The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-05-29
tConIInued from pngr onc.l

N1BuuuufU tNuuf fhUf Uut-l
unless the people who nuke the plans
aud The people ~ the valley generally
are imbucd with the idea that only
through a long continued application
Of the Eoundcst. most technically cor
rect program VIII the result desired
be ohtainsblc. To 20 at the thing IN
a hnlf-hcartcd way. to so M Il with
lily considered plans would be futile.
The thing can never be done unless
af The people or a very large pro-
portion Of all The people In the valley
want " and want Il very keenly. M
you begin doing u on bud lines. or 10
meet the temporary needs OF some
particular locality or for the par
ticulnr hencft Of some particular
group or the profit Of some particular
contractors. thu project. as a whole.
will probably lad away after Il has
served n transitory purpose. This h
enc OF the things you VIII have to
guard against.
The rio Grnndc Commission.
Some years ago was appointed
with Cofonel Hopewell and the state
engineer on a "itio Grsnde Commits
sion" to inquire into some phases OF
his very question. We didn't do
much. There was not much we could
do IN tho time and with tho means
available, We found that pretty ex-
haustive studies were being made by
the reclamation service as to water
rights on the river above the Elephant
Butte project and that these inquir-
les (Which are probably sin In pro-
grcss) extend TO The questions OF the
eject Of drainage on the water sup
ply. There are q lot Of data on these
phases OF the problem In the Offices
Of the reclamation service la Denver
and with our own state engineer. The
reclamation engineers had then
renchrd no definite conclusions as to
the practicnhility OF efficient drainage
along the stretch of country In ques-
lion. They have. however. attacked
the problem. aH you know. In q pre-
liminary way In the Mesilla valley by
digging series of open bitches at
acute angles to and almost parallel
with the river at lesser grades than
Tho river. | do not know how 81
fec;iVe this has been but from our
experiences over here with open
drain bitches I do not think that It
viii be effective. Tho bitches fll 1
with weeds ard moss. the sides slun
on, the heavy rains change them into
urrnyus. They are "a constant source
Of annoyance, Most Of the open
drains around Roswell have beer
abandoned or Tiled.
Thing h. very expensive and there
VIII not DE much use thing In Your
valley until you have outlets low
enough TO Insure the actual unwatcr-
ing uf the lands when tho tiles are
installed. How deep your tiles most
he In order to drain The land prob .
ably will diTer In different parts OF
the valley. The caplilarity-the draw
back-of the soil over mere varies
considerably hut II IL EVERYWHERE
greater than Ia iesa. arid climates.
The Vital Outlet Problem.
THIS matter az outlets u. withput
douht, tao milk In the cpcumut in
Drainage problem. There are
Enthusiastically considerable areas OF
fnir higher lands susceptible or irri- :
cation which can be effectively Tiled
and drained nt present but Il prob
ably IL also true that a big percentage
Of the best lands In the valley cannot
be effectively or permanently drnincd
ana made productive Unless the river
bod IN lowered or unless you adopt
a method ! will latcf refer to.
The lowering Of the river bed by
rtruightcning the channel and rip
the banks is undoubtedly
possible but the Cost Of doing Il On q
large scale would be very great. so
great as to probably preclude the
possibility ~ doing il except In see
ana strung over @ long series Of
ears, The commission mentioned
made some figures 1s TO this probable
and they were rathar appalling.
W The work should De done In soc
YOU would probably have to
start u at the lowest end of the pro-
posed system or, u higher sections
we're first Installed. they would have
10 be such as would conform to The
completed system M to grades. Il
certain that. % his new chan
moi project were ever decided upon
no sections uf Il should bc con-
which were not planned 80
~ To make integral parts OF a COM
plotted system. H. not the first thing