El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-05
Water Users Vote to Aban-
don Project, on Engineers
Recommendations.
Continued From Page OneO

ton which would be unnecessary in
case the high line canal and the power
development were carried out at a
later date, and even this would not
be abandoned but would be useful
az an insurance against breaks in the
high line canal so that the Mesila
valley would not be without lrrlga-
ton water in such an event. In case
the market for power and the price
thereof is sufficient TO justify such
a move in the future, the high line
can be built beginning at the first
drop on the Leasburg canal, about
four miles below the Penasco heading,
and following on grade line 10
point about four miles south of Las
Cruces to the Tortugas Drop, which
will carry such amount Of the water
to be used below that point as may
be decided upon in the future as JUS
tifiable, and a large amount OF power
can be developed at that drop pro
portional to the quantity OF water
which it is decided to carry in the
high line canal for this purpose.
Source Of Great Power.
1.-The water to be drawn from the
Elephant Butte reservoir win Ihe
head available in. that reservoir can
be made the source Of a large amount
of power, which can be developed as
soon as the reservoir is finished DY
the construction of a power plant at
that point and which will be sufficient
to meet existing demand IOr power on
the project, and probably Tor sew
y
arrives for further power develop
ment it can be supplied by the ABOVE
described high line from lSeasDuIs 70
the TOrtugas Drop, and II IN lateL
T[ears further bower development
seems justified the water TO be useQ
in FL Paso valley can be diverted AZ
the foot Of TOrtugas Drop ana car
rfed to q point near CanuuuO, WueIS
q drop of 70 feet can be obtained anu
a large amount Of power developed
proportional to the quantity OF wafer
thus dropped 49,, ,--,.7
is therefore entirely consistent Win
the utmost power development "a
which the system is capable, ana Sc
Sures important improvements III
drainage conditions, besides deIerrlls
large Investments until such !lme as
they are needed and lustlfleo'
The Boards Report.
The report of the board of engineers
on which the action was taken was
- petitions have been received from
the Ell PasO Water Users assoclaClon
oD5 from the Elephant Butte Water
Users association, asking the reclama-
ton service to consider the bulldlns
of a main irrigation canal for the Me-
ssi11a valley on a high line grade per
-1i+fine the ultimate development OF
mower for irrigation pumping and otn-
"5 The project engineer had submitted
70 This hoard several plans for water
sTo the Mesflla valley. These plans
-ll7 ron carving all irrigation wa
fer including that required DeloW II
Paso, in canals elIner on nIsll i5
GRADES or in the valley, to utilizing Ihe
river channel as a carrier to It's max
imUm extent
'ss In the first extreme case mentioned
the river bed would be dry probably
for periods of several years, 1loWlng
water only during times OF spilIWay
overflow at the Elephant Butte dam
or when short floods come IN DeIo"
a. In the latter extreme case about
1900 second feet would flow over the
Leasburg dam during the mlddIe OF
the irrigation season, LeO Seco 1il-e+ 80
Of which would be diverted IN east ana
west canals near the present pan
MIGUEL heading. while 500 second feet
would continue down the channei LOT
IRRIGATION below FL Paso-
"5 Many cases were CONSIDERED pc
tween these extremes and their COM
narrative costs were estimated JOSeJn-
er with possible power development
The Drainage Feature.
"6 In this connection drainage conul-
ditions were also studied, which are
likely to be unfavOrable and to re-
oT1ire humping unless deep gravity
drain be provided through the entlFe
length Of the valley.
az During the discussions II pc
came aDparent that the river control
is a serious factor in the situation. If
as much water as is practicable be
carried in canals, the periodical HOODS
passing over the Elephant Butte spill
way in spite of accommodating storage,
NAV reach amounts of over 5000 second
feet and such flow may continue IOr
many weeks if not months.
"S Should such floods occur after
the river channel shall have been dry
for many years and shall have become
partially INSTRUCTED by vegetation ana
obliterated by sand blows. the course
which the channel may take would De
predetermined and the damage TO lands
and irrigation systems might be very
serious
"9 We deem it essential to allow
sufficient irrigation water to pass
down the river channel to keep a def
mite course open and ready for the
carriage of floods when they occur
Such flow on a four foot grade to the
mile may be expected to erode and
lower the river channel gradually, and
It will probably be necessary to keep
such erosion within reasonable limits
by the construction Of checks IN the
channel, and by bank protection
80. In addition to the expense Of
building such checks, shore protection
works will have to be constructed, in
conjunction with similar works likely
to be provided and now partially built
by the county for the protection OF
bridge abUtments, and by the railroad
for the safeguarding Of its tracks The
uncertain. 1t can probably be spread
over a number Of years.
Erosion Of River.
al The erosion Of the river chan
mel will probably be slow and can be
readily kept under control so as to
lower the bed TO such an extent as may
ultimately make the channel effective
as a main drain into which lateral
drains can discharge by gravity. It
is realized that the accumulation Of
eroded material below may cause some
trouble, but IT is expected that periOdi-
cal flooding viii sweep it down the
river.
"12. The use OF the river channel
to a maximum extent requires the con-
struction OF diversion works near the
present head Of the San Miguel ditch
Tor the irrigation Of the lower part
Of the Mesilla valley, as above stated.
The location is favorable as the river
has not changed its channel in this
vicinity within recent years.
Need OF Diversion Dams
as. Our conception Of proper d.
version works to be built at this point
is that a permanent floor be con-
structed across the river channel three
or four feet below its present bed that
movable gates be mounted on this
floor. that head gates be constructed /
on both sides Of the channel. that en-
trance to each canal be provided over