The question of storage on this stream is uncertain, no sites being known; but it is only proper to state that no examination has been made. South of the Nambe is the Rio Santa Fe. This stream rises in a series of three small lakes lying below the crest of Lake Peak at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. It flows in a southeasterly direction and leaves the mountains about 3 miles east of Santa Fe. From this point to its junction with the Rio Grande it flows through gently sloping plains with the exception of a short stretch where it breaks through La Bajada Canyon. Its waters have been in use for irrigation from the first settlement of the city by the Spaniards, indeed, even prior to that time by the Indians of the ancient pueblo, which occupied the site of the present city. The irrigated lands are in two sections—the first extending from Ewing's Ranch, about 7 miles above Santa Fe, to Agua Fria, some 6 miles below, while the second extends from Cieneguilla to La Bajada, on the lower stretch of the river. On the upper section, in the canyon above the reservoir of the Santa Fe Water and Improvement Company, irrigation is confined to small isolated patches, the total aggregating 100 acres under ditch and in cultivation. From this point to some 2 miles below the city is the largest body of land in cultivation on the stream, the acreage under ditch being 2,400 acres, all of which is in cultivation. About Agua Fria the acreage is 800, making a total of 3,300 acres on the upper portions of the stream. From Cieneguilla to La Bajada, including La Golandrina Springs and Alamo or Bonanza, 1,100 acres are in cultivation, this being the acreage under ditch. La Golandrina Springs and Alamo or Bonanza, however, do not depend upon the Rio Santa Fe for water, but upon springs, the flow of which is constant and wholly in use. The cultivation along the Rio Santa Fe is as intense and the duty of water higher, perhaps, than in any other sections of the Territory on account of the scarcity of water. The entire flow of the stream has been in use for years, and it is only by the most careful and economical use of water by the cultivators that crops are brought to the high state of perfection for which they are noted. Storage must be resorted to before any increase in the acreage cultivated can be looked for. Many reservoir sites are to be found in the canyon and along the arroyo. In 1892 and 1893 a dam was constructed across the river some 24 miles above Santa Fe with an impounding capacity of about 500 acre-feet. The primary object of this enterprise was the city supply, but a small portion is used in pipe irrigation. There is still a surplus of the flow of the stream amounting to about 2,500 acre-feet. This surplus occurs, however, in the form of rainy-season flow or flood flow and earlyspring flow and is not available for irrigation without storage. Along the lower portion of the river, from Cieneguilla to La Bajada, there is always great scarcity of water, except during the early spring and at time of freshets. This section relies more upon springs in the river bed above La Bajada Canyon than on the flow of the river. It is very seldom that the flow of the river reaches the Rio Grande excepting in times of very high spring flow and in time of freshets. Usually what small flow may occasionally pass La Bajada is lost in seepage and evaporation in the wide sandy bed between that point and the Rio Grande. The Rio Santa Fe has one tributary, the Arroyo Hondo, along the headwaters of which irrigation is practiced to a very limited extent. The flow of this stream is exceedingly small and no water is ever delivered to the Rio Grande except in time of freshet. The irrigated lands are wholly along the upper stretches and are in small detached areas in the vicinity of Rodriquez and Gonzolez ranch, not more than 200 acres being in cultivation. No further increase in this acreage is possible, even with storage, as the drainage area above these points is exceedingly small, and freshets occur only at long intervals. South of the Rio Santa Fe is the Rio Gallisteo. The water supply of this is small and precarious, and, excepting in time of flood, no flow ever reaches the Rio Grande. Irrigation is wholly confined to the upper portions of the streams and to the small valleys opening into it, the major portions being in the vicinity of Gallisteo. From the head of the stream at Glorietta Mountain to Cerrillos, between which points are located the irrigated areas, there are 1,200 acres under ditch, while on the Arroyo San Cristobal from Ojo del Baca to its junction with the Gallisteo