El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-02-14


: the dam and later sold At prices in
excess OF the original cost The
charge is further reduced to the water
users by the collection Of the 50 cent
service rate from the lands being fr-
rigated.
Much Water in Reservoir.
Because Of the large inflow into
the reservoir during the season Of
1919. at the end of the year the hold
over OF water for the season Of 1920
amounts 70 one million acre feet or
enough TO cover one million acres one
foot in depth
Ali contemplated diversion dams
for the project are now completed.
These consist. in order. beginning At
Elephant Butte dam. Of the Percha
Diversion dam. the Leasburg diver
sion dam the Messila diversion dam
and the International diversion dam
al EI Paso.
Main canals. also. are practically all
completed for the lands within the
limits Of the Elephant Butte irriga-
ton district and the Ell Paso county
water Improvement district No. 1.
Some limited extensions Of the lateral
systems. during the year 1919, were
possible
Much Drainage Work Done
The main feature. however. under
obstruction was the drainage sys-
TEN so necessary to relieve the
sGEpE4 EuAulLluM OF me project
lands At the end Of December, 1919.
there had been constructed IN both
districts 1858 miles Of drainage
canal which involved the excavation
Il 1888, 362 cubic yards Of earth The
average cost per cubic yard Of ex-
eavation for the drainage work being
accomplished by government forces
was approximately s-0g3.
Irrigation canal work throughout
the project consisted in taking over
for reconstruction and operation
practically all the main community
canals The only exception is in the
case Of the La Union Irrigation COM
pany in the lower part Of the Mesilla
valley The transfer Of such canals
70 the Service early IN 1913. involved
over 120 miles Of community ditch
Extensions to canal lateral system in
the Fl Paso valley were carried on as
lar as funds available would permit
The main irrigation system was eX-l
tended TO serve the san EliZario
Island and the lower end OF the FL
Paso valley by means Of a temporary
nume structure across the Rio
Grands near Fabens.
Seeped Area Greatly Reduced.
The area affected by -'seepage" was
greatly reduced during the year 1913
by the construction Of drains. The
discharge from these canals is regu-
larly measured and samples Of the
water aualyZed- The amount OF salt
removed from soil by this process was
during 1873 several hundred thousand
tons. and the amount viii be increased
as drainage work IS extended into
new areas. With 1e0.0 900 acres water
logged in 1917, this area had been
reduced by Jan /. 1920 TO $4,000 acres.
This drainage system has proven ef-l
fective in retaining 2 large area Of
the project which would otherwise
be waste land
During the year 1918, irrigation
water was delivered to approximat ely
4.00e acres Of land in the Elephant
Butte and Fl Paso county irrigation
districts This Is an increase OF TO-
600 acres over the year 1918 On the
Mexican side Of the Rio Grande there
IS under irrigation by means OF wafer
furnished from the Elephant Butte
reservoir under treaty with Mexico,
between 1900 and 10000 acres.
Less water Being Used
The institution OF a uniform indi-
T1dual water rental contract rate in
augurated throughout the project, /
with water charges on an acre foot
basis, has resulted in lowering the
amount Of water used on each acre
and has prevented the rise Of water
and consequent seepage Of lands.
The average amount Of water used
throughout the project was slightly
less than three acre feet per acre. or
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