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How the Desert Shall Blossom

THE PIEDRAS VERDES RIVER, sole water supply for Colonia Juarez is but a short tributary of the Casas Grandes River and is only about fifty miles long. Though little more than a creek, it also serves Colonia Pacheco on its way from Meadow Valley to its end at San Diego. Furthermore, it changes with the seasons, running full when late summer rains are plentiful, but dwindling to a mere trickle the rest of the year. At times it entirely ceases to flow. The river bed then becomes a series of pools infested with moss and polliwogs. The green moss probably gave the stream its name,-Green Rocks. During the few weeks of heavy rains flash floods rush through the town dividing it and suspending activities one side with the other. Great volumes of water sweep by and are lost. Reservoirs were beyond the economic power of the early colonists. Thus they were forced to let the water sweep on its way to enrich lands far removed, and leave them nothing with which to battle water scarcity problems through the months. Only the sport of watching lariat experts snake in a season's supply of fuel as timbers and driftwood floated by, and the age-old fascination of watching angry waters tear their way through obstructions were afforded.

Yet from this scanty source canal after canal was diverted. The first which carried water to the Old Town was abandoned when a move was made. The second was begun as soon as the new townsite was laid out. Committees to begin work on it were named and plans for organized work on it proceeded even before the move to the new townsite. To hasten its completion work was divided into sections and work on all sections began simultaneously. During the winters of 1886 and 1887 the ring of pick on embedded stone, the rattle of loosened gravel and stone as it was hurled from the canal bed could be heard through all the working hours of the day. The shouts and songs of men echoed from hill to hill, lightening the task as crew competed against crew. The zest of rivalry speeded up the race with the season and gradually pushed the canal to completion. With completion there were visions of grains, vegetables and orchards growing on the lots. Seeds and nursery stock were ordered generously from samples shown by a Mr. Clough. Then all waited tense and eager for the shout "water's in." Every ear had been tuned to catch this first sound, and every ditch was ready to carry the precious water to the town lots. Hoarded seeds of potatoes, onions, turnips and cane were ready, and into the ground they went as soon as the cry was sounded. With each seed planted went hope for a speedy germination and a prayer that the precious water would hasten its growth.

But the dry season faced them and before germination had reached a safe stage the people realized what hazards were wrapped up in that one word, "dry." Meager water supply dwindled and parched soil smothered life in many of the seeds. What few hopeful ones broke through the sandy soil had to face both the fierce heat of the sun and the searing blight of winds, the combined onslaught of which wilted tiny shoots. Derisive winds filled the furrows with sand, covered the tiny plants or snapped them off. Persistent colonists cleaned out the furrows, uncovered the plants and coaxed the water to stretch itself to each furrow's very end.