The Greeley tribune., 1905-10-26
SEVERAL NEW FOREST RE
SERVES IN COLORADO
What Part They Play in Con-
serving the Headwaters Of
Streams Which Rise in
its Mountains

United States department OF agricui-
ture:
THE upheaval of mountain land
forming western Colorado constitutes
the great watershed Of the middle
west.
| The topography of this central
elevated region makes it factor OF
great economic value. Its noun.
tains are the sources of such import
ant streams as the Colorado, the Rio
Grande, the Arkansas, and the north
and South Platte, which, with their
numerous tributaries, supply, to a
large extent, the drainage systems
upon which the surrounding states
and territories depend. Striking
evidence Of the far.reaching infiu-
ence is seen in the fact that the
United States reclamation service
has recently selected various reser-
voir sites on the Grand and .Yampah
rivers, in Colorado. for the storage of
water in connection with irrigation
projects for the reclamation of ex-
tensive areas In southern California,
Nevada and Arizona.
THE government, in its work Of
preserving natural reservoirs, as
forming necessary part of its irri-
cation projects. has recently extend
ed its protection over considerable
portion Of this mountainous area by
the establishment of a number of
forest reserves, for the purpose of
conserving and regulating the stream
flow of the region, and eventually
insuring great flow in certain Of
the streams.
This means that the forest cover
on the tops and slopes of these rug
ged mountains is to be protected,
and used only so far as the preserva-
tion of stream flow and permanent
supply of forest products will allow.
The mountains will now be con-
stantly patrolled, at government ex-
pense. to prevent the further occur
ence of devastating fires. This,
alone, will confer an inestimable
blessing upon all depending upon
this region for wood or water.
The tracts reserved are at too
great an altitude to admit of agri-
cultural lands being included to any
great extent. They consist mainly
of rough, mountain areas, practically
worthless except for their timber,
water. forage and mining wealth.
Withholding rugged areas of this
kind from settlement will not in
terfere with the settling of the state,
because such lands are unsuited to
the purposes of the home-seeKer.
AS their administration by the gov
eminent will, however, eventually
make possible the settlement and de-
velopment of other lands, both in
Colorado and elsewhere, these other
wise waste areas will now be made
to contribute directly towards build
ing up prosperous homes in large sec
tions of the country.
1.-The state of Colorado, in part
cular, will derive much benefit, be-
| cause its irrigation possibilities are
so great. The fact that when the
reclamation work of the government
was undertaken only about 3 pei
cent of the entire land surface Of
Colorado was included in what might
, be termed improved lands, and that
about two thirds of that amount had
been irrigated, led the reclamation
service to devote special attention tc
the feasibility of reclaiming lands
in Colorado. AS result, various
projects are now under considera.
tion which will render cultivable fol
the first time extensive areas
throughout the western portion Of
the state. One of them, the Un-
compahgre Valley project, is already
we'll under way. When it is com.
pleted, sufficient land will be re-
claimable to furnish homes for at
least l, 200 families in the Uncom
pahgre Valley.
THE progress which has already
been made upon these various pro-
jects leaves no room to doubt that
the relation which the government
Is establishing, in Colorado, between
the mountain sides and the valley
lands, is one which means tie agri-
cultural development of large Sec
tions Of the state.
while the forest cover on these
mountains will be made to play this
important role in the irrigation
movement, it is no part of the gov
ernment's policy to withd e W the
reserved lands from general use.
On the contrary, it should be under.