A Salt Lake

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-47423994-1', 'fortunecity.ws'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <center> <br> <div> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=728&height=90"></script> </div> </center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04100500dvldtc.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>ESTANCIA VALLEY NM</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ESTANCIA VALLEY NM"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MY VALLEY"><U><B><IMG SRC="0440e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"><B>     </B><A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Another Ranch"><U><B><IMG SRC="0430e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>  </B><A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stanley Cabins"><U><B><IMG SRC="0450e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="042d2c00dvldtc.gif"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> A Salt Lake</div> <div> <IMG SRC="21932740.jpg" border=0 width="562" height="372" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Estancia Valley</B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" > is deep in geologic history, and this is part of it.  Perhaps 250,000</FONT></div> <div> years ago, this valley was connected to what is now the Gulf of Mexico, and was under</div> <div> water.  Shifts in the land masses separated this valley from the ocean, leaving behind </div> <div> a huge but relatively shallow, lake of salt water.  </div> <bR> <div> Some 10,000 years ago the droughts began to take the water, leaving behind the salt.  The</div> <div> lake dried up, mostly, but left  perhaps 15 small salt lakes like this one.  And they are VERY</div> <div> salty.  Most of them, before the snows come, look like white mush, and that is just about </div> <div> what they are.  This photo, though, shows one with water, and with snow on the ground around</div> <div> it.  </div> <bR> <div> The Manzano Mountains to the west were once nearly 20,000 feet high.  Over the years, </div> <div> wind and moisture erosion reduced them to today's 9,000 feet, and the dirt blown off</div> <div> them settled into the valleys of the Great Plains, and especially in this valley, covering</div> <div> the salt lakes to depths of 20-50 feet, and in places, more. </div> <bR> <div> Today wells drilled in the area may run into pockets of salt, rendering them useless.  But </div> <div> it is very spotty.  At my ranch, the house well is clear and tasty water.  But 150 yards away</div> <div> a well pulls in water that is not suitable for drinking.  A half mile to my west, an abandoned</div> <div> cabin stands as testimony to a totally unusable well.  </div> <bR> <div> Eventually the water table underground will drop enough that salt drains will occur, and all</div> <div> the wells will turn salty.  The solution for those who must live here then will be to either drill</div> <div> extremely deep wells, 500 - 1,000 feet, or to obtain water some other way, such as by</div> <div> hauling it in on trucks or tanks mounted on trailers.   Some say the water leve has </div> <div> dropped 50 feet in four years.   Each time we turn on the faucett we wonder, will this be </div> <div> the time there is no water? </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>