Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-03-04
FARMING MATTERS.
Utilizing Flood Water.


of Colorado. before the Colorado State |
Realty Association on the subject of
Water Administration In the Arkan-
sas Valley" will be OF general inter
est:
Water is too valuable n source OF
public wealth to permit 10 waste un-
necessarily. Already. in northern Col
orado. stored water has been bringing
an high as Sl4 per cubic loot. per sec
ond. for twenty-four hours. Certainly
IL can not be worth less than that In
this valley. This value may serve to
give u scale To measure the Import
ance Of any step for economy.
In addition to the questions which
are common to all streams. the Arknn-
sas has some OF Its own. or perhaps II
would be more correct to say. II has
some features emphasized so much as
to be almost peculiar to itreli. A large
part Of Its irrigated area is nj consid-
cradle distance from the mountains.
and water for II has to be carried Ions
distances In the bed Of thc stream
even 200 milcs-and guided through the
gauntlet OF the intermediate, gates and
dams. II has no perennial streams af-
ter leaving Canon City. !. has and Will
hayc an unusual number Of troublesome
questions arising from the storage OF
water In the high elevations. While
there arc various others. ] Will pass
them by to emphasize the character OF
It's watershed.
A. none Of the tributaries east OF
Canon City are perennial. We are apt
to think OF the Arkansas m not only
startling. but reaching iis full growth
In tho mountains. hut Of the water
shed In Colorado. only thirteen per
cent lies above Canon City and eighty
seven per cent. between there and tho
state line. or. TO put II In figures. 5000
square miles In above Canon City and
:i.i:t Is tributary below. While the
watershed below Ia not ~ important
arr. for arrc-yct with hv- times the
watershed IL does not need TO br. In
cr!cr to be in the aggregate Of greater
Importance. ~ water does not 'un
on from these sheds except from heavy
rains. the supply east OF tic noun
sainn becomes a question of Hoods and
their utilization. Though uncertain
and difficuit to manage. they arc never
thriea. important as has been shown
by tho experience of the past few ycars.
and with the scarcity of wafer from
the mountains. have been the reliance
of many acres for their supply. The
same flood character pertains To other
;ribataTic. Of the Arkansas In tn.
mountains prup-r-as Texas creek.
Grape creek and Others.
IL Ia manifcs, that the fullest use OF
these resources requires means for
prompt. timely notice of these foods
80 that the administration can have
ample warning aud notify the water
users. There might then be a much
more Intelligent economy Of water.
The importance of these tributaries
may be seen by noting the Watersheds
Of some Of them and remembering that
the mountain shed IL 1900 square
milcs.
oil. or Four Mile crcss. i:i square
miles.
Fountain creek. i.oii square miles.
81 Charles creek. iep square miles.
Hucrafno river. i.ssi square miles.
Apishapa river. i.:sJ square miles
Timpas creek. 7us square miles.
Horse creek. i.:5s square miles.
Adobe creek. ss5 square miles.
Purgatoirc river. 5.tst square miles.
Ruic creek. $50 square miles.
Big candy rrsek. 5.ist square miles.
There arc two tributaries whose
watershed exceed that of the main
Arkansas above Canon City: four
others exceeding leo square miles
each and combined area Of i've times
the poudre watershed. which iTriEatcs
10000 acres.
wish then to emphasize the import
anee of the food water watershed. and
that In order TO utilize this a system Is
needed whereby foods may be known.
their probable amount AMI their dura-
ton. While some attention has been
given to the matter. II has been en-
- r..
pressed desire of some OF the ditchcrs
tha, something Of the Kind be done. and
an offer to meet some Of the expense.
As the question is one which is OF
equal Importance to the whole valley.
have expanded the plan to what
would be a skeleton organization. to
give the information needed by the
water commissioners and division en-
sineers. necessary for the Just distri.
button Of water and TO utilize IL to the
best advantage.
As a whole the system would be to
establish stations on the main river
and tributaries. so that close record
would be had Of the behavior of each
stream. In the mountains the sta
,ions would he on the main river. but
as the reservoir problems multiply. ad-
tjjtional ones on the tributaries-vhere
reservoirs are locatei-vould be
necessary. on the plains. where the
bitches which might be benefited By
floods, are nearer headsstes. warning
stations should be far enough from
the main river to give tventy-four
hours or more warning Reports should
he given by mail. telephone or tele-
graph TO a central Office. Some rain
gauges should be distributed. and
through such means. warnings might
be still earlier These stations should
be located on the Arkansas at Lead
willie. Granite. Saiida. Canon City. Pu-
eblo. Rocky Ford. Fort Lyon canal.
Las Animas. Amity canal and at the
state line. Stations should also be To-
Gated upon the following tributaries:
South Fork. Texas creek. Grape creek