Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-11-17

engineer, maze the surveys and esti.
mates
And at the request of the members
OF the city council has recently made
a revision of such estimates. 1t is
stated thai all estimates are maximum
and after very careful consideration
1t is believed that the work can be
done quite within the limits of the pro.
posed bond issued.
question No 3--Will any arrange
ment for Florida water interfere with
the farmers along that stream who
nave bitches. or the homesteaders
who located under promise of water?
Answer to question No. 3-The stor-
age of Florida waters at the head of
the stream cannot in the least inter
fere with the existing adjudicated
rights in the river or in any sense
work hardship on any of the farmers
along the stream, but on the contrary.
The storage of large bodies of water
at the head of the river will at all
tunes have tendency to augment the
natural flow of the stream and in
| times of shortage of water during
the dry season it is not unlikely that
| the city. having an excess supply in
storage would give to the farmers
such water as was necessary for de-
nestle purposes and irrigation of gar
den tracts.
At the present time no rights have
been disposed of or promised In the
storage reservoirs, therefore, no home
steader would be injured by reason of
tho cola Of !, l.,
city of Durango and a suffic
amount of water has been reserved to
the Florida canal to amply cover all
existing contracts or obligations and
by such reservation storage supply
will be developed on the Lower Flori-
ia mesa which will add very largely
20 the area of cultivated land tribu.
tary to Durango.
Question No. What rights. if any.
beyond the priority purchased, direct
will the city own by title, and what
the title?
Answer to question No. 4-The title
TO the reservoirs and sites has been
secured from the United States land
Office, in the Office OF the clerk of La
Plata county. and in the office of the
state engineer of Colorado. of such
maps, plats, field notes and original
lraclngs as are required by the regu-
.ations OF the department of the in
terror and by the rulings of the local
land office. All requirements have
been strictly complied with and there
is no question but that perfect legal
title to these reservoirs rests in the
present owners, so far as it is possi-
BILE under such rulings TO perfect
title and good and sufficient deed for
all rights of storage and rights of way
will be granted to the people should
the people vote for gravity system
Of water works.
Question No. 5-Does the bonded
proposition mean that the Animas riv.
n is TO remain a sewer for mill-tailings
to the detriment of the valley farmers
upon whom we depend for produce
and trade?
Answer to question No. 5-By reso-
iution of the city council the city at
'orney has been authorized to bring
suit against the mills of Silverton and
also against the city of Silverton and
.eason been instrumental in the pol
luton of the stream known as the Ami
mas river and from which source the
ity of Durango now derives its sup
ply for domestic use.
Question No 6-The prices in de
tail for reservoir and reservoir sites,
ranches and priority secured by ranch
purchase. Prices in detail and not in
bulk.
Answer to question No 6-The four
mountain reservoirs referred to in de
tail in answer TO question No. 1, to-
gether with the 10 cubic feet OF wa
ter per second of time are as hereto
fore stated, under purchase at $780, 900
In addition to these reservoirs and
water rights there are two ranches
comprising no acres OF valley and up
land on the Lower Florida river
These lands and water rights are un-
der option to purchase at $4,000.
For the necessary conduits from the
Florida river to the city reservoir with
carrying cdpacity of 10 cubic feet
per second OF time the cost has been
carefully estimated by competent en-
cheers at S2S,0OO.
For the necessary embankments.
dams and spillways to complete a
| city reservoir on what is known as
| Reservoir Mesa near the present
! city reservoir), with a capacity of
lS3.000,000 gallons of water, the cost
has been estimated at 100000.
For the necessary connections and
| pipe lines from the proposed new city
reservoir to the present distributing
system of the city the cost has been
estimated at $l3 5000.
All of the above estimates are in
tended to cover all engineering charg-
es and incidental expenses.
+! Question No. Can water be legal
| ly diverted from the Florida water
shed to the Vallecito?
| Answer to question No. 7-The su-
preme court has repeatedly decided
that THE right to water acquired by
priority of appropriation is not in any
way dependent upon the place of its
application" That such rights are
property which may be sold separately