The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1921-03-10
MR.. KELSO lain WRITES
Concerning the Great Southwestern
Country He Is Visiting.

SOHCeIHuHS TIE UEedJ SOUTHWESTERN
Country He Is Visiting.
To the Editor of The Republican.
l omitted to say in my letter of
February 18th that the Elephant
Butte dam and other things in con-
nection with the project was built by
the United States Reclamation Ser
vice.
1t might be of interest to your
readers to give more extensive de-
scription of the project and doings in
the Valley of the Rio Grande.
The thickness of the dam at its
bace is 215 feet. The maximum
width of the reservoir or lake is four
miles, the water contained therein ex.
tending out into narrow valleys and
held in check by hills and bluffs. The
average width is one and a-half miles.
The reservoir is replenished with wa
ter from the melting snow in the far
Off mountains which is the source of
the Rio Grande River, and is sup
posed to hold sufficient water for irri-
eating purposes for three years. even
If there should be no snow or rain
during that time.
1t is estimated that there are two
hundred thousand acres of land below
the dam that could be used for agri-
cultural purposes when put in shane
to irrigate, but not near all of this
vast area is in cultivation.
The price of the raw land is from
$25 to $50 per acre, while the inlproy-
- ed land sells from 500 to $500 per
acre. The natural growth on raw
. land in the valley consists Of various
kinds of bushes The sand dunes
which rise upon every hand necessi-
tates considerable work to prepare the
ground before it can be used for ag-
rlcultural purposes. There is an i'm
mense acreage Of mesa land adioin-
ing the valley land, but it is too high
to irrigate.
Farmers pay stipulated price per
acre feet Of twelve inches measured
by the volume of water per second
passing through box gate at the ir-
flgating ditch distributing the water
on the land, and the amount paid dur
ing the season for the three or four
applications is about SO per acre. The
lrrigatng season is from February Is
to November Is. Farmers are now ir-
rlgating wheat and alfalfa. Four cut
tlngs of alfalfa are made during the
season.
The nature of the soil in the valley
IS such as to cause seepage of water
from the irrigating bitches which
eventually waterlogs the earth and to
remedy this condition drainage bitches
are cut much deeper than the irri-
eating bitches in order to carry the
overplus of water to the river. This
work is done by the Reclamation Ser
wee and the expense is added to the
hive million dollars expended in build
ing the dam and also for the EXPENSE
OF building the several diversion dams.
In the near future the farmers of
this valley will be required by the
Government to liquidate this indebted
ness by paying stipulated price per
acre for twenty years, and at the ex-
plration of that time their land will
have cost the farmers $50 per acre.
However, if paid for at the expira.
ton OF twenty years, the property
will be transferred to the farmers of
the valley and it will thus become
theirs absolutely and they will have
It's management in every particular.
Many years ago, before water was
used in Colorado for irrigation, old
Mexico had plenty of water from the
Rio Grande River which produced her
crops. in sufficient quantity, but when
the Colorado farmers begun to irri-
gate their land they used practically
all the water at the source of the
river and then the Mexican Govern
ment presented a bill for damages
against the United States Govern
ment. The matter was compromised
by our Government paying the Mexi-
can Government a million dollars and
agreeing to furnish free water to the
farmers of Mexico for thirty thousand
acres of land for all time. This water
is taken from the Elephant Butte
dam.
The seasons in New Mexico are not
the established wet and dry like in
California, but it rains just when it