Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-01-12
THE MoNTEzuMA VALLEY.

This valley is an irregular basin
about 35 miles long and from five to 5
miles in width. embracing an area OF
about $50 square miles II is encir-
cled by lofty mountain ranges with
open approaches from the south and
west It's surface is undulating with
occasional rocky points and ridges.
and in places broken by natural water
courses; but for the most part lying
admirably for irrigation. Al the
southern end OF the valley is the Az
tee divide. which is a gradual slope
separating the drainage of the Nc
Elmo canon from that OF the San Juan
river.
| Lying to the south of this divide
there are about 300 900 acres of beau
| tiful agricultural land which is now
| included in the Ute and Navajo In
dian reservation. In the Montezuma
valley proper there are about 100. 900
acres now covered and lying under
| system OF approximately l25 miles of
canals used for irrigation and fur
ther extensions of this system will at
no distant date cover the large area
| of desirable lands lying to the south
| of the Aztec divide
Portions of this beautiful valley
have been under cultivation for the
past IL years, Prior TO that time il
was terra incognita to all save cow
! boys and Indians and a few adven-
turers and explorers Hundreds and
perhaps thousands of years ago n
dense population occupied this valley
i a ha
rude way cultivated the fertile lands.
The settlers of today will find the
slowly crumbling walls of deserted
mound and cliff dwellings, scattered
arrow heads, stone implements. earth.
en- pottery and curiously wrought fab
rics, water reservoirs and traces of
irrigating bitches. and even the we'll
| preserved skeletons of his historic
| predecessor; but no records are found
of his coming or the tragedy of his
| departure, Whether Aztec, Toltec or
Indian his history will forever remain
unwritten and can only be imperfectly
deciphered from the dumb relies that
strangely survive. many of which.
! like a ruined fortress. with towers.
| ramparts and bastions-an astonish-
ing sight-and all in a prefect state
OF preservation. alone remain to al
test the glories OF a once great and
powerful race
The Dolores river which supplies
this valley with water for irrigation.
rises in the San Miguel mountains
and flows in a southerly direction un.
Ill 1t reaches what is known as the
Big Bend" about two miles below
| the town OF Dolores. The river then
turns sharply to the northwest, flow
ing through rugged and precipitous
canons until it joins the Grand river
so miles above its junction with the
Green The Dolores river is one OF
| the important streams of southwest
| ern Colorado. and rising as it does in
| the lofty submits of grand mountains
of grand mountain ranges, it has a
| long continued and reliable flow of
water.
The homeseeker with sufficient
means to purchase we'll selected
! lands need look no further than Mon
tezuma county for ground-foor prop
osiuons which. In a few years. will
have proven good investments as well
as homes, for MonteZuma county has
he climate. the soil and the water to
make veritable Garden of Eden. and
what 1t needs is more men and money
with variation of altitude of from
$500 to $500. all kinds of hardy and
semi-tropical growth. wheat, oats. |
rye, barley, corn. alfalfa, vegetables. |
fruit and vine products are produced. |
Owing to cold spring and lack |
OF snowfall the acreage sown to spring
grain was only about one-fourth the /
usual amount this year More spuds |
We're planted than usual and the crop
was line, with the largest yield in say-
eral years. Grain yielded well on ac-
count OF July rains and more oats
were sown than wheat. The alfalfa
crop was not nearly up to the stand.
ard but made about two tons and a
half to the acre. More fall wheat was
harvested than for years, the grain
was OF fine quality and brought
*l,75 per hundred weight. Timothy
and wild hay proved a disappointment
on account Of the dry spring weather
and late start, for rains did not
come until July. Fruit was generally
very good, with enough irrigation to
mature the crops.
The future outlook for the Monte
yuma valley is particularly encourag.
ing. Recently the property holders {
voted almost unanimously in favor of
Issuing half million dollars in bonds
FOR the creation of new irrigation c
district in the Montezuma valley with I
I canal considerably higher up than '
he old system. that will quadruple c
he acreage available for irrigation. I
rhe plans include series OF immense e
storage reservoirs in which to hold
he water of the flush snripp uopths