El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-27

HIGH LINE CANAL
AND RIVER BRIDGES
IN Reply to Eli NeTTBOm.

That a high line canal might be
built starting at Elephant Butte seems
to be an idea still held BIZ some. This
was so expressed in a recent letter to
The Herald by Eli NewsOm. in which
he favored a ditch to water lands east
Of the organ and Franklin mountains
Such canal would be unfeasible be-
cause Of expense. such a nigh line
canal if started from Elephant Butte
would not irrigate any lands Tor 80
miles. Several miles Of the location
would be in rock, and the remainder
which might be classed as being IN
earth would traverse a country very
badly erOded with deep arrOyOs which
come down from the CaballO noun
tains Because Of the very steep
slope between the CaballO mountains
and the Rio Grande a profile OF any
canal line would be highly serrated-
In this stretch Of 80 miles the cost
would be very high
Just north Of the Sierra-DOna Ana
county line some tunneling would have
to be done in the limestone OutcrOp
near the Ojo Caliente. After getting
into Dona Ana county the cOnstruc-
ton cost would be heavy but not so
heavy as in Sierra county But from
Derry to RincOn the cost would be
greater than for the contemplated
high line canal for the east side Of
the Mesilla valley.
Another very expensive piece Of line
would be from TCrnUcO to Selden
with practically no irrigible lands IN
der the ditch After passing the
large arrOyOs which come down from
the Dona Ana hills the location would
be comparatively favorable for several
miles.
But this would be a long canal The
length from Elephant Butte to the
state line would probably be from llV
to 125 miles and the cost would ap-
prOmimate the estimated cost Of the
adopted there would be about 20 miles
of it which would not irrlgate prac-
tically any amount Of land So Tar
as the writer knows none OF the en-
gineers OF the United states reclana-
ton service have thought Such prop
ositiOn worthy Of a rough preliminary
line after making a reconnaissance
The Matter OF Bridges.
Bridges will be needed across the
Rio Grasde after the Elephant Butte
Butte and RincOn the Rio Grande at
times receives considera bic cOntribu-
lions from its Intermittent tr1Duar-
les, especially those flowing down
from the Black Range which lies to
the west. Among these are CuchillO,
Negro, the Percha, and Arroyo SecO.
The Animas and Las PalOmas creeks
NAV be considered as nearly continu-
ously flowing streams but do 90 dry
at times IN sumner
Some Of these during the torrential
rains contribute at times more than
1000 cubic feet Of water per second. /
The arrOyOs which drain the western
slope of the CabalO mountains at
times often have very great floods
During the summer Of 1911, at one
time there was a gain OF 1000 cubic
feet per second in the flow of the Rio
Grande between Elephant Butte and
SeIden.
Now il enough water was being let
out of the dam to supply the Rio I
Grande project and II these tributaries I
between Elephant Butte ana Selden Z
would contribute 1000 cubic feet per !
second or more the Rio Graude would I
not be fOrdable and il is almost Ger
tain that these. variable contributions !
would make il impossible for autOmo- /
bIes to cross because OF water or 4
mud.
It is probable that after a number
Of years, communication betW cen
points on this water shed may be more (
aasilS accomplished and the flow bet
ter regulated 1t is probable with Z
the available data, that but few floods /
OF more than 1000 cubic feet per sec /
oud viii ever be contributed to the {
Rio Grande between Elephant Butte /
and Selden. and that the Mesilla val
ley viii have TO have bridges across [
the Rio Gande in order TO have con-
-iuuOUs travel in midsummer for load {
ed teams or automobiles