El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-25
GREAT DAM At The WHITE HOUSE Friday
nUTFnI
WANT GREAT DAM
ON PEG0S RIVER
Large Areas of Rich Land
in Texas Could Then
Be Cultivated.

Be Cultivated.
Vernon l. Sullivan mas returned
from a trip over the Pecos valley,
where he. in company with the state
board Of water engineers and mem
bers from the various irrigation dis
tricts in the valley. went over the
proposed Red Bluff reservoir site OF
the reservoir site itself, Mr. Sullivan
gives the following interesting facts;
The Red Bluff reservoir would be
formed by the construction Of g oam
across the Pecos river about four
miles above the Texas state line IN
reservoir at contour 20 would be ~
900 acre feet, and at so il would pc
100000 acre feet and at 100 IL would
be between 100000 and 100000 acre
feet. or Of sufficient capacity 70 nolQ
the mean total flow Of the Pecos
river for a period Of one year ana
conserve the flood waters OF one year
for use the next irrigation season
At the 100 feet contour it would back
the water up the river some 10 miles
with a maximum width Of over two
miles, and the water would be 100
feet deep at the dam.
Would Be Big Dam.
THE length Of the dam at the bot
tom is 500 feet and at the top ap-
proximately 1000 feet with some adj
ditionaI levee on the east end across
some low saddles
for the dam is stratified limestone
overlaid with irregular formation OF
conElomerate rock and earth.
The cost for the construction OF
the dam only would be approximately
one and a quarter million dollars.
Of the land living
in the reservoir basin belongs TO the
government
The Pecos river drains the eastern
slope OF the southern end OF the
Rocky Mountain ridge from a point in
northern New Mexico, south II IS
chiefly a t0rrentiaI stream, carrying
large quantities Of water at flood
periods. The run-off Of the Pecos
river from 1900 10 1911, inclusive, at
the United States geological survey
gaginE station near Moorhead, Texas, I
a point some distance below the lands
irrigated, was 1,124,OOO acre feet, or a /
discharge per year Of $4,000 acre I
feet
Ten Systems Get Water.
There are ten irrigation systems /
receiving water from the Pecos river 4
in the state or Texas. Some Of the I
are very old, dating back /
prior 10 the advance Of American i'm ]
migration 10 the valley when Next I
cans irrigated in their crude way.
The first canals built by Americans i
that are Of record date back 10 1871, \
and since then these projects have 4
been constructed by more modern
methods These valley lands are very
fertile and all the land under these I
canals, amounting TO approximately
l50, 600 acres, would have been irrf- I
gated but for lack Of water
The Pecos river is torrential
stream and conveys large quantities
u water in floods, buL the normal
How Of the river is small, and for this
season only about 10000 acres under
All these canal systems are now in
irrigation.
Would supply All Projects.
The only way 10 supply sufficient
water for these various irrigation
Projects is through the storage Of the
Hood waters of this river 'Fortu-
lately we have this large reservoir
Ute on the Pecos river, lying directly
.bove all Of these projects Just over
he state line in New Mexico, where
-hese vast floods could be stored
through the construction of this res
rvoir,' said Mr. Sullivan.
The farmers and land owners IN
Ter nearly all Of these irrigation :
rejects have already completed the :
rganization Of irrigation districts or :
re now in the process Of such OrEani- Z
alton, and are willing and anxious z
o bond their districts for the con- Z
tructlou OF storage facilities, but IN .
5ss the government would i'm some
ray underwrite their bonds. they
-ould be unable to place them.
Under some Of the systems bonds
ave already been issued for the
bove purpose and they have found il
nposible 10 sell the bonds at par,
S is required by law, since the great
emand Tor money has been and is
eng made by the government II is
therefore, necessary 10 apply TO the
overnment for assistance in either
ullding this reservoir outright or
y backing Up the districts irrigation
onds in sucn manner as 20 make
hem saleable, thereby enabling the
istricts 70 construct this reservoir
themselves"
Want Government Help.
Mr.. sullivan has been I'm Washing
IN couple OF times this year ID
be interests Of the passage OF the
nam berlaln-Smith bill, now pending
etore congress This bill provides
hat where irrigation districts desire
o improve their systems OF where
rainage districts wish 70 drain their
and, the secretary OF the interior, il /
Iler careful inspection he deems The /
Improvement necessary feasible, and ]
D the public interests, can take over q
heir district BONDS IN payment for
-ork.'
Our heretofore vast public domain &
Z good agricultural land has nearly II
III now been taken up and it is i'm
eratlTe that our government should q
low begin 20 prepare opportunities J
or the return Of cur soldiers after z
he war and the operation Of this bill q
VIII not only increase our food supply
ut would also make places for mil
ions Of men after war without actual Q
utlay by the United States govern Z
lenL" said Mr.. Sullivan ID
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