there are 400 acres, or a total of 1,600 acres under ditch and in cultivation along the stream and its tributaries. This acreage can not be increased, as the entire flow is in use. Freshets occur frequently during June, July, and August, and are at times of great volume, but no storage sites are known. This completes the list of streams in the Santa Fe District, but there are some small tracts located in the Sandia Mountains and utilizing the flow from some small springs in the vicinity. These areas are incapable of improvement, as the water supply is constant and entirely in use. The acreage is as follows: Las Huertes and Placitas.. Uno de Gato. Chimal San Pedro Tijon.... San Antonio and Gutierrez. Tijeras Acres. 300 100 100 150 150 200 300 1, 300 With the exception of the Tijeras these localities are not even subject to freshets, owing to the limited drainage area above them. The Tijeras, however, at times discharges large volumes of flood waters and has one or more reservoir sites, but owing to the great amount of débris brought down in time of flood storage is probably impracticable. JEMEZ.-DISTRICT No. 5. Geographical location: Central northern portion of New Mexico, covering portions of Rio Arriba and Bernalillo counties. Acreage irrigated, 4,500. South of the Chama and west of White Rock Canyon lies the Jemez district. The catchment area of this district is embraced between the west slope of the Jemez Mountains, which reach an altitude of 11,000 feet, and the eastern slopes of the Nacimiento, whose summits are somewhat lower. The precipitation on these slopes is generally heavy, and is collected by the many small streams forming the Jemez. These streams flow through long, narrow, but very fertile valleys in their upper reaches, and the water supply is excellent, but from about the pueblo of Jemez south to its junctions with the Rio Grande the river flows through a sandy, barren country; its bed is wide, and most of the water is lost in seepage and evaporation, leaving but little if any to reach the Rio Grande, excepting in early spring and in time of Hoods. There is an abundant supply of water above San Ysidro, but below this point there is great scarcity, so great, in fact, the Indians of the pueblo of Santa Ana have been compelled to abandon their farming lands on the Jemez and take up land on the Rio Grande, some 10 miles distant. The acreage irrigated in this district is about 4,500 acres, and it may be said this can not be increased excepting by storage. It is but a small percentage of what could be brought under cultivation by improved methods, for during the early spring and in time of floods in June, July, and August, there is a large surplus of water, which, as there are good reservoir sites available, might readily be conserved. PUERCO.-DISTRICT NO. 6. Geographical location: Central western portion of New Mexico, covering parts of Rio Arriba, Bernalillo, and Valencia counties. Acreage irrigated, 13,980. This district includes the entire drainage area of the Rio Puerco and its tributaries, extending from the Chama and Jemes districts on the north to the divide between the Puerco and Salado on the south. Its eastern limit is the foothills bordering the Rio Grande Valley, and the western the Continental Divide. The character of the country is hilly and broken. Its altitude ranges in general from 4,000 to 7,000 feet, and the precipitation is very light, being about 7 inches annually, and as a consequence there are but few perennial streams. The major part of the precipitation occurs usually during the months of June, July, and August in the form of very heavy rains or cloud bursts, resulting in torrents which for volume and duration are not exceeded in the Territory, excepting on the lower Pecos. At Rocky Ford floods discharging a maximum of 32,000 second-feet have been observed. Such floods, however, are unusual, this being the maximum, but freshets discharging from 2,000 to 3,000 second-feet are comparatively frequent during the rainy season. Much the greater portion of this district never furnishes water to the stream, the precipitation that reaches the arroyos being lost by seepage in their sandy beds. The Rio Puerco runs from north to south through the eastern portion of this dis trict, receiving its entire perennial supply through a number of small streams from the western slopes of the Nacimiento Mountains, but a small amount, however, reaching the main stream, which is dry south of Casa Salazar from the time spring flow ceases until about the latter part of November, with the exception of times of freshets. From Casa Salazar to the mouth of the