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<br />UU125U <br />. <br /> <br />Irrigation works <br /> <br />Bearing in mind that about 9~ of the water diverted in <br /> <br />New Mexico is applied to irrigation, it is evident that conserva- <br /> <br />tion in this kind of use offers the greatest hope for increasing <br /> <br />the economic and social benefits to be derived from our water <br /> <br />resources. We are making a considerable effort in that direction. <br /> <br />The Ferguson Act among its other provisions granted the state <br /> <br />500,000 acres of land with the specification that the income <br /> <br />from this land be placed in a fund for the improvement of irriga- <br /> <br />tion. The Interstate Stream Commission is authorized to lend <br /> <br />money f,rom this fund for tho c'Jnstruct.ion and rehabilitation <br /> <br />of irrigation works and for conservation practices such as <br /> <br />ditch-lining and land-leveling. The C0mmission may lend the <br /> <br />money to irrigation and conservancy dist.ricts, community ditch <br /> <br />organizations and, under certain conditions, to private irriga- <br /> <br />tion companies.' In the past five years the Commission has <br /> <br />authorized loans from the fund totalling $2.1 million dollars. <br /> <br />M0st of this money has been spent on ditch lining, land levelling <br /> <br />and 0ther measures which C0nserve water. <br /> <br />In addition the New Mexic0 Legislature in the past five <br /> <br />years has appropriated $500,000 dollars to the State Engineer <br /> <br />from the irrigation fund for grants to community ditches in <br /> <br />five counties in N~rthern New Mexico. These five counties <br /> <br />8 <br />