El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-04
VALLEY LANDS
DRAINED Of SALT
Four Hundred Thousand
Tons Removed by Recla
nation Service.

More than 100000 tons OF salt has
been drained from the land IN the
reclamation project In the FL Paso
district according to a report just
made by L NJ. Lawson. project mana
ger. TO the directors Of district num-
Der one. The report covers drainage
work done since June. 1917
The da-a composing the report was
collected from field Investigations
. and from office studies for submits
sion 70 the high line canal board
In the Nesilla Wiley. fLe report
says. approximately 81 miles Of drain
have been constructed and 10000
acres out Of a total Of $500 are now
protected by these drainage works
our field investigations show that the
water table is generally lower
throughout the Mesilla valley. even n
districts through which drains have
not been constructed This is especi-
ally noticeable in the Leasburg unit
and in the vicinity OF Mesilla Park.
Work in La Union District
'In the la Union district 1900 out
out OF $1,000 acres gross are now COW
cred by % miles Of drain and the area
with water less than four feet from
the surface has teen decreased from
so per cent 10 so per cent
with 9400 acres covered by % miles
Of drain out OF a total Of 10000 acres
the area with water less than 4 feet
from the surface has been reduced
from "a per cent to u per cent and
the area with water more than feet
from the surface has been increased
from approximately zero to IS per
cent
In the FL Paso valley. with Sc
miles Of drain constructed an area
Of $500 acres out OF total Of $1,000
gross has been protected. with the re-
suit that the area with water less
than feet from the surface has been
decreased from 65 per cent 70 IS per
cent
an the san Euzario island district,
with IS miles Of drain constructed.
approximately 1000 acres are being
dra ined and the water table has been
greatly lowered within the effective
limits Of the drains.
100000 Tons OF salt Taken
Chemical analysis has been made
OF water from all drains and tabulat-
ed The soluble salt contents Of the
drain water ranges from 1000 20
5000 parts per million Based on the
result OF determination OF samples
approximately 100000 tons OF salt
were carried by the drain water dur
ing 1913.
luIEEeaL ing 4AAa nave uEel as
sembled in the project office from
field Investigations for the determine
ton OF the gross and net irrigabl9
area within the two irrigation dis
tricts; from the Elephant Butte dis
trict which includes the Rincon unit
but IS exclusive OF lands in the lower
portion OF the Mesilla valley at pres
ent within the state OF Texas, a gross
area has been determined OF 105,9Q0
acres OF this $500 are at the pres
eut time considered as irrigable-
In the Fl Paso district, which IN
cludss land in Texas and the lower
portion OF the Mesilia valley and the
san Elizario island, a gross area has
been found Of 70.6o0 acres Of which
$3.50 are classed as irrigable.
"Of the gross area OF 1000 acres
in the Tornilio district. 1900 are
cIassed as irrigable.
"a large amount OF valuable date
has been collected for presentation TO
the high land canal board, 10 be used
in their consideration Of project ex-
tensions The project office requests
that the district directors refer 20
the project office such inquiries as
they may have concerning the status
OF the project construction work and
results accomplished"