to the bank. A few more large floods will probably turn the river channel through this point, emptying the reservoir unless some preventive work is done at an early date. The dam at Lake Avalon was very similar to that at Lake McMillan. This reservoir as constructed is stated to have had a capacity of 6,300 acre-feet and to have submerged 1,980 acres. It is no longer in existence, as the dam was destroyed by the flood of October, 1904. The canal had a bottom width at the reservoir of 45 feet, with a bank on the lower or river side, side slopes of 14 to 1 and a berm of 5 feet between excavation and embankment, the crown of the bank being 8 feet above canal grade. The grade of the canal was 1.5 feet in 5,000. There was no upper bank to the canal, in order, as stated, that storm waters might have easy access; spillways were put in the lower bank for the purpose of disposing of the surplus water. The canal divides at a point about 3 miles below the head-gates, one branch, known as the east-side canal, watering the suburb of La Huerta and Hagerman Heights, and extending for some 20 miles below its intake. The main or southern canal, with a bottom width of 25 feet, crosses the river by an enormous concrete aqueduct consisting of four arched spans of 100 feet each, and serves all the land on the west side above Black River. From the aqueduct to Dark Canyon, a distance of about 3 miles, the canal passes through a sandy loam and loose broken limestone and conglomerate, and there is here some loss from seepage, indicated by additional water in springs and by saturated lands below the canal. The bottom of Dark Canyon where the canal crosses is a mass of coarse gravel and bowlders. As elsewhere, the canal is single banked, the embankment on the lower side having been provided with a timber spillway, now destroyed, to pass the floods to which the canyon is subject, while a bulkhead prevents the entrance of too great quantities of water into the canal below this point. There is evidently a considerable loss here, as a large area is submerged by the back water from the canal and it is said that much water finds its way beneath the embankment through the gravel. For about 13 miles below Dark Canyon the soil is more largely clay, and though there is probably no single place where the loss is as great as at Dark Canyon, still the aggregate amount of leakage is large, as is proved by the fact that lands lying below have been rendered unfit for cultivation by the seepage waters. At "Gyp Bend," still farther down, the canal is excavated for several miles through a gypsum formation and the loss of water is enormous, reaching at times 75 per cent of the amount flowing in the canal. Three miles below this point the canal reaches Black River, which was formerly crossed by a timber flume; this, however, rotted away some years ago and has never been replaced. Instead, a low concrete dam about 70 feet long and from 2 to 4 feet high has been built across the river and from this a new canal about 3 miles long has been constructed, joining one of the larger laterals from the old canal on higher ground. The water from the canal was dropped into the river at the old flume crossing and taken out by the new canal. About 9 second-feet of water obtained from Black River are thus rende available in addition to the amount carried by the main canal. So far as can be ascertained the high-line canal south of Black River has been used very little, if at all. The topography of the country is such that most of the main laterals run on the land lines, the grade following the natural slope of the surface, though in some cases drops have been built, and in places the canal grade is supported on small fills. WATER RIGHTS. The lands of the valley have been in part owned by the Pecos Irrigation Company, in part by private individuals, and a part is still in Government ownership. To those purchasing land from the company, at prices of from $35 to $40 per acre, a deed was given attaching a permanent water right to the land for no further consideration than the payment, semiannually in advance, of a rental charge of $1.25 per acre for a delivery of 1 acre-foot, or so much thereof as might be necessary for the cultivation of a crop, this water to be delivered to the consumer at the main canal, and not at his land. The private landowner who desired to purchase a water right could do so for the sum of $10.00 per acre, on the same rental conditions as if land were purchased from the company. At present there are in private ownership under the canals 26,375 acres of land which have water rights attached to them, and the company still owns and has for sale 24,470 acres to which these water rights are attached. The location of these lands, owned by the company and by individuals, is shown on the general map (Pl. XLVI). SOILS. The lands lying under the Carlsbad project have been farmed for nearly