Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico
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Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 188 . Series { § DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR WATER RESOURCES OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN NEW MEXICO AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT BY WILLIS T. LEE WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1907 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction............................................................. 7 Geography....................^........................................... 8 Relation to other regions ............................................. 8 Eastern margin....................................................... 8 Western margin...................................................... 8 Central area.......................................................... 9 Mountains ........................................... ........... 9 Plains........................................................... 9 Slopes........................................................... H Terraces ......................................................... 11 Erosion basins and canyons....................................... 12 Introductory statement................... ................... 12 Espanola Valley ............................................... 12 White Rock Canyon.......................................... 12 Santo Domingo Valley........................................ 13 San Felipe Canyon ........................................... 13 Albuquerque Valley.......................................... 13 Isleta Narrows ............................................... 13 Belen Valley................................................. 13 San Acacia Gorge ............................. .............. 14 Socorro Valley............................................... 14 Engle Valley ................................................ 14 Elephant Butte Canyon. .........................*............. 14 Las Palomas Valley .......................................... 15 Selden Canyon............................................... 15 Mesilla Valley ....................................... ....... 15 El Paso Canyon.............................................. 15 El Paso Valley............................................... 16 Geology ................................................................. 16 Introduction......................................................... 16 Rock formations...................................................... 16 Consolidated sediments........................................... 16 Unconsolidated sediments......................................... 16 Igneous rocks .................................................... 17 Structure ............................................................ 17 General characteristics............................................ 17 Eastern border................................................... 18 Western border .................................................. 18 Central area...................................................... 18 Topographic development............................................. 19 Erosjon................................ ........................ 19 Sedimentation. .................................................... 19 Tertiary ..................................................... 19 Quaternary .................................................. 19 3 4 CONTENTS. Geology Continued. Page. Tertiary and Quaternary history....................................... 20 Surface deformation and first volcanic eruption..................... 20 First accumulation of gravels...................................... 20 Second volcanic eruption.......................................... 21 First epoch of erosion............................................. 21 Ancient course of the Eio Grande.............................. 21 Second accumulation of gravels.................................... 22 Third volcanic eruption........................................... 22 Diversion of the Rio Grande ...................................... 23 Second epoch of erosion........................................... 23 Accumulation of silt.............................................. 24 Reservoir sites............................................................ 25 Introductory statement............................................... 25 International reservoir................................................ 25 Engle reservoir. _ i.................................................... 26 Location......................................................... 26 Rock formations ................................................. 26 Structure ........................................................ 26 Spillway......................................................... 27 Constructional materials .......................................... 28 Building stone ............................................... 28 Cement material............................................. 28 Coal......................................................... 29 San Acacia reservoir................................................... 29 San Felipe reservoir .................................................. 29 Espanola reservoir ................................................... 30 Water supply .......................................................... '.. 30 Surface waters ....................................................... 30 Rainfall ......................................................... 30 Evaporation ..................................................... 31 Drainage ........................................................ 31 Underground waters.................................................. 33 Santa Fe district.................................................. 33 Albuquerque district ............................................. 34 Beleii district........................-..---....-.-------..-..--.- 35 General conditions ...............-..........-.--..-...---...-. 35 Wells ........._.....................,............:.......... 35 Jornada district....-.-.............-..-.-...-..-...-.-.-....---.. 37 Geologic structure...'..........-....-............-.-...-.---.. 37 Flowing wells................................................ 37 Nonflowing wells................... .......................^.. 38 Indications of artesian water .................................. 39 La Mesa district.................................................. 39 Mesilla district................................................... 40 Location and character ....................................... 40 Water table.................................................. " 41 Wells of Mesilla Valley....................................... 41 General statements.. ..................................... 41 Wells at Agricultural College.............................. 41 Wells of F. C. Barker ..................................... 42 Well of Mrs. E. M. Boyer................................. 43 Well of Frank Burke..................................... 43 Well of J. C. Can-era-.................................... 43 CONTENTS. 5 Water supply Continued. Page- Underground waters Continued. Mesilla district Continued. Wells of Mesilla Valley Continued. Well of Robert Elwood ................................... 43 Well of W. N. Hager..................................... 43 Well of A. L. Hines...................................... 43 Wells of Horace Ranch Company .........................^ 44 Las Cruces city well....._....-....--------.------ ........ 44 Well of Theodore Roualt ................................. 44 Well of Shalam Colony................................... 45 Well of ,T. R. Thompson .................................. 45 Well of G. H. Totten................ ................... 45 Table showing well records in Mesilla Valley..-.....--..-.. - 46 Underflow of the Rio Grande region.....,..........-..-.......--...--- 48 Water plane ..................................................... 48 Quantity of underflow............................................ 48 Origin of underflow.--.--.-.......--..-........--.-.----..-....--- 49 Course of underflow .............................................. 50 Chemical character of Rio Grande waters.............................. 50 Mesilla district................................................... 50 Other districts ................................................... 51 Applications......................................................... 55 Utilization of underflow .......................................... 55 Shallow wells................................................ 55 Deep wells. ................................................^. 55 Seepage ditches.............................................. 55 Water storage.................................................... 55 Index ......__......................................................... 57 ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE I. Topographic sketch map of the Rio Grande region................. 7 II. A, Face of terrace west of Caballos Mountains; B, Albuquerque vol canoes and lava flow .......................................... 12 III. Cross sections of the Rio Grande region........................... 14 IV. A, Lava-capped mesa at San Marcial; J5, Side gorge at the entrance to White Rock Canyon, near Espanola dam site ................. 16 V. A, Tertiary strata in Arroyo Salado at the base of Sierra Ladron; B, Canyon in Tertiary sediments west of San Acacia, N. Mex...... 18 VI. A, Sandia Volcano; a volcanic cone of recent origin west of Isleta, N. Mex.; B, Caballos Mountains............................... 20 VII. A, Western face of the Fra Cristobal Mountains, showing two faults;