The Greeley tribune., 1904-04-07
BY PUMPING
LARGE TRACTS OF LAND CAN
BE IRRIGATED.
Exhaustive Examination of the
Underflow of Water in Arid
Western Weld County
Some Land Buyers.

great American Central West is
wealther in natural coming irriga-
tion pumpage and underflow develop
ment than the western portion OF
Weld county, lying along the line OF
the Denver Pacific branch Of the
Union Pacific railroad-a region
where virgin acres are still to be
counted by the scores Of thousands
where soil is unsurpassed In fertility;
where sheet water deposit is of min
imum depth and underhow streams
Of maximum volume, and where cli-
mate, agricultural and stock growing
conditions are model in character
and muniticent in result.
This reglon-comprising an area
OF thirty miles north and south by
an average of fifteen miles east and
west-haS already entered upon the
enjoyment OF its natural agricultural
birthright, both pumping plant and
underfow water tapping being OF
active initial development.
Seven miles northeast Of Ault,
Whitman & Son late Of Lougmont,
Colo, merchants, are starting home
stock farm consisting of homestead
OF l6O acres, a second leased home
stead and are now negotiating for
the purchase Of railroad land.
The Whitnahs are now arranging
for the putting in OF a gasoline engine
pump which will draw water from a
depth of thirty feet and lrrigate
twenty-five acres of alfalfa, with the
probability of the placing next year
of two more pumping plants of like
character and capacity.
Tom Jones, also in the Aut yicin-
ity, is making marked success of
small tract irrigation under windmill
pumpage with attached reservoirs.
In the town of Ault John Hayden
has a 2SO-foot we'll of semi-artesiar
water from which he supplies the
town itself, lifting the water with
either a gasoline engine or windmill
pump.
At Pierce station f. A. Jones has
a 25-foot we'll from which he pumps
water sufficient TO irriRate seven or
eight acres Of ground, using for
pumping purposes the engine Of his
steam threshing machine. BY suit
able and projected reservoir attach
ments this we'll will be made to
double its present irrigating water
supply and cultivated acreage.
J. and Owen Swope, two miles from
Pierce, have also 25- and 30. foot
wells from which results similar to
those Of the Jones pumpage plant
will be obtained, while John Nix OF
the same vicinity has 3O-foot we'll
of fine future farming pumpage.
Near Dover station Robert Boyd
has reservoired the subterranean flow
of cluster of springs and will lift
the water by pumpage upon consid-
cradle land area for irrigation CROP
page. Near Dover, also, DR.. G. NJ.
Heberton, q prominent sheep owner,
has fine windmill we'll for stock
watering and garden irrigation, and
is now arranging on his home ranch
for an extended tapping Of the under.
flow OF dry surface creek which has
a fall of ten feet to the mile. At a
point where the low banks OF this
dry stream approach within l5v feet
of each other, the doctor will sink a
wide trench from bank to bank with
a depth Of five feet, thus reaching the
bedrock or 'hardpan'' of the creek
itself, pudding the buttom OF the
trench with stiff native clay until
a cement impervious 70 water i.
secured. He will then raise a dixie
of this same clay on the lower edge
Of the trench which will lift the
underfiow thus damned to sufficient
level to feed ditch by which il
will be conducted to large reservoir
site some distance below the dam
from which reservoir the wafer viii
be used in the irriA alton of land or
still lower level. DR.. Hebertor
estimates the maximum cost of the
work at 81 200 and expects to irrigate
from two to three sections CT land.
On the Maynard fats an underf1ow
tapping on the same principle, though
OF much larger proportions than that
vi DR.. Heberton's enterprise, is con.
sidered perfectly feasible. These
flats comprise an area Of about 5000
acres and are underlain at a depth oil
from ten to thirty feet with an un-
derflow Of exhauStess volume and
heavy gravity pressure, while several
miles below them is a level tract OF
at least 25,Ooo acres. BY sinking a
masonry wall at the mouth Of these
flats, this wall resting upon the bed
rock itself, and the building OF an