The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-04
Government Report Oh Cache
la POudre Experiences.
INVESTMENT SHOWS
GAIN OF 222 PEP CENT
Advantages Of this SYSTEM OF
irrigation Shown.

erVoirs for the storage of water for If
rigation are strikingly brought out in
bulle,in soon to be issued by the de-
partment Of agriculture, entitled ''The
Reservoir System of the Cache Ia Pou-
Gre Valley" It was prepared by +. s.
Nettleton, under the supervision Of
Profess, Elwood Mead, expert in
charge of irrigation Investigations. This
bulletin describes the Cache Ia Poudre
valley in. Colorado: traces the history of
its developments discusses the water
supply and methods of irrigation prac-
uced, describes in detail the various
storage reservoirs which have been
constructed in the valley and points
out lessons taught by experience there
The average flow of the Cache Ia
POudre river for the month of July for
fifteen years has been $40 cubic feet
per second. il says. The duty OF
water assumed in wateT-right contracts
in this section is eighty acres to Ia
cubic feet per second. OF hfty-fiVe acres
per cubic foot per second. ON this ba-
Sis the average flow for July viii irTi-
gate 1920 acres. The Investigations
of the duty of water. made last year
under the direction of the office of ex-
pertinent stations, show that in the 10
Catities having the same general COndi-
tiOns as this valley, the average depth
of water applied to the land irrigated
entering the headsates of the canal
where measurements were made would
cover the ares. irrigated under these
canals to that 1epth, providing il all
reached the land. Assuming that the
length OF the irrigation season in the
cache la POudre valley is four months,
and that the average nJw of the river
for July is the average fOr the four
months. the natural flow of the stream
would cover TO that depth 62,945 acres.
nails from this stream is at least $4,000
acres.
Reservoirs Cause of Profit.
The profitable cultivation of this
area is made possible largely by the
system o. reservoirs and the exchange
of water which has been developed in
this valley. Ten years only have been
required TO build up the most complete
system of storage in the United States.
This has not been accomplished by a
large expenditure of money, nor be
cause of unusually faNUra bic locations
for reservoirs, nor was it wholly by &C
cident that the people of this valley
took up this line of irrigation develop
ment conditions forced them into il.
They did not wait for the general gov
eminent or the state to build reservoirs
for them, nor did they wait for the
people of some other locality to demon
strate their praCtiCabiiity and financial
success. While this system is by no
means completed. the owners have al
ready reaped much larger rewards than
they expected, reaching into the mill
lions of dollars.
Although the necessity for storage
reservoir" and their utility and benefits
are generally recognized, but few peO-
ple outside of northern Colorado are
aware of what has been accomplished
in that locality by the utilization Of
small things or of the ingenuity dis
PLAYED in making the most of them
There are other localities. not only in
Colorado, but in nearly every one of
the arid states, where the work of these
people can be followed with beneficial
results.
Profit is 222 Per Cent.
The report contains a table which
gives the value of the crop due to the
stored water in the Cache Ia Poudre
valley during the years 1897 and 1900.
inclusive, as S3.063. 0S3. Discussing this
subject, the report says.
The cost of the reservoirs has been
given as S344,600. The figures fin the
table show. then. for the four years,
an annual profit of 222 per cent. This.
however, is not fair statement of the
case IT there were no reservoirs the
land would not have been planted To
potatoes, and would probably have pro-
duced a good crop OF grain or two crops
OF alfalfa, as these can almost always
be matuTed wiki the natural Cow of
the river. What should be considered in
estimating the value of reservoir water
is the difference between the crops ma
tured with stored water and the value
of the crops which could have been
raised without it, This. from the ma
ture of the case, cannot be definitely
estimated The Year Book of the Unit
cd States department of agriculture for
1893 gaNe the average return per acre
for notatoes in Colorado as S462O per
rfs he 90 Va T1srsr
This would show an increased value of
So go Der acre. The expense OF har-
Vcsting potatoes is considerably greater
than that FOR harvesting grain so that
this is not net gain But there Is no
question That potatoes are the most
profitable crop. and there is no ques-
tiou among reservoir stockholders about I
this increase being sufficient 40 make /
the reservoirs a paying investment !
However. exact figures in the matter
are Impossible.
Gives Extra Crop Of Alfalfa.
As has been stated before. the use
OF reservoirs makes sure OF q third
crop of alfalfa. which would be seldom
Obtained without them. No estimates
nave been made of the value of this !
third crop of alfalfa. This crop is not /
usually marketed. but is fed 10 sheep (
at home. IL is estimated that about 1
SOD. 600 head viii be fed i'm the Cache Ia
Poudre valley during the season of /
1qH0-1g01. This means that POO coo tons
ut alfalfa viii be required. approx
mateIy the yield of 10000 acres Of land /
Probably une-fOurth To One-fifth of this 4
alfalfa is raised with late water.
But the value Of these reservoirs to I
The agricultural interest Of the valley [
cannot De measured by che money re-
turns from the crops natured by the :
use of stored water IL las been shown I
that the use of the reservoirs has been
greatly extended by the system Of ex- /
change IL has done away with the I
necessity of building long outlet canals {
for utilizing stored water, and has
probably led To the Improvement of i
sites which would still be unused but
for this method of disposing of water 4
But IL has a TAR better result.
Shows Value of Co-ops alton.
sIt has shown the farmers and canal /
companies the fallacy of the Cut-throatI
policy which they have followed for
years. and has begotten a spirit of CO.
operation. which. If carried over into P
the MANAGEMENT of their canals. viii
increase the efficiency of their water 4
supply more than has been done thus
far by the storage OF water which ran
To waste during the winter and flood
period. To do this would require a
partia! waving OF the rights TO divert
the quantity Of water decreed them
under any and all conditions hereto
fore asserted by most appropriations.
rTzr-9 IA