“BLACK ALKALI” IN THE SAN LUIS VALLEY 
By 
WM. P. HEADDEN 
Bulletin No. 230 of this station, entitled “Rio Grande Waters”, 
gives as full a statement of the water conditions peculiar to the 
San Luis Valley as we are able to present. The work on this 
feature of the valley has extended over a number of years. There 
are a great many features of the subject which are not of special 
interest to the general farmer or even to those interested in the 
lands of this valley, while there are others of vital importance to 
the ranchman, but of less interest from other points of view. 
AGRICULTURE OF VALLEY RETARDED FOR A NUMBER 
OF YEARS 
It is known to everyone acquainted with the irrigation of the 
valley since the early nineties, that at one time the section of the 
valley about Mosca and Hooper was a most remarkable wheat 
producing country. Mosca, for instance, was a thriving town 
with a large flouring mill, an elevator and a flourishing business. 
This prosperity passed a number of years ago; the elevator is 
unused, the mill was torn down, and, if I am rightly informed, a 
part of the machinery was taken out of the valley and the rest 
of it used in building the mills at Alamosa and La Tara. The mill 
at Hooper has only recently been dismantled as a flouring mill. 
As wheat growing was the biggest interest of this section, the 
milling industry may be assumed to present faithfully the course 
of the farming industry. Stock-raising, sheep, hogs and cattle, 
has enabled some to continue operations with some success, but 
as a general statement, the condition of this section of the valley 
has been deplorable for the past 10 or 15 years. 
The towns of Mosca and Hooper are mentioned because they 
were the centers of this former prosperity, which was participated 
in by a large section of country. 
The area now mostly unproductive is from 400,000 to 500,000 
acres. The cause usually assigned for this condition is seepage. 
SUB-IRRIGATION HAS CAUSED SEEPED LANDS 
The system of irrigation used in the past was undoubtedly 
unfortunate and the practice of the people in applying it was in 
many cases unwise. I am credibly informed that, in some in- 
