The Pecos in the vicinity of Roswell has discharged during the irrigation season of from 150 to 20,000 second-feet, the latter amount being due to floods occurring during June, July, and August. During the nonirrigation season the flow averages about 200 second-feet. There are six important sources of water supply augmenting the flow of the Pecos at this point. They are the Rio Hondo, the Berenda rivers, north. middle, and south, and the Spring rivers, north and south. The Rio Hondo has its source in the White Mountains in Lincoln County, and is exceedingly variable in character, the flow ranging from 0 to 1,000 second-feet in time of floods, although perennial in the upper course. During the nonirrigation season the flow in the vicinity of Roswell is about 100 second-feet. The water being wholly appropriated along its head waters, no flow is found along the lower reaches of the stream excepting during times of flood. The Berenda and Spring rivers all have their sources in small ponds supplied by perennial springs and located in the midst of a prairie within a few miles of each other. Their flow is constant, there being scarcely any variation during the year. Both the Berenda rivers and Spring River, north, empty into the Hondo before reaching the Pecos, but Spring River, south, flows directly into the Pecos. The discharge of these streams is as follows: Berenda, north Berenda, middle Spring, south Second feet. 7 18 10 60 50 On the Pecos in Chavez County there are no operated ditches, all the flow being appropriated by the Pecos Irrigation and Improvement Company in Eddy County. On the Rio Hondo there are eleven canals, but four of these, namely, the Overton, the Edwards, the Barnett, all individual ditches, and the Lincoln County community ditch, are not operated. Of the balance, the Cockrell irrigates 60 acres and the Sol. Jacobs 100 acres, both being individual ditches. The community ditches and the acreage irrigated under them are the Perry Fountain, 250 acres, and the Hondo Falls, 40 acres. Corporate ditches are Long and Truxton, irrigating 180 acres; Lea Cockrell, 80 acres, and the Pecos Irrigation and Improvement Canal, 4,000 acres. From the Berenda River, north, one ditch is taken out (the Pat Boone), irrigating 70 acres. From the Berenda, middle, three ditches are taken out-the Milne-Busch, irrigating 150 acres; the Cosmo Sedillo, irrigating 30 acres, and the J. Bowman, which is not operated. On the Berenda, south, there are three ditches-the BuschMilne and the Thompson, both individual ditches and irrigating 160 acres, respectively, and the Last Chance community ditch, serving 220 acres. The Spring River, north, supplies six ditches; the Griff Cunningham (individual) irrigating 60 acres; the Pioneer (community) irrigating 330 acres; the Stone or Eureka, the Lee-Cunningham, the Pierce, Cunningham and Ballard, and the Cap. Lea (all being corporate ditches), irrigating, respectively, 650, 600, 230, and 60 acres. Spring River, south, also serves six ditches. The Woodlawn and the Pumpkin Row are corporate, and irrigate 540 and 1,200 acres, respectively. The other four are community ditches; of these the Chisum irrigates 1,060 acres; the Texas, 500 acres; the Miller, 250 acres; while the Harris is not operated. The total acreage irrigated being 10,820 acres. Irrigation on the Pecos below Roswell is confined to the system of the Pecos Irrigation and Improvement Company. This system is one of the largest in the United States, and consists of a series of three storage reservoirs of a combined capacity of about 110,000 acre-feet, supplying canals on either side of the river. It is stated that there are 200,000 acres of land under the canals served by this system, but only a portion of this acreage (12,500) is in cultivation. There are six tributaries of the Pecos in this section. Below Roswell the first stream of importance is the Rio Felix, which rises among the southeastern foothills of the White Mountains and after a few miles sinks and does not again appear until within 4 miles of its mouth, a distance of 25 miles, where it appears again in a series of springs. The Penasco takes its rise in the Sacramento Mountains, and formerly flowed 40 miles as a fair-sized brook, then, entering a strip of marshy land 10 to 12 miles long, it disappears. There was practically no connection between the upper and lower Penasco, the latter commencing in a series of springs about 12 miles from the Pecos. Its flow in the upper portion is permanent in Lincoln County, the surplus sinking in the sands below Hope. In Eddy County springs rising in its bed supply a mean flow of 8 second-feet, while