Puerco there are no irrigated lands excepting at San Ignacio, where 500 acres are in cultivation. In years past most of the rich bottom lands for 40 miles south of Casa Salazar were under irrigation, but within the last fifteen or twenty years the Puerco has been cutting out its bed until now it flows in a tortuous channel with precipitous banks from 30 to 40 feet below the level of the valley, rendering it impossible with the crude methods of the Mexican settlers to raise the water sufficiently to bring it upon the lands, and causing the abandonment of the entire country, with the exception of the small acreage before mentioned at San Ignacio. On the small streams-the San Jose, La Java, Los Pinos Creek, El Rito La Leche, and Rito dei Nacimiento, at the head waters of the Puerco—irrigation is confined to small patches along the sides of the narrow valleys and will aggregate 700 acres. From the east boundary of the San Joaquin Grant to Casa Salazar, between which limits irrigation extends, the irrigated areas are not continuous, but are located about the many small settlements, the acreage aggregating 2,980 acres. Outside the above acreage the irrigated lands are scattered over the district wherever water may be found, the principal acreage being on the San Jose, which is the main tributary of the Puerco and its feeders. This stream rises on the Continental Divide and, flowing southeast, joins the Puerco about 4 miles east of San Jose station. The normal flow is exceedingly small and is wholly consumed by the irrigation along the stream. During the rainy season, however, it discharges enormous quantities of flood water, and it is only by the conservation of their waters that the irrigable acreage can be increased. On the upper portion of the stream, at the junction of the Cottonwood and Blue Water creeks, the Blue Water Land and Irrigation Company has constructed a dam 42 feet high, impounding water for the irrigation of their lands some 12 miles below. From this reservoir 2,000 acres are irrigated. There are no other storage systems in the district. The principal irrigated acreage on the river is between Acoma and Laguna, and about 3,900 acres are served by water taken from the San Jose. About El Rito and Massita 800 acres are under irrigation, and these points mark the limit of the irrigated acreage down the river. At Juan Tafoya about 200 acres are cultivated from springs in the canyon on the upper Salado, no further increase being possible. In the vicinity of San Mateo about 600 acres are also served from springs, this acreage consuming the entire flow. In addition, 2,300 acres are in cultivation in detached areas throughout the district, this acreage consuming the entire water supply, with the exception of early spring flow and flood flow occurring during the rainy season. Only by storage can this acreage be increased. There are a number of reservoir sites available, but only a careful study of the water supply can determine the possibilities of the district. BLACK RANGE.-DISTRICT No. 7. Geographical location: Eastern half of the south western quarter of New Mexico, embracing portions of Socorro, Sierra, and Grant counties. Acreage irrigated, 9,270. This district embraces all the drainage area from the western edge of the Rio Grande Valley to the Continental Divide and from the Puerco to the Mexico line. It is a rough and broken country and the water supply exceedingly scant, the precipitation ranging from 4 to 6 inches during the summer, while the total per annum is probably in the neighborhood of 10 inches. Irrigation is generally confined to the valleys of the few small streams flowing eastward toward the Rio Grande and to the valley of the Mimbres. None of these, however, discharge water to the Rio Grande, excepting during seasons of excessive snow fall or during very heavy floods. Although the water supply is scanty, it is constant, and probably on this account a higher duty of water is reached in this district than in any other portion of the Territory. On the Rio Salado 600 acres are irrigated, this consuming the entire water supply, with the exception of the excessively heavy freshets occurring during the rainy season. On the Rio Alamosa 1,200 acres are irrigated in the vicinity of Canda de Alamosa, Monticello, and above. The Cuchilla Negro serves 1,050 acres at and above Cuchilla. There are irrigated from springs in the Rio Palomas, 540 acres; from springs in Las Animas, 500 acres; from springs in the Rio Perches, 100 acres; from springs in the Cienega Apache, 120 acres, and from springs in Barenda Creek, 160 acres. This acreage consumes all the water