The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-07-31

The complete report Of Don j..
Rankin, appointed by the city COM
missioners to investigate the RIO
Grande flood this spring n report
ways and means to prevent future
trouble, AS presented to the commits
sion, Is printed herewith for the in
formation OF all people In the valley
who are Interested in drainage and
flood protection.
Honorable Commissioners,
CITY OF Albuquerque.
Gentlemen:
Having been put In charge OF pro-
tectlon OF recent flood conditions In
the city OF Albuquerque, I feel l
should make a report to you MS &c
the various ways by which the city
can be made ecure or reasonably so,
there being several feasible PROPOSE
lions. l will take them In order as |
conader them TO be most permanent
and lasting. and 1t Is almost unnec
essary to say that the moro perman-
ent and lasting they be made the
harder II will be to accomplish and the
greater the initiatory expense.
The first proposition in the above
order will call for one large irrigation
gate the whole RIO Granda valley
from the Indian village Of San Felipe
to Islcta with a permanent diversion
dam Just below San Felipe. This dam
10 be provided with sluice ways
which would regulate the flow OF wa
ter In canal and could be opened In
time OF high water. thus providing a
deep channel In such times and re-
lieving the danger OF destruction OF
banks OF river at and Immediately be-
low this diversion dam. THIS would
ais allow the river to scour its bed
both ways above n below the dam.
Settle Whole Question.
MY reason for putting his meth
cd hrst In order Is because | believe
II would settle the whole flood quesy
ton for all time TO come. During
the ~thirty-four years l have been a
resident OF this valley. / have seen the
river channel gradually being wid
ened by the wing dam or diversion
dams constructed at various times in
many places by the owners OF the
twenty or twenty-five different irrl-
CATION systems that are in operation
between Sal Felipe and IGleta.
AT times OF low WAGER, these di-
version dams, built OF brush and trees
sacks OF sand and other material that
may be used to advantage, extend out
In the river bed at about an angle OF
forty-nve degrees with the bank OF
the stream and sometimes they ex-
tend clear across the stream to the
other bank. Now when the r.ver
rises. the water is diverted to the low
err End of these diversion dams and
forms a new channel near this bank
when II proceeds TO cut out and wild
en- the river bed. n II only depends
on how bad the rise In tho river Is.
as to how much 1t widens the river
bed. And when OF divert the river
at one point. YOU also change its
channel for miles below that point.
This same erosion occur at twe1ty
to tlfrty places between San Felipe
and Isleta at every rise In the river.
Il can remember thirty four years
ago Mr.. France Huning maintained
n toll bridge owe the river west OF
the county jail. The .Iver from bank
TO bank there was about nine hundred
feet feet and the banks OF the river
from fve to SIX feet high. The bed
Of the river at that point now is over
two thousand feet from bank 10 bank
and o can scarcely tell there Is a
bank on either side. OF course as the
river widens IT grow shallow and
when the floods come instead OF
securing out n permanent channel
and lowering the bed OF the river. as
well as lowering the water table In
the valley, II spreads out and deposits
it's silt and drift material. thus raising
the river bed as well as the water
table OF the valley.
River WidcDs.
This widening OF the river bed has
happened not only at the point non
toned, hack OF the county jail. but
at nearly every place along the river,
II 10 very marked at PaJarito n at
the site Of the old C~orralleB bridge
and both above and below the old
bridge site as far down as the Ala
media bridge.
III the river were let alone and not
diverted by wing dams, ! believe II
would Sour out a channel for itEelf
and greatly simplify the drainage OF
the valley, q not settling the question
altogether as we'll al doing away
with flood danger. and the only way
to have the river let alone absolutely
In by having one big canal as recon-
rended above.
The second proposition Is TO take
as much Of the evil nut of diversion
dam as IL possible All still maintain
the present system OF irrigation until
such time AS II " possible to have the
system changed to M large canal
aad permanent diversioa dams with
the rsyci tank amply projected above
and below such dams. And u IL only
a question OF time until this viii have
20 be done. AZ the present irrigation
methods are fast running the Rio
Grnnde valley.
This second proposition. probably
would call for legislative enactment.
regulating the kind Of material that
lcould be used In these diversion dana
10 loose sand or some other material
luz .~...la .s.-A -. m.lmI.. -. 49,