Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1914-01-22

piled with the least possible
waste. Practically all this drain
age area is covered with timber
and the major portion of it with
in the boundaries Of the Manzanc
National Forest, The altitude
of this drainage area varies from
about 6,aO0 feet to about 11,00(
feet above sea level.
On the south end of the Man
zano Mountains, at Las Vocas,
or Abo Canyon, there is a splen
did location for a series of COM
paratively small dams, which
would drain an area of about 25O
square miles with an annual pre-
cipitation of not to exceed twen-
ty inches.
Toward the south central part
of the county, at Canada de Lion
are three or more small but prac-
cticai dam sites, draining an area
of about fifteen miles long and
averaging about four miles in
width, or a total area of about
sixty square miles with an annu-
al precipitation of abovt fifteen
inches.
We find that the tests hereto
fore made are insufficient upon
which to base a satisfactory re-
report on the supply of under
ground water. While it is true
that several deep wells have been
sunk at various points within the
county, for one reason or anoth-
er. usually on account of unsatis-
factory appliances, the tests as
to volume are not conclusive. but
enough has been demonstrated
to prove that the underground
flow will supply amounts. vary
ing in localities, from 100 to 1900
gallons per minute, continuous
pumping. On approximately
250 square miles in lower parts
of the valley and the tributary
depressions, the water lift is less
than 25 feet. Over an area of
probably 200 square miles the lift
varies from 25 to so feet, or a
total of 450 square miles with a
lift of less than 80 feet, and
about 700 square miles with less
than 100 feet lift. We find wells
producing various amounts from
ten to thirty gallons a minute as
deep as 400 feet. None of the
wells have ever gone through
bed rock, under which, by rea-
son Of the broken formations
above the valley fill, the artesian
pressure might be stronger than
that above, a gravelly forma-
ton parallels the contour at the
lower edge of the mountain-side
watershed, above which most of
the water originating in the
mountains disappears below the
surface. The artesian pressure
is marked in all the wells and
especially so in the deeper wells.
There are approximately 1900
square miles of arabic land that
could be reclaimed with water
obtained by the two methods out
lined above.
The soil varies from a dark
colored loan in the mountains
and foothills to an ash colored
| fill in the lower parts of the val
ley, with the red sand loan in
tervening, all alluvial. The few
experiments at irrigating and
dry farming in favorable seasons
have demonstrated its produc' .
iveness beyond question. The
climatic conditions are favorable
to general agriculture and hortl-
culture, and especially to the
growing of apples Both the
vegetables and fruit produced
are of exceptionally fine flavor
and the color Of apples is unex
celled anywhere.
We cannot estimate the cost of
the dams required to impound
the food waters and melting
snow, but comparatively, the
cost would be low by reason OF
the fact that the raw material!
both stone and gravel, is founc
in abundance at or near the
points needed. The cost of sink
ing and operating a test well
sunk to a point below bedrock
would be beyond the reach o.
individual holders.
Respectfully submitted,
H. J. Fincke,
C. J. Amble,
R. E, Farley,