New Mexico’s limited water sparked ‘Tularosa Ditch War’

by Marc Simmons


Water has always been New Mexico’s most precious commodity. Through history, Indians, Spaniards and Anglos have struggled for possession of the land’s limited water resources. Some were even willing to kill for it.

That was the case in the 1870s and ’80s at the town of Tularosa, situated on the eastern edge of White Sands. The site took its name from the tules (reeds or cattails) growing in marshes about a mile from where the little Tularosa River left its canyon and disappeared in the sands.

As early as 1858, some New Mexicans from the Rio Grande settled here and put in their crops. But before harvest, they were chased out by Mescalero Apaches.

Then, in the early 1860s, a new band of Hispanic pioneers arrived. They were from the Mesilla Valley and El Paso, where a Rio Grande flood had washed away their homes and fields. Wanting a new start and willing to work for it, they founded the community of Tularosa. Other settlers from Socorro soon established the neighboring village of La Luz.

The people built adobe homes, dug irrigation ditches to tap the river and organized a municipal government with an alcalde, or mayor. They also had occasional run-ins with the Mescaleros.

But life was generally serene, and the desert blossomed with orchards and a huge vineyard. Travelers considered Tularosa an oasis.

Trouble loomed on the horizon, however. Anglos began moving into the area, and with them was born competition for scarce water.

Among the first to enter was Joseph Blazer, who had started life as an Iowa dentist and went on to service in the Union Army. In 1866, he acquired an old sawmill up Tularosa Canyon and diverted some of the river water to power the wheel. He was careful, though, to turn it back into the main channel after use so that people below would not be shorted.

Other newcomers were not so charitable. Several farmers occupied lands above Tularosa and placed small irrigation dams across the river, in total disregard of the rights of downstream users.

The leader of the interlopers was Andrew J. Wilson. When Tularosa citizens came up one night and destroyed the offending dams, Wilson assembled work parties and put them right back.

That was too much for the plucky Tularosans, and they launched an attack upon the farmers. Wilson sent an urgent plea for help to nearby Fort Stanton. Lt. John Wilkinson and five men of the 8th Cavalry responded.

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