Carlsbad Irrigation Project - View this location on map Carlsbad was one of the most extensive private irrigation projects in the American West, where adquate water supply has always been a concern. In the 1880s, inhabitants of the Pecos Valley constructed several stone dams to form a series of reservoirs that enabled the formerly arid basin to become a rich garden and stock raising area. The present, expanded program is partially under Federal control. North of Carlsbad, Carlsbad, New Mexico Historical

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