Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-17
BUSINESS MEN
VIE VI RUINS Of
OLD VILLAGES
Inspection Trip Up Valley
Reveals How the Increas.
ing Elevation of Water
Table Is Causing Damage

Ruins of old settlements, caused
by the swamping of the land upon
which they were built, were prob
ably the most interesting sights
viewed by the two dozen Albuquer-
que business men who made the
trip up to Alameda yesterday with
the special committee of the Mid
die Rio Grande Valley Reclama-
ton association.
The association is being formed
to further the chances of securing
a reclamation project for the mid
die valley under the McNary bill,
which is expected to become law
soon and which provides reVolv-
ing fund for federal aid reclama-
ton work.
Aside from retaining thousands
of acres of land in the middle val
ley, the project would solve the
flood danger and the silt problem
at Elephant Butte dam.
That the water table in this Sec
ton of the valley is rising to a dan
gerous level is evidenced by the two
ruins of former settlements be-
tween here and Alameda, which
were visited by the business men
yesterday.
Years ago Ranches de Albuquer-
que was sitting high and dry--a-
most as high and dry as Albuquer-
que at this time. Then the water
table gradually approached the sur.
face of the ground upon which it
was built and later reached it,
Ranches de albuquerque novel
about nineteen years ago. The old
ruins are still there surrounded by
swamp lands.
Alameda did not always occupy
the same ground it does now
Years ago it occupied a site just as
dry-but that site is now swamp
land and the ruins of the old homes
and the church stick up from the
soggy land. Alameda inhabitants
moved to a new location and built
new homes.
Reclamation of the valley as is
proposed in the project which resi-
dents of the middle valley are hop
ing to interest the reclamation
service in, would drain these old
sites, just as the swamp lands i'm
mediately west and north of Albu-
querque would be drained. If they
are not drained, it was pointed out
to business men who made the trip
yesterday, the water table will
continue to approach the surface
adding more and more swamp land
each year.
Bog Land.
In the area visited by the bust
ness men yesterday, and included
between Fourth street and the river
and between Albuquerque and Ala
media there are $4,000 acres of the
finest agricultural soil in the Unit
ed States. OF this acreage. 5000
acres are bog lands, capable only
of being grazed for a few weeks
each year. They raise nothing but
alkali and salt grass.
To show the tendency of the Rio
Crande to encroach further this
way, it was pointed out by engineers
who accompanied the party that
twenty years ago, the course of the
river was close up to the west
buttes. During the flood of that
period 1t started east in earnest
and bikes were built 600 feet east
OF the channel. The regular chan.
mel now runs against these east
dikes and in sections has come al
least 200 feet further east.
Members TO Meet.
The committee which Is in
Icharge Of organizing the Middle RE
Grande association Will meet to
night at the chamber of commerce
parors for the purpose of check
ing up their lists Of members.
Tomorrow night the entire mem
bership will meet at the chamber
to consider plans for making tn,
organization as effective as posi-
BILE in securing the reclamation
project which win remedy or re
move all of these dangers and will
increase the property value in tn,
middle valley by millions of dol
lars.
/ Although the organization is be
ing started in albuquerque, It i
, branching through the entire mid
! die section, and many members ar
| being secured both UP and dow,
the valley. 1t is expected that tn
membership will include practicall
every property owner in the affect
+, ed area.