at several points, with the exception of the flood flow. The Mimbres Valley is the seat of the largest irrigation areas in the district, the principal acreage being on the upper portion of the stream and its branches. The total acreage under irrigation is about 5,000 acres, and in serving this body of land the flow of the stream is practically consumed. Floods occur during the rainy season and of great volume, but this stream has no other outlet; in times of flood discharging its waters on the Florida Plains, where they are lost in the sands. Here-particularly near Deming—is a region of country known to be 50 miles wide and 100 miles long from north to south, where an inexhaustible supply of water can be reached by wells no more than 50 feet deep. As this phase of the question is beyond the scope of this report, further mention of the matter has been omitted. Reservoir sites are found through this district, and storage must be resorted to before further improvement may be had in this district. COLORADO.-DISTRICT NO. 8. Geographical location: Southwestern portion of New Mexico, covering the western portions of Bernalillo, Valencia, Socorro, Sierra, and Grant counties. Acreage irrigated, 17,000. The Colorado district embraces all the land west of the Continental Divide and south of the San Juan. The topography of the country is greatly broken, being occupied by the Black Range, Mogollon, Tularosa Mountains, in which rise the head waters of the Gila, Salt, and Little Colorado rivers of Arizona. The principal streams are the Gila, San Francisco, and Zuni, which are perennial within the Territory. No data is available as to the flow of these streams, but at present the water supply is sufficient for the acreage irrigated, although there has been some shortage during very dry years.. The irrigated acreage is also uncertain, but is probably about 9,000 acres on the Gila, 6,000 on the San Francisco, 1,000 on the Zuni, with 1,000 acres scattered along the head waters of small streams in detached areas. Reservoir sites are to be found along the streams, and it is probable that storage must be resorted to before any material increase in the irrigated areas may be had. As the streams are subject to frequent and violent floods, it is probable that the flow is in excess of the economical storage capacity of the reservoir sites available. CANADIAN.-DISTRICT No. 9. Geographical location: Northeastern portion of New Mexico. Acreage irrigated, 36,000. This district embraces the drainage area of the Canadian River and its tributaries from the Colorado line south to the point where it enters the State of Texas and from the crest of the Santa Fe and Taos ranges on the west to the eastern limit of the Territory, covering all of the counties of Colfax, Mora, and Union, and the major portions of San Miguel and Guadalupe. As in the case of most of the other districts, it is characterized by the many small streams which, although perennial in their upper course, are usually dry along their lower stretches during the greater portions of the irrigating season. The Santa Fe and Taos ranges, in which these streams have their sources, afford one of the best catchment areas in the Territory, and the flow of the streams heading in these mountains is constant and always to be depended upon. As a consequence, the irrigated area is almost wholly confined to the valleys of these streams in the western portion of the district, while the eastern portion, being in reality a part of the Great Plains and dependent for its water supply upon the summer rains (and therefore very uncertain), is almost wholly devoted to grazing. The various streams will be considered in their order from north to south. The Chico Rico has its source along the south westerly slope of the Raton Plateau, flowing thence in a generally southern direction and joining the Canadian River about 4 miles above the town of Dorsey. The flow of this stream is small but permanent, probably not exceeding 20 secondfeet, excepting during floods. Floods occur during June, July, and August, and are of great volume. The normal flow of the river is wholly consumed, a portion being impounded by a dam some 8 miles above Raton and carried by a pipe line to that town for domestic supply, while the surplus is used for irrigation in the Chico Rico Valley. The acreage in cultivation is unknown, but is probably about 1,000 acres. No further increase in this acreage is possible without storage, but good reservoir sites are in the vicinity, and at a comparatively slight expense sufficient water could be impounded to irrigate 5,000 acres in addition. The