Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-02-04
ELEPHANT BUTTE
DAM ONE THIRD
COMPLETED
Report Of Progress on Reclaim.
alton Project in December
Shows Dam on Rio Grande
Moving Along Rapidly.


That tho Elephant Butte project
proper ~ One.thlrd completed ~
shown by the following report on the
work IN December In the Reclamation
Service Bulletin:
New Mexico.Texaa, Rio GFnnde
project. Elephant BUTT reservoir.
formerly known as Engle reservoir
and dam. S3.6 per cent completed;
Leasburg unit, complete; Mesiila,
Rincon and Palom0s valley units, pre-
llminary surveys; ~ Paso, canal ays-
tenn purchased.
Elephant Butte dam: Excavation
for the dam foundations proceeded
during the month with three shifts.
Ret 10 and - inches Of snow
fell on the 9Th ana eth. which ~
heavy for this latitude aud prevented
work for two days. As soon as work
could bee resumed after the storm a
large torn was put on the upper
cofferdam. raising and strengthening
the temporary closures 10 protect the
excavation against possible high wa
ter However. the snow melted very
/ SLOWLY. some being still on the ground
at the end OF the month and the
river did not rise 90 any extent. Total
excavation for the month was 2s,s00
| cubic yards. at which 23,270 cubic
yards were removed by the grab
buckets and $3.50 cubic yards boy 9TH
/ 81 methods Drag scrapcrs are now
used To- pull down the sides Of the
excavation. and thua save much time
| which would be- lost IN side tagging
the grab buckets. At the sand-cc-
/ mcnt plant ail th. heavy machinery
was in place except the motor. The
| CTushrr was set and tn" wood work
OF the rock bin completed. Excnva-
1 ton for the Portland cement bin IN
completed and the woodwork under
. way. The elevators are on the ground
and their erection viii be- started in
January. This plant IN approximate
IS 80 per cent completed. At the
crushing plant a small force was put
ting an the hydraullcaily operated
rock gates The crushing plant con-
siSts of two crushcrs with combined
, capacity ~ ESQ tons ~ crushed rock
/ per hWir. rho now OF rock from tn"
! hin 10 the cftsheFs Co. regulated by
twelve piunsers attached 10 hydraulic
cylinders, each having % 3.topt G-inch
=
| ore crushor b, vertical elevator 81
/ feet high. This plant is % per cent
/ completed No work was done on
| the mixing plant during December.
I At the quarry q force Of twenty men
continued stripping. cleaning and de-
vrloplng "a working face. and also
prcpariug roadbcd 'or sidetrack ~
his point
l"asbure unit SO water was Ill
| verified into the maiu ranai during the
month. but e small force ut lhhur"rN
! was employed on general work. Tn"
discharge of the river has gradually
! increased until ~ rs nov carrying APP
! praXimatcl, $40 second feet
Mcsiln valley Negotiations were
begun with the Santa Ne railway com
| panN involving unout rs miles of
| right of way FOR the liighlne canal
\ preliminary estimate uf cost pf this
canal ~ being prepared and the de-
sign at structures win bee begun IN tho
near future. The farm unit survey
wJs continued hy % party Increased
b, another plane table crew. Tria'
location for the West side canal has
been run for eighteen miles. The
arsi seven miles "i this line viii prob
ably bccomc the anal location. Thu
remainder ot the line viii be- revised
rhr party is working uu this division
land taking data for right OF whA
map. \ conference was held on De
ccmhcr 80 hy the engineer In charg'
Of surveys aud the examiner with tn,
rcprcsrututiVra ul the community
bitches on the west side On a proposed
contract between them ana the Unit
cd States for the construction Of hi,
canal.
iincou valley. Tho party on farm
ami surveys was engaged on rrtra'
INK section lines uni tri1nguhtiun
palumus valley Th, prrlimluaT'
canal line has boon run 80 Hatch an'
this party viii complete field W0rl
ubout January g. Maps, prohles au'
estimates Tor e cdnpl system for th'
Paiomas and Rincou Valleys viii thri
he worked up in the lts Cruces office
The party viii be- us,d ca assist viii
farm unit surveys "i the Bincon val
iry
fl Paso valley m, work Of clean
ing the Franklin canal continue
very slowly. due Co SHOWS and rain
making the canal too soft 10 work In
hut II Will be cleaned iH time FOR tn
1913 irrigation season.
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