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<br />A snall portion of' the New Mexico development, no doubt. <br /> <br />was initiated at a very early date by the Indians, or other aborigines <br /> <br />living in the Rio <k'ande basin. A small portion of the Texas develop- <br /> <br />ment began prior to 1890, as evidenced by the tact that the 1890 oensus <br /> <br />report refers to a large ditch heading at El Paso and extending for some <br /> <br />distanoe below, f'or the purpose of irrigating lands in that region. How- <br /> <br />ever, the major portion of the development in New Mexico and Texas took <br /> <br />place after the construction of the Elephant Butte Reservoir was completed <br /> <br />in the year 1915. <br /> <br />The first irrigation development in Colorado on the Rio <br /> <br />Grande by 'White men was initiated in the early 1850's. Practically all <br /> <br />of the large development was made between 1880 and 1890. Only two or <br /> <br />three small canal systems, 'Which irrigate in the aggregate less than <br />40.000 acres, have been constructed since that time. Practically all of <br /> <br />these more reoently constructed systems involved the consolidation of a <br /> <br />number of older ditohes. The reason that no reoent major irrigation develop- <br />ment has taken place in the San Luis Valley is because all of' the streams of <br /> <br />the Valley were over-appropriated by water rights initiated prior to 1890. <br /> <br />This fact is mentior..ed in the early census reports. Immediately after the <br /> <br />large development was made in the San Luis Valley in the 1880's, it became <br /> <br />evident that reservoirs were necessary in order to control the water <br /> <br />supplies and protect the water users against severe water shortages. <br /> <br />However, due to a low oycle of runoff', which ooeurred in the 1890's, which <br /> <br />brought to a head the difficulties between the Republ:l.c of Mexioo and the <br /> <br />U:nited States over the Rio Grande, an 91Ilbargo was placed upon the river <br /> <br />-2- <br /> <br />.... - . r /~.""1 <br />L..' '...J I <br />