Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-06

danger of damage to the city Is much greater since
the building of the Fourth street concrete road as
formerly all the irrigation bitches which cross tho
valley acted bikes to keep the water back while
now if break in the Alameda dixie occurred and
the water reached the concrete road it would have
an easy entry to the city.
Many people to think that there has been
nothing but talk during the past few years and do
not realize the great amount of actual work which
has been done the result of the efforts Of those
who have been keeping the subject alive.
In all work of this kind the first step Is to have
full investigation of the actual conditions made
by competent engineers before any plans be
made to the best method of doing the actual
work.
The cooperation of the government, through the
department of agriculture was secured and after
several of their engineers had gone over the val
ley and made their reports the sum of $1,000 was
secured to be spent through the State Agricultural
College and series of test wells were put down in
order to obtain exact information to the under
flow and the dept to the water table at various
OF the year; readings of these wells have
been taken during the last four years and in this
way an accurate record Of underground conditions
has been secured.
The next step in the work was to secure SIS 900
from the state for full survey OF the valley from
White Rock Canyon to San Marcal. This survey
was made under the supervision of James A.
French state engineer, and shows that 154,14S
acres of our valley lands would be increased in
value over six million dollars by spending about
two millions
Protection from floods securing a steady sup
ply of water for irrigation of the valley lands also
making it possible to rrigate $4,000 more
above any of the present irrigation bitches would
be secured by building storage dams the upper
Rio Grande and Chama river and Investigations are
determine sites
dams and the cost of same.
The last legislature appropriated the sum of
$4,000 for engineering in connection with this in
vestigation and the Rio Grande Survey Commission,
of which Capt W. c. Reid is chairman, has already
secured the services of Mr.. Burkholder. an engi-
neer connected with the United States recama-
ton service to make full report the entire
situation covering river protection storage of wa
ter better irrigation methods, amount of additional
lands which can be placed under irrigation ana
drainage of the water logged lands of the valley.
few years ago property owners at Bernano
organized small district and preliminary surveys
were made. On account of the large amount of
land held by the Indians in that section it nee
essary to secure the cooperation of the Indian
department, and as soon as it was shown TO the
department that something was being done by the
property owners to work out this problem the gov
eminent appropriated the sum of 100000 to pay
Recently the department has ordered Mr.. Rob-
inson, their engineer who has charge Of all work
of this kind for the Indians, to make a survey and
submit report to what could be done for the
Indian lands alone in case the property owners of
the valley did not go ahead with the project, ana
this report is now being prepared.
Meetings of the various committees appointed
by the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, the Real Estate
Board. Chamber of Commerce and Rio Grande Sur
vey Commission have been held and it has been
decided to at once organize the Middle Rio Grande
Valley Association to push the work of forming such
legal districts as are required under the terms of
the McNary bill, which is pending in congress
in order to be ready to enough of the $780,,
100000 provided by this act to carry out the full
reclamation and river protection work needed in
this valley.
The Elephant Butte dam was secured for the
lower Rio C;rande valley by similar organization
backed by Ell Paso business men. Phoenix secured
the Roosevelt dam in the same way. In Ohio after
the great flood in the Miami river which cost aeG
lives and property damage of over 100000, 600,
the people of Dayton organized the Miami Consery-
ancy district and building series of storage dams
have controlled the river in such way as to pre-
vent all further danger from this source.
If the business men of Albuquerque and the
middle Rio Grande valley will get behind this
association and push there is no doubt but what
this great work be accomplished and millions
of dollars added to property values Will they do
it now, wait until the valley lands are ruined
and the city swept by floods?