THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALEEY 23 



enterprising homesteader has built a dam across the outlet to one of the 

 small canyons, thus storing sufficient water for the irrigation of his 

 tract. All of the land in these three counties, in valleys or in mountain 

 regions, will produce abundantly when water is applied. The so-called 

 dry farming, or farming without irrigation has not been successfully at- 

 tempted in this region, save in the higher altitudes. Over the rest of 

 the region the rainfall on an annual average of forty years, is less than 10 

 inches, while for successful dry farming 15 inches or more is needed. 



The numerous opportunities for irrigation by storage of flood water, 

 or by pumping, now to be found, will within the next few years bring 

 under cultivation a very large area outside the Rio Grande valley and 

 will become an important factor in the productivity of the region. 



Although not so great as in other sections of New Mexico there is a 

 vast area of public land open to entry under the homestead and desert 

 land laws in the three counties. These lands, however, are scattered, and 



careful personal investigation is necessary 

 PUBLIC LANDS OPEN to find the desirable tracts. In connection 

 TO FMTRY '^^^^^ ^^^^^^ °P^" lands, the possibilities for 



I U tIM I ttl development through storage of flood water 



and pumping are very important. There are many locations in each of 

 the three counties where a water supply may be developed by one or the 

 other means. 



In all three counties the desirable lands along the water courses have 

 long since been taken up, are held in private ownership, in private land 

 grants or Indian land grants. The homesteader in this region must leave 

 the beaten paths and strike out into the less developed sections, where, 

 with industry and perseverance he is fairly sure to find a desirable home. 



The acreage of public land open to entry in the three counties is ap- 

 proximately as follows : Acres 



200.000 

 Bernalillo county 700 000 



• Sandoval county OOo'oOO 



Valencia county i.uuu.uuu 



In Bernalillo county the chief public land area is in the extreme west- 

 ern part and on the broad mesa east of the Rio Grande. In Sandoval 

 county the public land open to entry lies chiefly in the mountain districts 

 of the central and northwestern portions. In Valencia county there is a 

 vast area of public land in the western portion, although for forty miles 

 north and forty miles south of the right-of-way, the Santa Fe railroad 

 owns the odd numbered sections or alternate sections under the terms of 

 the old government grant to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company. 

 This land, now chiefly valuable for grazing, is being prospected for arte- 

 sian water and a strong artesian flow has been discovered at Suwanee, 

 forty miles west of Albuquerque where one well has been brought in. 

 Extensive drilling is now being done to develop the artesian area. In the 

 event that the proven area is large, another great irrigated district will be 

 added to the region, since the water has been found suitable for irrigation 



*:, 



