The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1922-01-29
COLORADO RIVER
BASIN IN STATE
IS RICH EMPIRE
New Mexico Has 20, 900
Square Miles to Be
Irrigated

a.
SANTA NJ. Ian. 2s-The Colorado"
river basin In New Mexico Is an en-
pire OF ~. 600 square miles, one-slNlh
OF the entire area Of the state II ~
maryelously rich In natural ~eSour'e
vlrsin forests. vast coal tields, st'@'
deposits uf copper. IRON, gold HllN.i
and other precious and useful metals
and minerals. fertile river Nuhcs
and broad mesas and uplandsi apd
rivers like III. san Juan, the Animas,
the ella. that annually pour oceans
of water into the Colorado river.
This section Just now is in tue
pubnr eve The seven states in me
Colorado river basin are joining
hands To promote the fullest develop
ment OF irrigation and power on THIS
great river. \ commission OF one
member from caCh state and lierheit
Hoover. representing the tinted
STATES. j. at work To study the pos7i
bliitles tor power and irrigation ~
every MARI OF the basin ANA suggesi
cnmprohepsi,, plans.
10 lay the foundation FOR ,"
claims OF Sew Mexico. the state en-
nin.er has assembled data on irrlga-
lion and power possibilities in tue
colorado river basin in the state.
The average annual discharge Of the
streams involved Is shown b. records
al stream mtAhNAfiNfnAN AAhfh wv
q period Of years. The potential area
the possible capacity OF reservoir
sites were asccrtain.d hy preliminary
inyestigations.
Jrhs state engineer fluids thai the
nren of the basin IN Nrw Mexico is
10000 square miles. that interstate
streans carry into the state an am
nuai average few OF 100000 acre
feet. and that he annual avearge
flow out OF the state h. $500. 900 aero
feet indicating thar 20O, 900 acre
feet develop on the watershed Of tn
Etate.
The area Of suitable land Tor irri-
cation. the state engineer finds, u
l,O92 geo acres. The water supply h
sufficien 30 irrigate %l.i0O.00O acres,
nllowIng three acre feet OF water per
acre a year This Is In addition TO
bG.g23 acres already irrigated In the
basin.
Reservoir sites Investigated have q
potential capacity Of 4.GiS.O0O acre
feet. This Includes seven sites on tho
San Juan ana tributaries ana ons
each on the ella and the san Fran
ciscn. but not the Zuni.
The hydro-electric power POSSIBLE
ties bas4d on the same figures and
also data Of the geological survey.
are estimated al 10000 horsepower
But the bare figures OF 1000, 00t
acres OF new land under irrigation
and acc 600 horsepower are not i'm.
pressive. just figure a little. plan
another million acres In alfalfa. ap
Piles ana corn and SOW wheat, oati
and barley. there will hs elevators
mills. stores, banks, and long freigh
trains ia move the crops to market.
Turn zoe 600 horsepower OF hydro.
electric power into the forests. TN
coal fields. the mines. business ant
Industry will move al top speed.
The oniciai rop report of th'
Carlsbad project Tor 1891 b. authenti,
and based on debated prices. Tn
average return per acre from az
acres OF alfalfa was s25.63 and IA,
average return per acre Tor al crop.
was sag 90. These figures are no
e-Ntravagant az irrigation production
goes. Multiply these figures by on
million and New Mexico would begil
TO look like ready money.
But water Is "a liquid asset. Shall
New Mexico continue to let $1,000 90
acre feet % water slip over The stat
line annually to join the brimminl
Colorado This water will eventuall
irrigate q million acres ~ land some
where.