Series X: Commission Of Irrigation And Water Rights; Territorial Irrigation Engineer; Territorial Engineer,, 1897-1911.
Series
Scope and Contents
The Commission of Irrigation and Water-Rights was created by the Territorial Legislature March 18, 1897. The duties of the five-member commission were to investigate irrigation and water right conditions throughout the territory as well as irrigation laws in other states and recommend irrigation legislation to the next legislative assembly. As a result, the 1899 legislature created the comprehensive Board of Public Lands Act to which a Commission of Irrigation was attached. (See Commissioner of Public Lands record group, roll 55). In 1901 the Act was slightly amended but the duties of the Commission of Irrigation remained basically the same. The 1905 Legislative Assembly created the office of Territorial Irrigation Engineer to administer the public waters of New Mexico. A six member Commission of Irrigation was also established which together with the Territorial Irrigation Engineer would be known as the Board of Control. The 1907 Territorial Legislature repealed this act and passed the basic water rights legislation which still governs the use and appropriation of public waters in New Mexico. The office of Territorial Engineer was established to supervise the control, appropriation and distribution of water; legal machinery for adjudication of water rights along each stream was established; a three-member Board of Water Commissioners was created to approve rules and regulations and hear appeals from decisions of the Territorial Engineer.
Since the 1897 Commission of Irrigation was the predecessor of the office of the Territorial Engineer, records of the Irrigation Commissions of 1897-1905 are microfilmed with this record group.
Since the 1897 Commission of Irrigation was the predecessor of the office of the Territorial Engineer, records of the Irrigation Commissions of 1897-1905 are microfilmed with this record group.
Dates
- 1897-1911.
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English.
Access Restrictions
Access is restricted to original territorial records that have been microfilmed. Use microfilm only.
Extent
From the Collection: 136 Linear Feet
Physical Description
Rolls 89-90
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Repository