The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-04-19
WATER NOW
BEHIND BIG DAM
FOR ALL LAND
Reclamation Service State
ment Shows that Entire
10000 Acres Could Have
One Good Irrigation from
Stored Water.


-
Las Cruces. n. NJ, April iS.-That
there In now enough water stored be-
hind the huge elephant Butte dam
TO give all lands under the project
one good irrigation. Is the statement
contained In n summary OF progress
on the construction work nade last
week by reclamation Grrvlte officials.
The water behind The dam Is now
80 feet deep and IL az clear as cry
tai, and n motto scat In operating on
lts surface at so cents a round trip.
Figured In terms OF acre feet. which
n the irrigation mans unit, there are
10000 acre feet Of water behind the
dam at h present time and the wa
ter EVE n rising nj the rate Of nine
inches a day. on the average.
Water In being run through the
spillways of the biz dam by means
OF the canal systems. The water that
II now running in the Franklin canal
In that which poured through the
spiliways OF the dam several DAYS
& n the dam water Is being re-
celved as lar down the valley as San
Elibario. M reclamation officials de-
clare.
To prepare for the economical ham
ding OF the water from the dam, the
reclamation service is e~xpending
more than 100000 In diversion
dams, canals ana other project work.
The Mesilla diversion dam IL now he.
Ing constructed five miles south OF
Las Cruces at the head OF the san
Miguel ditch. This diversion dam IN
OF concrete and will divert water
from the river to both the east and
west side valleys. II will reauIre an
TO complete this dam ana n
VIII be one OF the largest OF the.
project. II r. TO form n permanent
bridge when completed.
To carry the diverted water from
this diversion dam the main enst and
west side canals are being completed
earthwork on these main canals
has been completed and the bridges
urops and gates OF concrete are being
built. The west side canal IL com
pleted for II miles below the liver
sion dam on the west side OF The
river. The east side canal IA COM
down 10 miles ON the east
size. The west side canal exten,,s 10
and the east side canal
10 a point between Mesquite and
Vado' There they Join the old ca.
nhis. These new canals will be
ready for use the latter art Of the
present irrigation season. This canal
work, when completed, is estimated
20 cost about $500 600 or even more
Work Ia Lower Valley.
The reclamation service In compIet-
ng n few small Jobs on the Franklin
'anhl below FL Paso. A bridge IA
being UnNuhAI urAaa. -sI
ROSES the 1ty road five miles
below the city. The rec-onstruction
the Franklin canal from the head !
sates above ~ Paso to the town of
sleta was completed tzst year and
rom fsleta TO Clint this year. There
'emains the canal from clint To Fa.
ana the three-mile stretch 10
The Island This IL being consid-
req AT the present time and when
, ~ completed Il will give a total
.s'uhoe or 80 miles. including the
hree mile branch to THE sland"
To Extend Lcasburg Canal.
~ ~ also planned TO take up the
.,Nt'hsi"h OF the Leasburg canal In
ne upper valley after July. providing
.o termination commission approves
u TINS work. This will extend the
.ensourg canal from the Loasburg
version dam ana the remaininR nye
'nn' a distance OF ~ miles. There
re now six miles Of government en-
lal completed below the Leasburg
ram n the remaining Ave
niles Ii to be completed after July
the commission approves.
Drainage surveys IN the upper and
'wer valleys have also been started
y the reclamation service and two
hrtles OF six men each are now In
field.