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194103-DesertMagazin.. - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

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PROJECT /<br />

SANTA ROSA^^<br />

\AlAMOeORDO DAM<br />

men and senators. He cooled his heels in<br />

<strong>of</strong>ficial ante rooms for hours on end. He<br />

haunted <strong>the</strong> state capitol at Santa Fe. He<br />

enlisted <strong>the</strong> aid <strong>of</strong> every man, woman and<br />

child whom he thought could help in <strong>the</strong><br />

slightest.<br />

That old report <strong>of</strong> Freedland's, made<br />

in 1912, was exhumed from <strong>the</strong> archives<br />

and a state survey was ordered in 1925.<br />

State Engineer H. W. Yoo completed this<br />

survey in 1929 and proved <strong>the</strong> practicability<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> irrigation project, and Yoo's report<br />

became <strong>the</strong> starting point for a campaign<br />

which has transformed <strong>the</strong> old settler's<br />

dreams into a reality.<br />

Hurley, armed with <strong>the</strong> survey and report,<br />

resumed his trips to Washington.<br />

He became acquainted with Big Bill<br />

Thompson, <strong>the</strong>n mayor <strong>of</strong> Chicago, who<br />

was interested in Mississippi river development.<br />

Big Bill and Hurley became fast<br />

friends, although <strong>the</strong>ir goals were different.<br />

Frequently <strong>the</strong>y clashed, but Hurley<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>ited from his association with Thompson.<br />

He learned <strong>the</strong> technique <strong>of</strong> lobbying,<br />

and when <strong>the</strong> Mississippi valley was<br />

devastated by floods, Hurley made <strong>the</strong><br />

most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opportunity.<br />

At that time "Fighting Jack" Dempsey<br />

was New Mexico's only representative in<br />

Congress. With <strong>the</strong> aid <strong>of</strong> Dempsey Hurley<br />

presented a mass <strong>of</strong> statistics citing <strong>the</strong><br />

extensive damage caused each year to private<br />

and railroad properties in New Mexico,<br />

Texas and Oklahoma by Canadian river<br />

floods. He talked flood control, and declared<br />

<strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> proposed Conchas<br />

dam would be repaid in five years by <strong>the</strong><br />

elimination <strong>of</strong> property damage.<br />

All <strong>of</strong> this fitted in with <strong>the</strong> New Deal<br />

program and in 1935, <strong>the</strong> Conchas dam<br />

and reservoir project was ordered as part<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> works relief program. Financed<br />

entirely by <strong>the</strong> federal government, and<br />

placed under <strong>the</strong> supervision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> war<br />

department, it was originally a flood control<br />

project only. But Hurley, after cannily<br />

biding his time until <strong>the</strong>re was no danger<br />

<strong>of</strong> imperiling <strong>the</strong> project, brought up <strong>the</strong><br />

irrigation angle again.<br />

More surveys followed, and it was found<br />

that an adequate irrigation project would<br />

cost $8,155,000. Reclamation bureau engineers<br />

declared that <strong>the</strong> land which would<br />

benefit could not be expected to pay back<br />

more than $5,655,000 <strong>of</strong> this on a repayment<br />

plan spread over 40 years. Therefore<br />

<strong>the</strong>y did not consider <strong>the</strong> project practical<br />

under such circumstances.<br />

But Hurley, Congressman Dempsey<br />

and Senator Carl Hatch and Senator Dennis<br />

Chavez had o<strong>the</strong>r ideas.<br />

"We'll get a PWA grant," <strong>the</strong>y decided<br />

and <strong>of</strong>f <strong>the</strong>y went to Washington again.<br />

That was in <strong>the</strong> days when PWA grants<br />

were being passed out freely, and <strong>the</strong>y<br />

encountered few obstacles. President<br />

Roosevelt authorized a grant <strong>of</strong> $2,500,-<br />

000; <strong>the</strong> Arch Hurley Conservancy district<br />

was formed and immediately signed<br />

a contract with <strong>the</strong> Bureau <strong>of</strong> Reclamation.<br />

The first irrigation project in <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> nation to be even partially subsidized<br />

by <strong>the</strong> government became an actuality.<br />

The Conchas dam project was assigned<br />

to <strong>the</strong> Corps <strong>of</strong> Engineers, U. S. Army, on<br />

August 1, 1935, with Captain Hans Kramer,<br />

who is now directing construction at<br />

<strong>the</strong> Panama canal, in charge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> damsite.<br />

Captain Kramer announced <strong>the</strong> dam<br />

would be completed in four years. On<br />

September 16, 1939 <strong>the</strong> dam was complete<br />

and in full operation. It had been intended<br />

to have Secretary <strong>of</strong> War Harry H. Woodring<br />

dedicate <strong>the</strong> project October 10, but<br />

due to <strong>the</strong> war crisis, all ceremonies were<br />

cancelled.<br />

Conchas dam with its auxiliary structures<br />

is six miles long. It is in <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>ast<br />

corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> famous Bell ranch, one<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> great holdings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old<br />

West. Eventually <strong>the</strong> area will become a<br />

state park. Its 28 mile lake is already stocked<br />

with fish and it will be opened to <strong>the</strong><br />

public sometime this year.<br />

While only 25 miles from Tucumcari<br />

in an air line, <strong>the</strong>re is no road connecting<br />

<strong>the</strong> dam with that city. However, it is expected<br />

that a right-<strong>of</strong>-way will be obtained<br />

from <strong>the</strong> Bell ranch in <strong>the</strong> near future and<br />

a state highway constructed from Tucumcari<br />

to Las Vegas via Conchas dam. The<br />

damsite is reached from Newkirk, on U.<br />

S. Highway 66, over a 25-mile government<br />

built road.<br />

The dam has a height <strong>of</strong> 235 feet, is<br />

constructed <strong>of</strong> concrete, and besides serving<br />

to control <strong>the</strong> flood waters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Canadian<br />

and to furnish water for irriga-<br />

MARCH, 1941 13

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