Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1914-08-13
| shall first discuss the sources
of water for such a condition.

5 of water for such a condition.
The climate must be con.
: sidered. Estancia valley is in
the path of the prevailing west.
. erlles which traverse the United
, United States, hence the general
trend cf air currents is from west
to east across the valley. But,
, because Of the influence of winds
blowing north from Gulf of Mex
leo across the middle states,
there is a slight tendency to
! defect the prevailing westerlies
in New Mexico and to cause
( them to blow from southwest to
northeast.
Estancia Valley has general
elevation of about 5000 ft, putting
it in that peculiar zone of alti-
tude where a person entering
from a lower altitude will detect
a lightness and freshness of the
atmosphere which is extremely
invigorating and refreshing.
There are seldom ever strong
winds blowing across the valley
at the surface, consequently the
air is noticeably clear and from
dust.
The climate of Estancia valley
is as clear and perfect as | have
witnessed in any part of North
America, so far as the health of
its people is concerned.
The only adverse criticism |
can make concerning the climate
is to say that there is not
sufficient rainfall over the CEN
trail part of the valley year after
year to support crops and to in
sure a full yield from farming.
AS an example, five years ago
there was an abundant rainfall
and some surprising crops were
raised, but the four following
years were too dry to get any
crops. The result was that a
large number Of the farmers
abandoned their farms and went
wherever they could earn a liv-
ing. This season there has been
plenty of rain. During the two
weeks ir July | was travelling
over the valley and mountains
there was rain every day and a
stranger to the preceding years
of drouth could scarcely believe
it was any thing but an ideal agri-
cultural section. Vegetation is
thrifty in the valley this season,
but as the rain was unheralded,
there were very few fields sown
to crops. Those fortunate farm
ers who put out crops are going
to receive recompepse for the
failures Of these dry years.
/ The annual rainfall of the val
ley is about sixteen inches. A
majority of this falls on the
mountains and foothills and
sinks into the ground to help
form the underground drainage.
The surface drainage of the
valley is insignificant. There
are no surface streams in the
level part of the valley. Several
small streams come down the
canyons in the moutains but af-
ter winding among the foothills
enter the upturned edges of some
permeable strata of rocks and
pass into the Secondary Mantle
Rock. Rain which falls upon the
upturned edges of the Primary
Mantle Rock in the mountains
where it is exposed, enters the
pervious layers and follows the
surface of the impervious layers
down into the deep structure un
{ derlying the entire valley. Rair
which falls out on the level sur
face of the valley disappears ir
a few hours, a part Of it evapor
, ates in the almost-constant sun
shine, the rest of it sinks into the
l dry powdery soil.
The foregoing explanation O.
] structure, rainfall and drainage
D will clearly show what ideal con
, ditions exist for the presence ant
4 utility of artesian water in ES
? tancia valley. 1t is evident tina
t there are two distinct groups 0
t structure to be considered in thi
e connection, namely the Primar
: and Secondary Nantes. shaI
n indicate in a later report tn
$ more favorable parts of the vale
p for drilling artesian wells. Their