Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1914-08-13
PROF. REES' REPORT
ON THE VALLEY.

the preliminary report of Prof
F. R. Rees, the geologist EN-
ployed by the men represented
by R, j. Thomas in the deep wei
proposition now before the peo'
pie of the valley. Prof. Rees is
head of the science department
of Henry Kendall College at Tul'
sa, Oklahoma, where the courses
given include geology, oil geolo-
gy and chemistry.
The purpose of my rendering
the following account of my sur
vey of Estancia Valley is to
place in Mr.. Thomas hands a
written statement of the condi-
tions in the Valley as observed
by myself. 1t shall be my en-
deavor to state briefly and accu-
rately an account Of my observa-
tions in Estancia Valley and vi
cinity.
Estancia Valley is at the GEN.
ter of Torrance County, the CEN
trail county Of New Mexico. The
Valley is traversed by two rail
roads. The A. T. & S, F. run
ming west from Amarillo, Tex
as, to Belen, Albuquerque and
Santa Fe, N. NJ, cuts through
the southern portion of the Val
ley. The New Mexico Central
bisects the Valley from north to
south, connecting with the A. T.
& 5. F. in the south central part
of the Valley. At the point of
intersection of these roads is
the town of Willard. Twelve
miles north from Willard is Es-
\ tancia, the county seat of TOR
rance County, situate on the New
Mexico Central, which has its
shops here. At a point about
four miles southeast of Estancia
is the geographical center of the
state of New Mexico. Other
towns on the railroad north from
Estancia are Mcintosh, about
eight miles, and Moriarty, about
fifteen miles. Moriarty is just
about in the northern edge of
Estancia Valley proper, but the
valley floor extends north for
some thirty or forty miles to the
foothills of mountain ranges
which outline the entire valley
on the north.
The town of Estancia will be
the point of central interest in
this report. Several small towns
lie in the foothills west of Es-
tancia, for example, Chilli, a.
bout twenty miles northwest,
fatigue, about fifteen miles west,
Torreon, about eighteen miles
southwest, and Manzano, about
twenty-five miles southwest. All
these are Mexican towns and
have typical Mexican adobe
buildings. No towns lie to the
east of Estancia within the valley,
Estancia valley shows evidence
of having been a broad lake at
one time. AS to the particular
history of the formation of this
lake basin, shall discuss in an
other report, but will mention
here that at an earlier geological
time it may have existed as an
arm or segment Of the ocean,
extending northwest from the
Gulf of Mexico, and later was
elevated in such a manner as tC
cause it to drain to the south.
east, thus emptying the saline
waters from the valley. This
seems plausible from present in.
dications. The elevation OF the
entire region was continued by
the small local upheavals which
were able TO express themselves
in the form of hills and mountain
ranges almost entirely surround
ing this broad, flat valley. Thi
valley floor or lake basin is abou
thirty or forty miles wide eas
and west by sixty or sevent,
miles long north and south. 1t
general elevation above sea leve
is about six thousand feet in tn
central part but rises severa
hundred feet on all sides to tn
foothills of several mountain
ranges.
Along the south and south
west border of the valley is Sc
ries of high mesas, about 100
feet high, which front to tn
east and north and slope gentl