during floods it reaches a maximum of about 12,700 second-feet. The entire normal flow is consumed during irrigation season. The Seven Rivers rise in small springs in Eddy County. The combined normal flow is about 20 second-feet, but reaches a maximum of 7,500 second-feet during the rainy season. There is a surplus of about 5 second-feet from this stream which is lost in seepage. Rocky Arroyo rises in the Guadalupe Mountains and is permanent in its upper portion, but sinks in the gravel below. Its normal flow is about 10 second-feet, with a flood flow of 1,200 second-feet. Practically all the water is consumed in irrigation, but there is a small surplus which is susceptible of use. In Dark Canyon the same conditions are met, but its normal flow is only about 5 second-feet, while its flood flow reaches 14,000 second-feet. All the water is consumed. Black River drains a portion of the eastern slope of the Guadalupe Mountains. This river is about 35 miles long, but is a small stream to within 16 miles of the Pecos, where its volume is considerably increased by numerous springs. It flows through a series of lakes and is subject to extensive floods on account of the large area drained. Its normal flow is about 20 second-feet, while in floods it reaches a maximum of 15,000 second-feet. Only about one-half the normal flow is in use on this stream. The entire absence of tributaries on the eastern side of the Pecos is very striking, and is due, no doubt, to the pervious character of the soil of the Staked Plains, upon which no drainage system is established. The only supply of water which the Pecos receives from this side comes from a few small alkaline springs, or from a small arroyo, which carries water once or twice in a season. The constant never-failing supply of water in the Pecos comes from springs which must receive their supply from a great distance. This is owing to the peculiar structure of the country, and the prevalence of the easily dissolved limestones, which allow the waters to make underground channels for themselves, and thus flow for considerable distance out of sight. Reservoir sites are to be found on the Pecos and all these tributaries, and it is probable that 70,000 acres in Eddy County could be irrigated by utilizing these sites even without storage; 20,000 acres more than the present acreage can be irrigated. In the western portion of the lower Pecos district are located the White, Sacramento, and Guadalupe mountains, in which rise many small streams, those on the eastern slopes flowing toward the Pecos, but nearly all disappearing in the sands a short distance from their source. The same is true of the few streams rising on the western slopes; they disappear and form a part of what is called the Lost River district. The irrigated lands are found for the most part along the Cienega del Macho, Rio Ruidoso, Rio Bonito, and the upper portions of Rio Jelia Pensaco, Sacramento, and Pinos Creek, heading on the east side of the divide, and Nogal Creek, Three Rivers, Rio Tulerosa and Lost River on its western face. Farmers have settled along the upper portions of these streams and have diverted the water by small ditches, bringing under cultivation a small part of the arable land. Along the head waters of these creeks there appears to be an ample supply of water. The total irrigated acreage of this section is about 18,500 acres, of which 4,000 acres are located on the Penasco above Hope and 750 below, 500 on the Upper Rio Felix and 250 on the lower Black River. The acreage irrigated on these two streams can be increased 100 per cent, as only about one-half the flow is utilized. Only a thorough investigation can determine the possibilities of the other portions of this section. The total acreage irrigated in this district is as follows: Pecos above Roswell.... Pecos and tributaries in Chavez County Pecos and tributaries in Eddy County Total Acres. 11, 500 10,820 13,500 18, 500 54, 320 RIO GRANDE.