El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-03


difficult to appreciate fully at
H first the far reaching significance
of the results obtained by the commit
Of the Elephant Butte Water users
association. composed of I. Clapp, pres
ident; Mark \ Thompson, director
and chairman Of the aGerJIsing and I'M
migration committee, ana A4oIS3el -L+ ~
Llewellyn, which visited Washing W l
recently to obtain definite seJueLlent
of important matters IN cOhleCLlJH
with the project including among Gun
ers immediate canal construction anu
the farm unit. This committee, aIler
number of conferences with Ine mem
bers of the reclamation commission a.
Washington, including A. L. DAVIS W
A. Ryan and win r. King, and win
secretary Lane and assistant secretary
Jones, brought to conclusion a great
many matters Of vital importance 10
the people of the valleys Whlch were
hanging in suspense
lSeeIing of Friendship Cemented.
A strong feeling of friendship has
been cemented between the committee
and the commission, so that unqueS-
fionabIv the affairs of this project viii
be given more prompt and greater con-
sheraton in the future tnan hereto
fore especially in view OF the IacI lhat
the secretary Of the interior ana MS as
sistauts were convinced that this COM
mittee came to Washington not as
most committees come with view OF
putting something over, but merely
with the object of obtaining what was
Justly best for the present and future
of this great irrigation enterprise, the
Elephant Butte dam
Old Contract Stands Good.
In the first place, the impression had
been sent abroad that the government
might deem il necessary 10 propose
or demand a new conuact with the
shareholders OF the water Users ass9-
citation under this project and consid-r
cradle misapprehenSiOn had arisen
concerning future policies of the recla-
nation service. This matter was dell
nitely passed upon ana POSITIVE assuI-
ances- given in the letter Of the COM
mission that the commission dld not
deem it necessary to propose or oe-
mand any modification OF the FORM or
substance of the contract heretofore
entered into with the Water Users as
ISOLATION.
For the reinsurance of whomsoeveT
entertained doubts Of the future OF Ihe
Elephant Butte project, the commission
announced that the progress OF work
upon the impOunding dam OF TINS pro-
ject had progressed to such state that
it was necessary to consider the con-
struction Of the distributing systems
under the project, especially IN view
of the fact that, from the reports OF
the engineer in charge, that at the
present rate of progress on the EIe-
plant Butte dam water would be stored
for irrigation during the season OF 1912
In its letter the commission goes into
the matter of canal Construction eX-
haustively and not only agrees that
canals should be constructed at once,
but sets forth the reasons why, from
its standpoint, as they see the matter.
after consultation with the Elephant
Butte Water Users committee ana
which reasons are a tribute to the in
tegrity and assured evidence OF the IN
tentiOn upon the part OF the snare
holders Of this association to carry out
their part OF the agreement made Win
the government in regard to matters
pertaining to the dam, their lands and
other particulars
Considers High Line Canal.
The commission advises that if is
considering carefully the construction
Of a high line canal, which has been
surveyed, and that if it shall be deter
mined that this high line canal is feas-
ible from an engineering and financial
standpoint, then estimates and plans
therefor viii be submitted to the Ele-
plant Butte Water Users association
and the FL PasO Valley Water Users as
sOciatiOn for determining which OF the
two line canals they may desire, that is,
a high line canal or a low line canal.
If it shall be determined that the con-
structiOn Of the socalled high line
canal is feasible and eXpedlenU Work
upon it viii be commenced at an early
date and it will be pushed to compile
ton as rapidly as possible.
Plans for all canals are now IN the
hands Of the commission in Washing
ton and it is confidently expected that
they will be returned to the office of
the project engineer at a very early
date and that matters pertaining to
them will be pushed forward rapidly.
To Divert From Selden.
It is the opinion Of the commission
that this high line canal will serve all
the lands on the east side Of the Rio
Grande below the Selden diversion
dam with the natural flow Of the Rio
Grande The use of the flood waters
carrying a large amount Of silt will
tend to effect the sealing and lining of
such a canal and avoid the waste by
seepage, which condition may not be
had if such flood waters have been
impOunded and allowed to deposit their
silt before reaching the canal.
The commission, after full consider /
alton Of the facts, decides that the
DEVELOPMENT of hydro-electric power by
nal, in addition to the development of
power at the Elephant Butte DAM is |
feasible and advisable Especially for |
the reclamation of arid lands in the
thereof by pumping /
from the underflow and for the pur- |
pose Of drainage Of areas which may /
be water logged after complete irriga- /
tiOn), and if it finds that there is a /
large demand for such power it viii /
recommend construction of the high /
line canal if approved by the water I
users. i
AS the matter stood before the com I
mittee visited Washington, there were /
not sufficient funds in hand to con- /
struct these canal systems, and it is I
Of great importance to get started and I
construction pushed.
Funds for Canal Building.
Through the efforts Of the committee 4
IN arrangement was reached whereby
he reclamation commission advised /
IN its letter to the shareholders of the /
Elephant Butte Water Users assOcia-
ion that the commission would obtain