Bent County register., 1888-12-08
IRRIGATION.

gestion Of the Committee of the Blu.
reau OF Immigration of the Chamber
of Commerce, 1 beg leave through
your columns to refute an impress
sion prevailing in this state, and to
wide extent throughout the east,
that the ordinary capacity supply of
the streams of Colorado for irrigation
Is already quite exhausted, and that
service TO. any considerable incrcas.
ed irrigation area must be supplied
BY the utilization of the swollen ex-
cess IN flood time, and by storage
during the non irrigaiing season.
This impression is very erroneous.
That it has obtained is, ;hink, as.
cribable to the fact that the South
Platte, ike all the streams nearest
Denver and in northern Colorado, is
fully appropriated when dry season
such as the past one reduces its sup
ply of water 10 4 minimum, and when
additional storage facilities are not
considered. The agitation of the re-
seryoir question by the press and BY
our representatives IN Congress while
the Federal appropriation for that
object WAS pending. probably ac-
counts for The idea abroad.
There are not lesr than 100000
acres of fertile land suitable for gen
erid agriculture unimproved, under
irrigating canals, large aud small, al
ready built in thus state. There are
5 100000 additional acres which can
b. bruugh: under canal service at an
average cost per acre not exceeding
that now irrigated. Careful investl-
CATION will remove skepiicism on
lhis point. The resources of the
great Arkansas district are almost
untouched. The San Juan country
IN south-western Colorado, an empire
in itself, is wholly undeveloped. The
Gunnison and Grand river sections
are in their veriest infancy, aud the
opportunities Of the upper Grand,
the White. Yanpah and their tribn-
tiries are absolutely untouched.
And, besides, suppose and econom-
ic storage were employed here such
aS in Madras. India, for instance,
where one fifth of the surface of the
rountry is covered by artificial reser-
voirs, added TO the correspondingly
-killful use of water, what immeasur.
able results would follow.
No, Mr.. Editor, there need be no
apprehcnsions as regards the present
supply of water for irrigation in this
st,te as a whole; but we need more
people to occupy and improve the
irrigable districts. Our system of
agriculture is the most inviting in
the world, taking into consideration
irrigation with soil, climate, variety
of productions. local markets and
ch cap land But our valleys remain
unimproved. Outlying towns and
counties grow slowly. Investments
IN the great irrigation systems unre-
munerative. The mining resources
and manufacturing interests develop
disapppointiugly; and all
Colorado has only 100000 people In
stead of twice that pumber to-day i,
should have. 1t cannot be expected
that private enterprise can or should
assume the burden of advertising the
resources of AN entire state. If oui
railroads had receiyed valuable land
subsidies, self-interest would prompt
the same enterprise here which ha'
done SO much for Kansas, Nebraska
Iowa, Dakota and the northwest.
The state has done nothing to Sc
cure immigration, although it own,
in the aggregate, immense bodies oi
land. Suppose single syndicate
had an interest, direct and indirec
within this state equal to that which
Colorado itself has, what AN univer'
sal ouicry would he raised if no more
effort were made to advertise it,
property, induce immigration, and
thus promote the interests of all
The great agricultural htate and ter
ritories on the east of US had but !
single fact to proclaim, viz; tha
their lands would make farms; afft
vet millions and even tens OF millioni