El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-26
S550,000 To Be
SPENT BY j. 8.
Reclamation Service Will
Build Another $125,OOO
Dam Near Rincon.

The Mesilla diversion dam, located
eight miles below Las Cruces. is prac-
tically completed, and the United
States reclamation service is now NOV
ing its camp to the site of the pro-
posed Percha dam, % miles above Rim
con and about 100 miles above FL PasO
The Mesilla dam has cost the govern
ment about 100000. Its completion
viii do away with numerous diver
sion bitches through which water has
been secured for the irrigation of
farms i'm the Mesilla valley. The dam
viii divert all water into the main
canal, from which il will be distributed
throughout the valley. The bitches for
this part Of the Rio Grande project
have been completed.
To Spend SJ5O.OOO.
During the coming year the reclama-
ton service will spend S55O,OO0 in this
will be spent in the construction Of
drainage systems, 100000 for opera
Ton ana maintenance or the various
completed systems Of the project, and
about $500, 900 for the construction OF
The Percha dam and the canal in the
Rincon valley. The remaining $4,000
viii be consumed in incidental eXpen-
ses and extension surveys.
Percha Dam to Start.
The Percha dam upon which work
viii start at once. will cost about
lie built of concrete, and will lift the
W alter Of the river eight to 10 feet 1t
viii be equipped with gates and viii
represent advanced ideas in dam con-
The reclamation service is making
The final locations Of the main canal
for the RincOn valley which VIII be
used in connection with the Percha
dam. It is anticipated that everything
viii be ready for the letting OF con-
tracts for excavation work by the time
the new appropriation becomes avail
able in July.
Draining BIesiIIa Valley.
Work has just started on the con-
struction of the drainage system for
the Mesilla valley. Right of way has
been secured for three miles Of the
main ditch, and the ditchinS machine
has begun work at the lower end
which starts at the river near NintOn.
The ditching work viii be conducted
upstream so that the ditch becomes
available for drainage purposes as soon
as dug. The ditch viii extend to Ne
Eilla Park and viii have two branches,
one following close to the river, ana
the other near the foothills. The lower
branch viii drain Mesquite lake, which
las formed from seepage from the ir-
rigatiOn bitches. It is planned to pur-
chase another ditching machine at
once and the two ditchers will then
he operated two shifts daily
Meeting Mt Anthony.
A meeting Of the New Mexico Farm
crs' association has been called at
Anthony for the 29th. at which irriEa-
cussed, and il is probable that the need
OF further drainage systems in the up /
per valley will be pointed out. r. F.
Walter, project engineer. has been in
vited to this meeting.
tt is anticipated that work on the |
drainage system in the lower valley |
viii start within the next two weeks ;
The drainage committee Of the FL Paso |
Valley Water Users association, OF !
which c. n. Bassett IS chairman, is I
making good progress in securing I
rights Of way, and it is believed that /
the first three miles OF right Of way |
will have been secured within very ]
short time. This drainage ditch viii 1
start near Fabens and will extend up I
10 point above Ysleta-
The upper valley drainage ditch will /
be from Il to il feet wide at the bot
tom and from seven to 10 feet deep.
The dimensions Of the lower valley |
drainage ditch will be about |
the same. The dimensions Of both viii |
be smaller in the upper sections.
Inspection Made.
T. A. Weymouth. chief Of construc- ?
tiop iu the reclamation service. with
headquarters at Denver. has completed
his inspection of the irrigation projects
in this section. and will leave in a few
days for an inspection Of the Carlsbad,
IN. M project from whence he viii go