90 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



ing for their crops the water which rightfully belonged to the earlier 

 settlers in this portion of the valley. 



This water question has been one of great importance and has been 

 carefully studied by President Diaz and his cabinet. A peculiar state of 

 affairs exists in connection with this matter. .While being aware of the 

 ditches which were being taken out of the river in Colorado and New 

 Mexico, still the inhabitants of the Mexican side have raised no objec- 

 tions as long as sufficient water for their use was allowed to come down 

 the river. However, the improvements in Colorado and New Mexico 

 continued until they represented expenditures of millions of dollars; and 

 to. insist upon the prior rights of Mexico and that the water be allowed 

 to flow down the stream, would mean simply closing up the irrigating 

 canals above and the abandonment of enterprises which had cost enor- 

 mous sums of money. Thereupon, the Mexican government set about 

 considering some plan by which this could be obviated, and came to the 

 conclusion that the only way would be to construct a large reservoir by 

 which the annual flood waters in the spring could be stored and distrib- 

 uted throughout the growing season for irrigation. Negotiations be- 

 tween the two governments along this line have been going on for sever- 

 al years, and ex-President Cleveland, in his message to Congress in De- 

 cember, 1894, referred to this matter as follows: 



"Good will, fostered by many interests in common, has marked our 

 relations with our nearest Southern neighbors. * * The 



problem of the storage and use of the waters of the Hio Grande for irri- 

 gation should be solved by appropriate concurrent action of the two in- 

 terested countries. Rising in the Colorado heights, the stream flows in- 

 termittingly, yielding little water during the dry months to the irrigating 

 channels already constructed along its course. The scarcity is often se- 

 verely felt in the regions where the river forms a common boundary. 

 Moreover, the frequent changes in its course through level sands often 

 raise embarassing questions of territorial jurisdiction." 



The two governments having at work in the rield an International 

 Water Boundary Commission, it was mutually agreed that this commis- 

 sion, should investigate and report to their respective governments on 

 the following points: 



1. Whether or not the citizens of Mexico in and near Ciudad Juarez, 

 have suffered any losses and damages on account of lack of water; 



2. Whether or not these losses are due to water appropriations by 

 American citizens in Colorado and New Mexico; 



3. Whether or not the citizens of Mexico will desist from claiming 

 damages if the United States government restores the water to them by 

 dam or otherwise; 



4. Whether or not the dam as proposed by Colonel Mills and Mr. 

 Follett is practicable. 



As to the first point, the Mexican government ordered an investiga- 

 tion conducted by the Federal Court at Ciudad Juarez, which demonstrated 

 the fact that the population of Ciudad Juarez and vicinity has in the past 



