Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-08-22
MEASURING THE
ARKANSAS RIVER.
Important Evidence Discovered
by Prof. Carpenter During
tho Late Flood.
A Trcacherous River Bed and Not
Colorado Irrigation Is the Cause
Of q dry Stream in Central
kansas.

Professor Carpenter snd two assistants
from the state agricultural college at Fort
Collins have made an investigation that
will have an important bearing on the
pending litigation between Kansas and
Colorado over the right Of the latter to
authorize the diversion gf water from the
Arkansas within the limits OF this state.
Shortly after the recent food which
swept down the Arkansas Professor Car
pcnter started down the river To follow
the water and ascertain how much Of tho
flood reached tho interinf Of Kansas and
how much was lost in the sands OF the
river bed. Kansas has claimed that
there would be an abunuance Of water in
the river at. for instanes. Wichita II It
were no, diverted in Colorado. On tho
other hand Color ado engineers and 9TH
ers have asserted that eyen IL there were
no irrigation in this state comparatively
little OF the water that originates in Colo
RADIO would roach tho vicinity OF Wichita
Tho reecn, flood gave a good oppor-
tunity to test this mat;sf for II u large
percentage Of great iiood is los, in the
river sands Comparatively little Of the
ordinary flow OF the stream would find
It's way above tho surface to Wichita and
other points in tho interior Of Kansas.
Professor Carpenter's measurements
throw light on this important question.
for he Is thoroughly eompotan, man.
and no has had grca, deal OF experience
in measuring tho flow o' rivers in this
state.
II Is estimated that >: Lamar. above
which point practically all tho Colorado
bitches arc taken out. tho flow at tho
;iino Of tho food In question was about
25.ooo cubic feot per second. Professor
Carpenter caught up with the flood At
Dodge City. Kan. and from ;ha, poin, on
to Arkansas City-whieh Is on tho border
Of oklahoma-hc made measurements Of
tho volume Of the river .: tho food stage.
II Is interesting to observe ;ha; the fow
decreased rapidly af;of the food loft
Lamar. and ,hs; finally a. Arkansas City
I, was only about 500 feet.
A, Lamar under ordinary conditions
during tho irrigating season tho flow
would DO about 1000 feet II no water
were taken out BY urssaiicn. In o'hci
words. tho ordinary flow Of tho river n;
that poin, would bo about oro-oighth
VIVA, !; was during this food. provided
tho Kansas demand ,ha,rriga;ion be pro-
hibi;od were complied with. But tho flow
at Arkansas City was only about one
.if;ie;h tho food al Lamar. and hence !,
would bc only one-hf;ie;h Of tho flow
water going by Lamar whom tho river IS
a. its ordinary stage. This would reduce
tho flow a, Arsansss City to abou, 60 or
20 feet. as far as contributions from
Colorado are concerned.
Tho conclusion IS unavoidable tha,
nearly all tho water that passes ou, o'
Colorado into Kansas is los, in tho sands
before Il reaches the interior Of the latter
state. The food in question was roar
ing torron, when il left Lamar. 1t had
almost entirely disappeared by tho time
it reached Arkansas City. It is therefore
no; irrigation in Colorado. but the char
actor OF the river bed that prevents tho
Arkansas from being a great river bo-
tween Colorado and The Oklahoma lines.
Tho main part OF the water flowing pas,
tho different towns N Kansas has its
source in Kansas itself and not in Colo
rado. and irrigation in this state has little
or no effoe. on the volume OF tho river
below the kansss-Colorado nc.-Donyor
Republican.