The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-21
TUNNEL FOR WATER
Uncle Sam Will Spend $4,000, 900
Tapping the Gunnison River
in Colorado.
A Huge Project That Will Make the
Uncompahgre Valley Great
Garden Place.
From a STAFF Correspondent.

Garden race.
From STAFF Correspondent.
Ogden, Utah, Sept. 19.-In a paper. read
before the recent national irrigation con-
gress, in session here, by A. L. Fellows Of
the geological survey, many interesting
| facts were detailed regarding the Gunni-
son river project. in Colorado, the largest
except the Salt river, in Arizona, Of the
five reservoir and irrigation projects Sc
lected by the national government for inn
| mediate development. What is true in
the Gunnison country as to private owner
ship of lands to be irrigated, will be true
wherever the government undertakes irri-
cation work, and so a statement Of the
| situation there will be Of general in-
| terest
| Less than quarter of century ago
the greater part Of western Colorado was
occupied by the Uncompahgre Utes, and
from them the Uncompahgre river and
valley. peak and plateau have derived
their names. The first authentic informa-
ton we have concerning this region is
| obtained from the report Of the explora-
| ton of Captain J. w. Gunnison of the
Typographical engineering corps of the
government who was sent out to make
investigations regarding the feasibility Of
a railroad from the Mississippi river to
the Pacific This was in 1853 the au-
thorization for the expedition having been
made by Jefferson Davis then secretary
of war Captain Gunnison discovered the
river which now bears his name, and at
! the end Of five months work, he was
kill by the Indians.
The next definite knowledge is fur
nished by reports of surveys made by
Professor F: V. Hayden, whose men sur
veyed the region in 1873 and 1874 His re-
| of tho oI,o ~ ~.
country. .>Et ......"
IT. First White Settlements.
In 1881 the Indians were removed from
this valley, and settlement by the whites
soon began. Many costly mistakes were
made by the early settlers, who labored
under the mistaken theory that there was
an inexhaustible supply of water in the
Uncompahgre river They were marked
by abandoned homes and farms thru a
course of years Of hardship and suffering.
| Then residents of the valley noted that
the Gunnison river, carrying large VOL
ume OF water unused to the sea, was flow
ing parallel with the valley at a distance
Of only a few miles from it's principal
towns. They then began to talk about
irrigating the valley from the Gunnison,
irrigation from the Uncompahgre having
proved a dismal failure. AS early as
1890 some study was given the subject,
| eilu> III 4o5f dllu 1850 Investigations were
made by F. G. Lauzon, who demon
strated that the Gunnison river was high
enough SO that it would be possible by
means Of tunneling to divert its waters
into the Uncompahgre valley.
Exploring the Grand Canon.
From time to time exploring parties en-
deavored to penetrate the mysteries OF
the grand canon. Denver & Rio Grande
engineers traversed it for one-third its
length in 1884, but lost all their instru-
ments and had to climb out over the steer
crags. Another party made the attempt
on the ice, in sledges, but gave it up after
going six miles. Residents of the I'm.
compahgre valley also made the attempt
with somewhat greater success, but with.
out going all the way.
i < Meanwhile, ever since 1890. officers OF
the photographic division of the geological
survey had had their eyes fixed upon this
locality. For several years, commencing
with 1895, stream measurements were
made at various points, both on the I'm.
compahgre and the Gunnison, for the pur.
pose of ascertatning the flow Of these
streams with reference to future develop
ment. In 1900 direct efforts were made
by the geological survey to develop the
possibilities by surveys, and work wa.
commenced in June, 1901. Mr.. Fellows
was in charge of 1t, and it demonstrated
lthese facts
First-That the Gunnison river was higf
enough to water practically the entire I'm
compahgre valley.
IF Second-That every part of the river
could be reached at low stages, so tina
it was possible to make detailed SURVEYS
+ Thfrd-That dam sites and sites for the
development Of power were so numerous
, that there would be no difficulty In con
STRUGGLING whatever head works might BIZ
, needed.
In the fall of 1901 the strata that would
, be penetrated by the proposed tunnel were
examined, 1t having been ascertained tina
a tunnel six miles long would irrigate thu
entire Uncompahgre valley.
Project VIII Be Pushed. 49,.
The work was continued after the pas
sage of the irrigation act, and in tn,
spring Of this year the secretary of the in
terror selected the Gunnison as one of tn,
2 five large projects to be first developed b,
government aid. The state Of Colorado
which had appropriated a small sum TO-
independent work, has now Joined will
the government, and the project is to b,
pushed rapidly
Owing to the fact that so large a por
ton Of the territory to be irrigated il
necessary for those owning lands in tn
Uncompahgre valley to form an assoca
ton to unity the various agricultural in
terests Of the valley and make it possible
for the government to construct this worl
with the assurance Of cooperation of tn
people and the necessary guarantees a
to the return of the money expended
this being essential under the terms Of tn
irrigation law. The people of the vale,
enthus iastically took hold of the work
and an association has been farmed. TIL
articles of incorporation provide for 100, 90
shares of stock, assessable up to s25 pc
share, it being estimated that $4,000, 90
will be sufficient for the completion Of tn
project. Over $4,000 shares have alread,
been subscribed, most Of it by those VIII,
, will need the water least. This is becaus
the land which still remains desert i
, owned by non-residents, who do not an
! preciate the benefits which the Gunnisol
project will confer upon them. 1t is ex
. pected that the actual work Of construc
, ton will soon begin.
The Uncompahgre valley is very fer
!. tile. Approximately 900 acres Of j
will be irrigated by the Gunnison project
!. and will grow the choicest apples, plums
peaches and similar fruits, as well a
, kinds of hay and grain The altitude
: $500 feet. About no. of the ITS 90
acres have passed into private ownership
, Three Hundred Per Cent Profit.
After the tunnel has been cut thru tn
t mountain, a distributing system OF som
eighty or ninety miles OF canal will b
, constructed to bring the water to tn
{ farming land. The expenditure of $500,
, 600 by the government will add more tina
SO 600 400 to the wealth IF tho ooN,+r.,