Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1902-08-22
WORK FOR BEAVERS
PLAN TO UTILIZE THEIR DAMS.

Believes that Beaver Dams Can be
Made Valuable a. Irrigation Reser.
underestimate that One Beaver
viii Do as Much Work as Man.
Among the many waiting 10 see +. H.
Newell. the chief OF the geological sur
vey, who IL expected here this week to
look over the Colorado field with u
view to the establishment OF national
irrigation works, is Charles W. Harris.
Colorado game and fish commissioner.
says the Denver Republican OF July
10th. Mr.. Harris has II plan which he
believes Will spread the benefits OF
government aid over the entire Rocky
mountain region.
III the government will spend about
H,OOO.OOO year In the propagation
and distribution OF beavers. there will
he plenty OF water In every stream
that comes down through the mountain
valleys to the plains" said Mr. Harris
last night.
1.-THE beaver IL an interchangeable dam
builder. With trees and stones and
mud he throws barrier across n
stream. which will resist the floods OF
spring, and all through the summer
holds suspended several thousand gal
Ions OF water. This water IL slowly
seeping out through the bottom OF the
stream, under the dam, keeping the
How constant all through the summer.
All summer. too. the beaver IL nj work,
making the dam thicker and higher
and stronger. Now, II you have 1000
beavers nj work In n stream. building
dams, the amount OF water which Will
be stored altogether will be enormous.
And In the dry season, nll this water
goes down the stream. \ small trlcklc
may be coming down ut the head OF u
chain OF beaver dams. or there may liz
no water mt all. but below the chain Of
ponds you will ind strong dow OF
water.
Years ago there were millions OF
beaver In the mountains OF Colorado,
and no one ever complained Of short.
age OF water then. but the value OF
their pclts doomed them to destruction.
There ~ n sufficient number OF the an.
finals left to form the basis OF u com.
prchcnsivc scheme for rcplenisilng the
supply. Let the government start
beaver farms. AMI let II provide also
for tho protection OF the beaver dams
and tho colonies along the streams. and
II need not he long before there are
beavers ut work In every valley. Many
Of the mountain valleys. which wcr2
once q succession OF grassy meadows.
maui by tNr hFINftr. utt now HtN
gorEcs. and the fertile soil. which
backed In behind tho dam has all been
washed away again. To establish n
now colony In the new surroundings
would require ihnt the beavers bc fed
until they had framed their own chvir.
onmcnt. 80 to speak. and had the rootN
OF PUSHES To fall back upon for u winter
diet. But if the beavers were propn.
gated ON beaver farm. they could
easily bc trained TO subsist on alfalfa
or potatoes. Human aid might also bc
extended. to n degree. In the building
OF their dams. To assure their strength.
This done. the beaver would attend To
the rrst.
II estimate that each beaver will do
A. much work In q year ~ man
could do In building dams nni storing
water. Now II would not cost morc
than $40 \ head to raise the beaver.
Their working life IL abou, ten years.
80 for $50 the government can dupii.
cate for ten years tho work II man.
They can show no such result fsom
any other plan that has been suggest.
cd. that ! have heard Of"
Mr.. Harris IL having large number
Of photographs taken Of the beaver
colonies. which s,iii remain In the
state. showing how the water supply
IL conserved. and he IL collecting also
the testimony Of the men living along
the streams which were once AWAY.
flowing. but which have formed the
habit OF drying up since the beavers
were cxtcrminatc,i. lie believes he can
make q convincing showing. and that
his plan. which ON the face Of II may
look chimcricai. will In the cpi appeal
strongly TO the minds OF the govern.
meat experts.