fifteen years. Many farmers have failed to make a living, and many others have produced but little. Some have grown profitable crops, and have thus demonstrated the possibilities of the soil, water, and climate. The following table shows the areas of different classes of soil: Classification of lands under Carlsbad project. The first class includes all sand and sandy loam free from harmful quantity of alkali salts; if covered with dunes these must be less than 8 feet high and entail moderate expense in leveling. Land is nearly all level and can be immediately brought into profitable cultivation. Some small areas may be above canal water and will need flumes or terrepleins to permit gravity irrigation. The second class includes all lands described under the first class which have become damaged by alkali or seepage water to such an extent as to render them unsuitable for general crops. These lands are easily drained, and from the few attempts at drainage it is evident that they can be brought back to fertility at moderate cost. There are 2,100 acres of such lands needing drainage, and surrounding them are 5,200 acres of land slightly damaged which would be greatly benefited by this drainage. The third class includes two distinct grades-gypsum land and gravel land. The gypsum land has all been included as third class, but there is a certain percentage of land among this which on more detailed mapping can be placed as second or first class. This may amount to as much as 50 per cent of the entire amount (10,400 acres) of gypsum land, but the actual area can not be determined except by detailed examination. There is considerable doubt of the practicability of farming this gypsum land, as will be shown later. The other grade (gravel land) includes all the porous gravel lands and those under which the gravel conglomerate is near the surface. There is a large area of such land which is very porous and shallow. Irrigation water rapidly sinks out of sight and large amounts of water are required to grow a crop. This water, running through the gravel beds, comes out below, to the damage of bottom lands. At the present time irri a Since this report was written the water rights to 11,507 acres of this land have been declared to have lapsed. Valid water rights are now therefore attached to 14,868 acres of land in private ownership. gation of these gravel lands is not profitable, but it is thought that later these conditions may be overcome. Fourth-class land includes all not irrigable. There is a certain amount of this land below the canal in the form of hills not irrigable except by an expensive terreplein or by pumping. The total area is 96,200 acres of all classes. It will probably be inadvisable to cultivate the lands of the third and fourth classes, and with these deducted there remain 52,300 acres of land belonging to the first and second classes. Included in this, however, are 2,000 acres lying beneath the Hagerman canal, which was not included in the offer made by the Pecos Irrigation Company nor in this investigation, and this deducted leaves 50,300 acres. Of this amount 8,600 acres lie under the east side canal-2,300 acres under the canal as operated and 6,300 under the canal as constructed but not operated. WATER SUPPLY. In any irrigation project the total amount of water available in the source of supply, its distribution throughout the year, and its suitability for irrigation purposes are the determining factors in fixing the limits of the area which can be reclaimed, when considered in proper connection with the conditions of soil, climate, crops, and farming methods likely to be followed, all of which enter into the calculation of the duty of water. The data concerning the flow of Pecos River presented below were obtained from two sources, those from 1891 to September 1, 1904, being obtained from the records of water passed through the headgates and over the spillways at Lake Avalon, the amounts having been computed by Mr. V. L. Sullivan, engineer of the Pecos Irrigation Company, and separately by Mr. J. M. Giles, district hydrographer. As far as possible the data for 1904 have been checked by comparison with the records of the Carlsbad gaging station, and the data for the current year are obtained from that station. Estimated monthly discharge in acre-feet of Pecos River at Avalon dam. No records of spillage for the years 1896, 1897, and 1898 were kept except during 1898, when 106,270 acre-feet were spilled at Lake Avalon. Gates closed at McMillan and at Avalon. During month Lake McMillan gained about 8,500 acrefeet. This is water used in irrigation. No record of spillage, if any. d Estimated by deducting 80 second-feet from flow at Carlsbad. There was water either passing through gates or over spillway during March, for reservoir fell steadily, as did Lake McMillan. 1 June 18-30, 13 days. October 1-10, 10 days. H. Doc. 86, 59-1-19 |