Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-01

news TO Won that these lands are
rich beyond any possibility of being
exhausted for many decades. Put
water upon the mesa and soon
there will be many prosperous
farmers. and their families and MIL
lions of dollars worth of property,
after over one hundred years
of possession by the white man, the
mesa remains as nearly a desert
and as useless as when the Indian
was the only human being VINO
crossed it. This condition need not
continue.
The Plot ThiciSens.
'From the Santa Fe railroad
track westward to the hills lies the
bed of the Rio Grande. In this old
river bed lie all the present farm
lands of Bernalillo county. For
the present let us consider only
that portion Of this valley which
lies between the Santa Fe stock
Yards and Alameda. Roughly stated
! this territory is three miles Wloe
by twelve miles long. The surface
is mostly covered by vegetable
mould to depth of perhaps -FOUR
! feet average. Below this is sahd
and gravel entirely saturated with
water. At the Barelas bridge TINS
| sand extends to a depth OF ABOUT
| IS feet below water level, at which
/ depth is situated a very nara COM
pact strata, perhaps hafdpah or
| shale. This strata is practlcaliy
| impervious to water and is the rea'
! bottom of the river. At the Town
! Of Alameda this strata rises TO a
| point about 20 rect below the river
| level. 1t is thus seen that the Noi-
hume of this Water-beafing SAND is
| roughly three miles wide by twelve
1 miles long and averaging 20 tee'
deep
i A Great Underground Lake.
IF we estimate the voids in TINS
sand when dry at say 20 per CEN
of its volume "a very low estimate
A peNcent is probably much near
err the TRUTH, it is readily seen INA
we have a volume of water within
this area alone equal to a laK'
. five miles wide by twelve mile'
long and six feet deep. rms poos
of water is constantly fed by Watei
from the upper reaches OF tn'
river It's surface is known as th'
water table Of the valley, and III
movement through the sand i
: known as the underflow. 1t is thl
body of water which those WIS.,
people who advocate drainage y
the valley seek to lower to pom
where il will not continue to drown
out the valley.
ANY desired amount of waite
, may be had from this source D:
, opening bitches, lining them VIII
perforated pipe or sheet piling u
prevent caving and filling up. IN
length and depth of the dltche
d will be regulated by the amour
of water desired.
"In this connection it Is desire'
to say the drainage of the vale
should be so designed as to perml
the use of water from any or IN
discharge bitches by any orgahlEa
ton pumping water upon Prev
ously unwatered land.
"The writer has made a recon
noissance beginning at the rive
bank west of the tie plant, theme
east along the township line as ia
as the school section 3. Tp. 3 NJ,
Il. e.
Two Lifts Required.
at was found that from the 10y
land the ground rises at an averag
rate of A per cent for about 500
feet, reaching an elevation at TN
corner of sections 4, 5. 32 and 3
of approximately 240 feet ahoV
river level. From this point east
ward along the section line Tn
grade is about plus | per cent.
at is thus seen that lift of 30
feet will put water well out upo
the western edge of the mesa. An
that second lift could then delive
it to the east and southeast Wit
ease.
prom the main line of pipe tn
water could be taken through cor
crete lined bitches by gravity tt
ward the southwest.
1t is probable that in township
9N-R3E & 9N-R4E 10000 acre
well suited to irrigation can /
found in fairly compact body,
THE funds for this developmef
should come from all the state.
is probable that laws would haN
to be enacted to authorize such u'
of public funds. 1t will first
necessary to have the legislatul
make an appropriation of surf
cient funds to make a survey, d
sign and estimate of the cost. Sue
an enterprise should not be gol
into without thorough study
all the factors which enter into
Paying Investment"