Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-05-31
FARMING MATTERS.
Measuring tn. Flow n, R,v.,.

heai Estate Exchange and the Cham
per OF commerce Il few days since Oh
the subject or Irrigation, and the How
OF rivers. 1t was at the weekly lunch
OF the Real Estate Exchange, and
there was large attendance.
ar. Newell was followed by A. A,
Fellows, the Colorado member of tho
survey, who said that there were thir.
ty-hve experimental stations In Colo
RADIO to determine the amount OF water
In the state.
Mr.. Newell, In the course of his talk,
said:
When We speak OF the minerals OF
Colorado the thoughts turn first 10
Goih. silver. iron, coal or copper; but
thc ihihtf'il OF even greater value In
ihe continued prosperity OF the state
Is one concerning which business men
have given little thought; II, however.
undcrlles all valucS and Is not exhaust
Idle, MS IL the cas-" OF the gold and SILL
Yer. for II cannot bc carried away and
sold. but Is pcrpetually renewed. This
mineral upon which 50 much depcnds
and upon whose conservation rests the
future OF the state, Is water.
The water resources OF Colorado
VIII In future count for more than all
the other minerals combined. But, as
we well know, It Is not unlimited In
quantity. and as various industries de-
Neiop the demand and need OF water
supply rapidly Increases.
The most striking change noted In
n recent visit to the Pacific coast was
the rapid extension OF all Irrigation by
means OF pumping. Much OF the laud
beyond the bitches, although dry on
the surface. is undcrlaIn by great
quantities OF water. which Inns accug.
ulntcd by sccpagc from the adjacent
iiclis. This water Is from ten To nifty
feet beneath the surface. and unless IL
can bc lifted by pumps il vnluclcss.
Wells nrc sunk Into this water and
centrifugal pumps lowered into the
wells: on III. upper end OF the shaft
OF these pumps Is n small electric mo-
tor. Whenever water l. needed u
switch IL turned: the pump at once
begins operation and delivers water to
the land Mt a cost which In many In.
stances II below that paid by land un.
der the gravity canals.
Colorado Possesses all OF III. req.
ulsIics for Success In water storage
and In pumping. aud by following tho
example set by California enormous
areas can H. made productive and fur.
nish opportunity for thousands OF
Ahtt'Ns AH'@E hHtHSHs HHNtNsr. Nu uut
come abou, by chance. hut arr the re-
sui, Of for,housh, and ca~fui plan.
ming ON the part Of business men. II
Is Impossible to start In Mt once nni
realize these IDEAL conditions. for much
preliminary work must L. done. and
In particular facts must IL made
known rs TO the opportunities for wa.
ter storage ani for power develop
n-nt. II il not possible to hcEin work
Mt any point selected by chance nnd
accomplish successful results We
must know the amount OF water
available not only this year. but for
InRny ycars. and plan all Of the work
with rvf-r-nc,' to such knowledge. II
il very easy to make nj the outset n
vital mistake 10y which all OF the labor
and capital may H. sacrificed through
lack Of such knowledge. The history
II enterprises OF this character In this
stat, and elsewhere shows that dcvci.
opmcnt. arr surrounded by uncertain.
ties unless these preliminary facts are
made known.
''Th~s~ vital facts ns 10 reservoir
Sitrs aui rivers arr i-rinE obtained by
the division Of photography Of 'h"
United States geological survey. Their
WORT il distributed from Maine To
v
ALL, /, il possible to do only small
amount of work in each state. The
nmnun, for the whole United States
TnuiI h. well aui economically sirnt
in the state of Colorado alone In fnd.
iur. out the conditions go essential TO
th,, tipluiliing Of the state. The work
shirh has already been accomplished
has tCyn nf rrrat benefit and " has
b.n stated on the authority nf good
busiurss men that Investments nErrc-
eating many millions Of dollars have
I..,n made i'm Colorado because Of the
fnrts nut on rrCor,i 10y this division of
,bc geological survey. Other millions
nigh, have bcrn Invested II the work
had I-cyn carried on more largely In
all rartS II the state. for. although
much has been done. In comparison
with the needs Il sccins insignificant.
AS mn example OF the loss which
comes through lack Of complete knowi.
edge mas bc cited the pending suit IN
,hr SupTrmc Court Of the United States
bc,wrSu Kansas and Colorado. While
,rc cannot predict what course this
sui, will take nor anticipate the re-
sults. yc, IL IL safe 10 assert that
,,asr Of this kind cannot have stand.
ing excepting through Ignorance OF the
nhysiral conditions. The attempt VIII
,io,b,I.<s H. made to show that the
,iiyrrsiou nf water in Colorado has n.
shifted In dryin. Of the Arkansas river
nt certain seasons Of the year. but u
measurements had bccn riadc show
ING the actual condition or the stream
through ten years or more and the ac-
tunl Influence Of irrigation In Colorado
ON The river. IL is hardly conceivable
that such n suit would bc brought.
From the measurements when nave
bccu madC on Arkansas river and sur
VOWS of reservoir sites. II Is safe to
nsscr, ,hn; with complete water con
scryn,inn such as IL possible. the rights
Of nli persons in Kansas and Colo |
rnJc could I've protected and the pop |
ulation along the river greatly IN.
creased" <
From i.1gnnyO to 2,spn.6no Oregon |
.hcrn Willis fc,l on the ranges east OF the |
HDcEv mountains this summer 9. J.
Miller. sIrcrp agent of the Oregon Rail- |