El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-14
IS PNESSDUE
To THE BIC DAM?
Old Timers Say 1t Is, Others
Say 1t Is Not and Wealth
er Office Man Says No

Is the Elephant Butte dam gradually
I changing the climate Of Fl Paso and in
creasing the humidity OF the atmos-
pheree
ANY number Of pioneers in the city
! viii tell YOU that something has
I brought about a change i'm the past
! year or so and that the heat of August
! was combined with a dampness I'M
known in former years.
County treasurer J. D Ponder is one
I OF those who believes that the con-
struction Of the giant dam and the i'm
pounding of millions upon millions Of
I gallons OF water so close TO the city
I have wrought a change in the climate.
.It certainly Is a fact that we have
more humidity in Fl PasO than we used
TO have" said Mr. Ponder "Wednesday
To some people. particularly those
from the east this change is pleasant
and reminds them of home. But TO the
native the humidity is unpleasant
Air l. Damper-
The atmosphere here seems 10 be
damper than it used TO be. 7 believe
tlar the biz body OF water formed by
the Elephant Butte dam is certain to
nave its effect on the climate The
suns rays Keep Up constant process Of
evaporation. increasing the wafer
contents OF tbs air 7 think this must
.'CalifOrnianS claim that the fOrma
ton OF the Salton sea I'm Southern Cali
fcrnia has made the climate damper and
increased the rainfall. 7 believe the
/ weather records will bear out this con-
teution- 7 think the same principle that
governs the Salton sea and its effect
upon the atmosphere applies to the new
ELEPHANT Butte dam"
Memories. Not Climate. at Fault.
Postmaster E A Shelton. who has
takes an opposite view
We old-timers are often wont 70 be
1ieve that the climate is changing" Mr..
Shelton said We have a hot spell and
believe the weather is hotter than II
used TO be. Then we have some rain
storms and think the rainfall is heavier
II is true that the past few weeks has
been quite humid for FL Paso. but I do
not believe IL is any damper than Il
used 10 be
Same for 90 Years.
Many times when / have thought
the climate Is changing 7 have gone
back 70 the weather records and found
that there has been no real change The
rainfall. the temperature and the hui
miditv have averaged Just about the
same for the past 40 years It is be
cause our memories are at fault that
we imagine tho climate is different.
The only real change that I have
noted has been in the matter Of dust
streets. the dust was an ever-preseut
menace When the March winds came
il was often impossible TO see across
the street because of the clouds OF dust
that were raised But. since the con
srruction Of tall buildings and the paw
ING Of the streets. the dust problem
has just about vanished This is the
cnly climatic change 7 have noted. and
II IS easily explained on purely prac-
-icaI grounds
Weather Expert Snys No.
r " Shaver. who is in charge OF
The United States weather bureau in
FL Paso. also secuted the idea that the
big dam is changing the climate
cur records show that the percent &
age OF humidity IS no higher than I'm F..
former years" 4Ir- Shaver asserted .
w hatever evaporation is going on al ,
the Elephant Butte dam is too small /
and too quickly absorbed 10 make any 0
difference in El PasO'
William Bennett. Of ElkIand Pa has 50 I