-DISTRICT No. 11. Geographical location: Extends from north to south through the center portion of the Territory. Acreage irrigated, 80,600. The sources of the Rio Grande are in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It receives a large number of tributaries along its upper course and enters the San Luis Valley as a large stream, where it is further augmented by the drainage from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. At the lower end of the valley the river has cut its way through the lava dam and now flows through a canyon which is about 100 feet deep at the Colorado line, but deepens to about 700 feet at the mouth of the Rio Hondo, and holds this depth within a short distance above Embudo. No living water enters this canyon from the west, but several good streams bring water from the east, notably the Costilla, Colorado, Rio Hondo, Taos, and Embudo, all of which rise in the Costilla and Taos Mountains. These streams are perennial, and all of them discharge large quantities of water to the Rio Grande, augmenting its flow greatly. The fall of the river is about 30 feet per mile between the Colorado line and Embudo. There is no arable land along this portion of the river excepting in the vicinity of Rinconada and immediately above Embudo, the acreage irrigated from water diverted from the Rio Grande being about 700 acres. About 3 miles below Embudo the walls of the canyon fall away abruptly and the rivers enters the Espanola Valley, which extends to White Rock Canyon some 25 miles below. In this valley it receives the waters of the Santa Cruz and Nambe from the east and of the Chama from the west. The Santa Cruz and Chama, especially the latter, are streams of great importance, and contribute more largely to the flow of the Rio Grande than any other. They are perennial. Below the Chama the Rio Grande assumes a different character; the fall becomes less, the velocity is diminished, and sediment deposited forming a bottom of sand and silt with shifting banks. The Chama brings down vast quantities of silt also, and from this point south the river is muddy in the extreme. Irrigation is confined wholly to the bottom lands along the river, practically all these lands being under ditch. The irrigated acreage in the valley between Embudo and White Rock Canyon is 13,200 acres, made up as follows: From water diverted from the Rio Grande Total..... In this section the water supply of the Rio Grande is always good. After passing through White Rock Canyon, which is a narrow gorge, some 20 miles long, with precipitous walls some 500 feet high, the river enters the Albuquerque Valley of the Rio Grande, which extends south to San Marcial. This valley is narrow, at no place being more than 3 miles wide, while at many points the side hills approach each other so closely that there are no bottom lands. Around Bernalillo, Albuquerque, Belen, and from Los Lunas, south, are large areas of cultivated lands. In the vicinity of Bernalillo, Alameda, and especially between Los Lunas and Belen, are large alkali flats, once productive fields, but now worthless from lack of drainage, without which it is doubtful if much further cultivation can be accomplished. From San Felipe to San Marcial the river occupies a broad, sandy bed, dividing in low stages into a number of narrow, crooked channels, but in flood covering in many places nearly half the valley. The loss from seepage and evaporation in the river from San Felipe south is very great and is responsible for much of the shortage of water felt in the lower river during the irrigation season. All along the river there is much waste bottom land, a portion of which above Los Lunas raises a scanty supply of coarse grass for grazing purposes. Below Los Lunas a large part of the land is covered with cottonwood thickets. Where these are cut away the land is found to be of excellent quality. There are no perennial tributaries entering the Rio Grande in this section. The Santa Fe, Gallisteo and Tijeras enter from the east, the first delivering water to the river during the early spring and in time of floods; the last two only in time of floods. From the west, the river receives the drainage from the Jemez, Puerco, and Salado. The Jemez and Puerco deliver water during the early spring and in flood times; especially the latter, which ha sa flood discharge of about 32,000 second-feet, as measured near Rocky Ford. The Salado flows only in time of floods. Not over one-fourth of the bottom lands in the Albuquerque Valley is under ditch and of this only a small portion is in cultivation. The land irrigated in this section between Cochiti and San Marcial is about 22,500 acres. All the ditches serving this land are individual and community ditches of the most primitive construction. A statement of the land served under each ditch is an impossibility, as lands lying under one ditch may be, and many times are, served from a higher one. However, there are about seventy ditches within the limits of the Albuquerque Valley, and the average acreage served is 320 acres. The water supply of this valley is ample in the upper part, but has failed below Bernalillo in times of great drought. Failures occur more frequently below Ysleta, and from Acacia south the supply after the middle of July is precarious in times of subnormal rainfall. |