his example. others tried
the socaued experiment and made
good. the result being that today prob
land here has been filed on. and there
are IN operation some $50 pumping
plants iTrIgating approximately 1000
acres OF what was consinered three
years ago land fit for grazing only
Land Of value.
The agricultural value Of this valley
land having been determined land
values have risen rapidly IN the past
three years In the Rio Grande valley.
SO miles east and the ella valley, 200
miles west Of US. land values. without
water rights range from $50 to $3.50
per acre. Water rights under these
Ero5ects wiz cost approximately SO