| Show STRAIGHTEN RiVER f 9 TO FIX BOUNDARY U. U S. S and Mexico to Curb Erratic Erratic Erratic Er Er- Rio Grande Washington One Washington One of the most Important Im rectifications ever er contemplated ed In a boundary between een the United States and a n neighboring country Is arranged for in a convention recently si signed ned in Mexico City which provides for the straightening of the Rio Grande for 87 miles below El EI Paso Texas The convention con must be ratified by the senates of the thc United States and Mexico MexIco Mexico Mex Mex- ico and agreements must be made in inre re regard ar to engineering details The problem along the Rio Grande Is a n common one with rivers In tn all parts of the world that run through arid and rid regions says a bulletin from the National Geographic society Very light alluvial soil gathers In to a n wide level flood plain floods come suddenly sudden sudden- I ly because of ot the quick run-off run from the bare mountains and hills and the swirling waters cut new channels through the easily yielding soil with almost every major rise For n ages es the Rio Grande wandered at will across the broad valley that lies Just above o e El Paso as well wen as ns over the equally wide valley that lies Hes below the city A careful observer er driving over the valleys can see almost inmost obliterated obliterated obliterated channels of the past far from the present river Maps since O when n the earliest American surveys were made show a confusing maze maze 01 looping and intersecting Tines lines that rep represent represent represent resent the dim ghosts of ot Rio Grander Grande of 25 50 75 and SO years ago Jumbled Property Titles As the Rio Grande has been the boundary since 1850 between Texas and New Mexico and since 1835 be- be beI beyl I l veen Texas and Old Mexico the wan van wanderings of the river In the two valleys alleys near nem El Paso have ha caused constant In Inter Intergovernmental intergovernmental In- In ter- ter governmental ter-governmental disputes and have pla played ed havoc with property titles Inthe In Inthe the tho upper valley the problems have been heen domestic Innumerable lawsuits between property owners sprang from the erratic river changes Finally the states of New Mexico tOIl and Texas became Involved and took tool the whole tan tangled led matter to the United States Supreme court It was not until that tribunal handed down its decision in ill m 1028 1023 8 that numerous residents In El ElPaso's Elj Pasos Paso's upper valley knew what state they were living In For many miles r the he boundary fixed b by the court does not follow the Rio Grande of toda today but lies a t considerable distance to the west along what has been heen determined to 1 be e the river bed of 1850 1550 Straightening out the Jumbled boun Joun boundary glary dary situation below El EI Paso has hns 1 been beena een a n much more difficult task because two nations are Involved Imoh There have hae been beel numerous treaties but the temperamental temperamental tempera tempera- mental Rio Hlo Grande has frequently created created cre cre- situations that existing treaties could not quite be made to cover The most stubborn problem of ot all nIl has been t the he so-called so Chamizal dispute whereby where where- 1 by y Mexico claims a n valuable slice of ot the city of ot El EI Paso asserting that the 1 true International boundary Is 18 along I 11 un in old bed north of the present river location The zone Is not I considered In the recently signed convention con con- convention I but Is left for special consideration consid I at another time Ume River Wanders Around East of ot El EI Paso the Rio Grande Ia meanders over oyer the almost level valley forming numerous loops great and 1 small mall When extraordinary floods s come the river river Is almost sure to maken make n a short cut across one or more o of t these loops The patches of ot land leftin left leftIn In the loops by the formation of a n new river bed are called bancos When Whenn a n banco Is formed It Is ls of course shifted to the other side of the river Thus bits of Texas have In effect been heen tossed suddenly Into Mexico and frog frag fragments ments of Mexico Into Texas If bancos are very small they become become become be be- come a part of the country to which the they are shifted Rut nut If they are large the International boundary to follow olto the old stream bed hod A striking In ing example of ot lar large c areas out cut off olT rr h by tn river changes es is found 25 miles milE's east Cast of ofEl r El EJ Paso near Fabens Texas an Texas an considerable enough to be ba seen een on on- on large e scale maps of the United States One can cross the bridge that spans the IU fio Grande de rhe a a. a mile or more 1 j I c.- c. Tro in tn the mii i. i i r United the International bonn boun- II little I glary ry there thero Is a half obliterated half obliterated graSS grown grass grown dale clale that many years ago was the tile bed bpd of the river the United Unit Unit- The uThe convention con signed by c ed States and Mexico le calls for 0 the thC first tin for the deliberate creation of ban ban- cos cas The plan Is to eliminate the ninny many kinks of the river by hy dl digging an nn artificial arti arti- artificial I channel where necessary to smooth the stream out Into a u series of the long easy curves g Approximately same area In will h be loft left on each side of the new channel These will become the property of ue the Hie country country coun coun- try on whose side itle the they lie He The new channel will be adopted as the International international Inter inter- national boundary and will be pegged down by engi engineering works Including levees hanl banks s and protected curves Such works are practicable now where the they would not have hu been beena a generation n ago o. o Floods have been mitigated h somewhat b by building of ot Elephant Butte dam which creates a n Impounding reservoir for the Rio huge hUJe Grande In central New Mexico |
