El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-02
ST REDUCE
ITER POURING
clamation Officials, Are
to Drain Valley,
Want Farmers Help.

while the reclamation service Will
exert every effort to bring about, as
soon as possible, a betterment in the
condition of the FL Paso valley. we
will be able to get results quicker if
the water users will assist by reduc-
ing the amount Of water they are now
pouring on the valley land"
This statement was made by l. NJ
Lawson, manager Of the Elephant
Butte reclamation district Friday
afternoon. At the time Mr.. Lawson. at
his office in the Mills building. was
in conference with T. E. Weymouth,
chief of construction for reclamation
projects. and D. NJ Murphy, chief of
the drainage division of the service
Water Level Rapidly Rising.
We realize the fact" continued Mr..
Lawson that conditions in the valley
at present are very serious. The rise IN
the water plane this spring has Deen
more marked than for any previous
time for which we have record l
mean that since the beginning of tr-
rigation this year that water has risen
faster than ever before.
Our records are based on the show
ing made from test wells There are
about 500 of these test wells in the
valley extending from the Azcarate
grant down the valley to Fabens- The
water in the wells is measured every
three months and they show that the
water in valley has now reached an
average height Of three and half
feet from the surface In some places
the water covers the surface of the
ground while in other locations II is
ten feet down
VIII Construct Three Canals.
THE government plans 10 get rid
80 - HTsHHI
ton of three drainage canals parallel
ing each other up and down the val
lev One Will be the river canal. To-
Gated far enough from the river bank
to avoid attracting river water Then
a middle canal will be built down the
valley, closely following the meander-
ings Of the Ysleta valley road and
third canal will be constructed near
the foothills.
The canals will each average a
depth of eight or nine feet and will
empty into the river near Fabens-
Even after the drainage canals are
built owners in certain sections OF the
valley may find IL necessary to sink
holes to the second stratum OF SAND
in order to get rid of the water held
BY the adobe under the sand near the
surface The formation in this valley
is erraIic and the strata Of sand near
the surface frequently pinch out, leav-
ing no outlet for the water.
When we were driving piles for the
Leasbufg diversion dam we struck not
water at a depth of 30 feet. and it
oozed up through the pile hole Near
Yuma we found q well preserved log
at a depth of 20 feet, indicting that
this is a very new country.
4 cannot say how long II Will take
to complete the drainage system in
this valley. Three miles OF the middle
canal have been built and as soon as
fhaf- drafnapa
district we will push the work All
Of the officials of the service recog-
nize the seriousness of the situation
and are ready TO render every aid pos
sible.
Must Reduce Water Consumption.
IF The Herald can induce the peo-
pie Of this valley to reduce their con-
sumption of water II viii assist ma
teriaIIy in attaining the ultimate re-
suits desired This canal is deliver
ing to the FL Paso valley twice as
much water as IS used on the same
number Of acres IN the Yuma valley,
and yet climatic conditions require
more water in the Yuma valley than
there to irrigate nearly every month
.aThe FL Paso valley has been gorged
with water until II is very sick and
the doctor will tell you IL may be
sicker before he can effect a cure
he can tell you all about the disease
and the remedy. He is an expert
specialist on drainage"
But Mr.. Murphy said Mr.. Lawson,
had diagnosed the case so thoroughly
be could not improve upon IL.
Valley Needs a "Physic.r
well, the doctor agrees" said Mr.
Lawson, that his patient is suffering
from a very acute attack Of bowel
troubles and the doctors physic is not
going to do much good as long as the
nurses continue to-flood the patient
with that which provoked the attack
VERY few Of the water users in the
valley are doing anything to help
themselves. In this valley the lands
are not level and in consequence the
farmers soak their low lands while
trying to dampen the high places, and
the bitches are not carrying enough
water to afford quick irrigation
No Guess Work With Officials.
This is no guess work with us In
addition to our test wells Mr.. Muir
ply is frequently making surveys We
have corps in the field constantly
gaging. We know positively whether
irrigation or river water Is causing
the rise of water in the valley ground
Our records show the quick rises and
IL the flow is from the river, or from
aaa~ aaaT IT,