El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-06
WATER IS BEING STORED BEHIND
GREAT DAM At ELEPHANT BUTTE
Valleys Of the Rio Grande Will Never Know Drouth
When the Great Project Is Completed and the
Canals Of the Valley Are Filled With Water
For Irrigation Purposes.
BY JOHN LEIsK TAFT.

, nine months is enjoyed. and a success
sion of four to five crops can be pro
duced upon the range land each year. Ii
| is literally true that, in the hands Of the
scientific farmer, there is a fortune in
every 40 acres in these wonderful val
leys.
At the present time the principal crop
is alfalfa. This can be cut five times a
year. and yields up to six and a half
tons per acre. Wheat, oats, barley, cow
peas. soy beans, corn, sorghum, garden
truck of all kinds and all sorts of fruit
thrive on this land. Apples in full bear
ing yield $1,000 to $3.50 per acre.
Bartlett pears yield $500 per acre, and
come into full bearing in four years.
Bees form a source of clean profit at
very little trouble and practically no
expense to the farmer. Good manage
ment brings IS a hive per annUm, and
the abundance of alfalfa and blooming
plants of various kinds gives them I'M
excelled range.
Chickens hogs and cattle are sin
guIarly free from disease and parasites.
The dairying business is in its infancy
here, yet the city of Ell PasO has the
largest dairy in the United States serv-
ing the consumer direct. This is des-
tined to become one of the principal in
dUstrieS in these valleys.
Ready Market IL Certain.
Moreover, there is no danger OF over
productions IOr THIS SeCLluu IS pressed
with an Unsuitable and fancy priced
market. Swinging about in a huge
crescent on three sides of it. lie the
mining sections of the southwest-the
gold and silver and copper and lead
and other mines of Arizona New
Mexico That portion Of these mining
districts which is directly tributary to
FL PasO produces upwards of $4,000
O0l of minerals of various kinds an
nually. There is located in the out
skirts of Ell PasO the largest silver,
lead and copper custom smelter in the
United States.
Wholly Dependent for Supplies.
This mining section grows hardly a
blade Of corn for its sustenance; it is
dependent wholly upon the outside for
its provisions 1t employs an enormous
army of Workmen, and pays fancy
prices for all it consumes These fer
Tile valleys of the upper Rio Grande, |
tucked away in the crook of the arm
Of the mining district, form not only
a natural source of supply for its gar
den truck, poultry and dairy products,
meat, fruit, etc, but they have the adj !
vantage Of proximity over all Compel |
inS secdous-an advantage which can /
never be taken from them.
Lands Reasonably Priced.
Lands in these valleys now under ir- |
rigation may be had for SIS an acre up,
according to location. Lands not yet /
irrigated but subject to irrigation may {
be bought as low as S35 an acre. A /
little more than so percent of the irri- /
sable lands in this section are now
under cultivation. They are settling up |
-apidly, and the prices of land are in /
,reasing with prOpOrtiOnate rapidly.
A peculiar feature of the future life !
IN these valleys is found in the six (
Denstocks leading through the gigantic
lam at Elephant Butte. These pen
stocks have been placed for the utiliza- I
ion of the water power which will be /
developed in releasing the stored wa .
ers as they are required for irriga-
ion. It is planned to build a big hydro
electric plant at the dam, and run
transmission lines thence through the
alleys. The power generated at the
lam will be used in running electric
ailWay lines, in pumping water upon I
he adjacent mesas for fruit growing
purposes, in various manufacturing in
.uStries, etc.
Uncle SANS Great Work.
The dam itself is a monolith Of CYCLIC
.ean concrete 1900 feet long on top, /
apering to $50 feet at the base with
maximum base width of 215 feet. 1t
viii contain $4,000 cubic yards Of con-
rete, and is set upon foundations Of !
old rock grOuted TO a depth of 40
Get below the bottom of the dam by |
riled holes 10 feet from center to CEN {
er. It is provided with ample expan-
ion joints. and is more solid than the
ative rock of the canyon walls which
t knits indissOlubly.
The government has built a towns Of
600 inhabitants about 4 mile below the
am. Here the employees on the dam
I've with their families. Preparations /
re already under way to convert this
own of Elephant Butte into a pleasure
esort upon the completion Of the dam.
he big lake behind the dam will he
locked with game fish and provided I
nth fleet of motor boats, canoes, etc
he surrounding hills are alive with
eer, wild turkeys. bear, quail ana 9TH
r game. Six miles below the dam are
)cated the Las Palomas springs, noted |
rom aboriginal days as a health resort /