FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



an engineering standpoint, but up to the 

 present time one of the owners of the 

 flood-water rights, having a ditch just 

 below 7 it, has refused to make any satis- 

 factory proposition toward a settlement 

 with the government in case the reser- 

 voir should be constructed, and it was 

 deemed best to locate the canal from the 

 above point to determine what lands 

 would come under irrigation, and to as- 

 certain the cost of the works. Diversion 

 from a point lower down the river would 

 lessen the cost and would bring the same 

 lands under cultivation. 



basins at the do\vnstream side a spillway 

 will be placed in the bank of the canal 

 w r ith a bottom grade below that of the 

 canal. At times of heavy rainfall, when 

 water rushes down the arroyos, the spill 

 or flush gates will be opened and the silt 

 removed from the basins. The water 

 passing through these flush gates will 

 spread out over the bottom land and ul- 

 timately reach the old bed of the river, 

 and can be sluiced down the river in the 

 same manner that nature has been doing 

 for ages. Except during the flood time 

 the Hondo water carries very little silt, 



AN IRRIGATION DAM IN NEW MEXICO. 



During floods the Hondo carries a 

 large amount of silt. Engineer Reed 

 proposes the following plan to prevent 

 danger of the reservoir filling from this 

 source: The velocity of the canal is to be 

 governed to such an extent that the 

 heavier silt will be deposited in basins, 

 which are provided by making the align- 

 ment of the canal to cross three arroyos 

 near their mouth, where the surface flat- 

 tens out. Two of these arroyos have a 

 length of five or six miles and drain con- 

 siderable territory. At the end of the 



and therefore during the non-irrigating 

 season, when there is a constant flow in 

 the river, it is advisable to pass the water 

 through the canal and into the reservoir 

 with as little exposure to seepage and 

 evaporation as possible. To be able to 

 do this at one time, and also at other 

 times pass a little body of water through 

 as a slow current, it is proposed to place 

 a removable bulk-heading or gates below 

 the sluiceways, and thus be able to delay 

 or check the current, causing the silt to 

 settle in the basins. 