Vermejo rises in the extreme northwest corner of the district, in the Culebra or Costilla Range, flowing southeast to a junction with the Canadian River some 6 miles below Maxwell City. Its tributaries are the Caliente, the Saltpeter, and the Van Brimmer. The flow is permanent, the mean being about 70 second-feet during the irrigation season, from April to September, inclusive, and about 10 second-feet during the nonirrigation season. The stream is subject to frequent and heavy floods during June, July, and August, measurement having shown a discharge at these times of 900 to 1,000 second-feet, amounting to 2,000 acre-feet in twenty-four hours. On the upper portion of the stream there are about 100 small individual ditches, serving small tracts. There are also about 9 other individual ditches between Dawson's and the Montgomery Ranch that are much larger, having a capacity of from 5 to 15 second-feet each. Of corporation canals there are two, belonging to the Maxwell Company, each with a capacity of 400 second-feet. The acreage irrigated under these systems is 11,000 acres, of which 3,000 acres are irrigated on the upper portions of the river by the 100 small ditches, 3,000 by the 9 larger ones between Dawson's and the Montgomery Ranch, and 5,000 under the Maxwell's Company ditches to the north of Vermejo. The normal supply of the stream is entirely consumed by the present system. The Maxwell Land Grant Company has resorted to storage, having constructed some eight or ten reservoirs, with a combined capacity of 6,000 acre-feet. Under the individual ditches there is one small reservoir of 50 acre-feet capacity, but with these exceptions the ditches rely wholly on the river flow. This flow is always ample for all purposes in the spring, and in fact there is a good surplus, but during the later part of the season there is always a scarcity. Reservoir sites are so located as to be capable of every economical improvement, and it is probable that 10,000 acres additional will ultimately he brought under cultivation by this means. The Cimarron River, one of the largest streams in the district, is formed by a number of small streams originating in the Taos Range, and flows in a general southeasterly direction to a junction with the Canadian near the southeast corner of the Maxwell Grant. Its principal tributaries are Ute Creek, Ponil, Cimarroncito, Uracca, and Rayado, in all draining about 40 miles in length of the eastern slope of the Taos Range. The stream is perennial, and its mean flow from March to July, inclusive, is about 500 second-feet. In August and September this flow decreases gradually, the mean flow in the nonirrigation season being only about 50 second-feet; the total annual discharge of the stream reaches from 150,000 to 200,000 acre-feet. On this stream freshets occur only occasionally, there being at times periods of several years intervening between them. There are thirteen individual ditches and one corporation ditch on the Cimarron and its tributaries, divided as follows: On the Cimarron the Springer Ranch ditch, capacity 150 second-feet; two smaller ditches on the same ranch carryiny 20 and 40 second-feet, respectively, and two ditches near the town of Cimarron carrying 20 second-feet each. On the Ponil there are three ditches, carrying 10 to 20 second-feet each. On the Cimarroncito there are two ditches, carrying 10 and 20 second-feet respectively. The corporation ditch is the Maxwell Land Grant Company's Springer ditch, with a capacity of 400 second-feet. In the spring of the year there is a surplus of water over the amount required for all the ditches, but during the late summer and fall there is but very little water for any of them. The Maxwell Land Grant Company has constructed four storage reservoirs, the largest of which, the Springer reservoir, covers an area of 300 acres and has a capacity of 5,000 acre-feet; the others have a combined capacity of about 1,000 acre-feet. The land irrigated under these systems is about as follows: 1,000 acres under the small ditches along the Cimarron bottom; 500 acres under the Ponil ditches; 1,000 acres under the Rayado ditches; 2,000 acres under the Maxwell Company's ditch, and 2,500 acres under the Springer Ranch. The whole consumes about 25 per cent of the total annual discharge of the Cimarron, leaving a surplus of from 100,000 to 150,000 acre-feet passing down the Canadian to the gulf each year. This entire flow is capable of conservation, as there are a number of good reservoir sites at different points in the Cimarron drainage. Under the Springer Ranch ditch one reservoir site can be improved with an |