The daily sentinel., 1906-07-21
OLD TINIER.s OPINION.
Interesting Facts os TO Amount OF
Water in Mesa and Hannah
Creeks as Told by For
mer Water Commits
sioner.

W. w. MORRISON, well known IN the
city. is one of the old time resi-
dents of the county. He knows every
foot of Hannah Creek and Mesa
Creek having resided on Hannah
creek for eighteen years and having
been employed as water commission
er four years. He has taken many
measurements of Hannah Creek and
consequently has views as to the
amount of water in the streams in
question are entitled to much
consideration.
This morning a representative of
the Sentinel had talk with Mr.. Nor
rison who removed from his ranch
in the Hannah Creek country a short
time ago and has taken up his resi-
dence in Grand Junction.
Mr.. Morrison was asked if the
statement that some advance, that
there is as much if not more water in
Mesa Creek than in Hannah creek, is
well founded.
In reply he declared that it was
not. Mesa creek certainly hasn't
near as much water as Hannah Creek
for | am acquainted with both
streams and know what am talk
ing about and other people that know
will back me up in what say Why
l don't believe that Mesa Creek has
much more than half as much water
as HANNAH creek. The head water
commissioner told me that he had
measured the water in Mesa creek
during the dry season and found il
frequently as low as 240 inches and
ranchmen who live on or near the
creek have told me that it has often
got down below 24O inches. Mesa
creek gets pretty low at times /
tell you"
frbpr NJ. ATnrrfe,,, ,,r,.. .,1-..l H..
the supply in Kannah Creek and he
declared that there was no question
tion but that there was more than
enough water in that stream to sup
ply town many times larger than
Grand Junction.
Il have lived on Hannah creek
for over eighteen years and for four
years | was water commissioner and
looked after the water in that stream
therefore ought to know what am
talking about. There is always plen-
ty of water in that creek. Way up
the creek among the cedars, from
which point l understand the water
will be- taken if it is decided to get
Hannah creek water there never has
in dry season or when the water was
at its lowest, been less than $50 or |
coo inches of water When Fred
Halbour was head water commits |
sioner he put a weir in the stream at |
that point in dry season and found |
that there were 600 inches of water. |
| understand that measurements have
been made since this mountain water |
question come up that show that
there is as much water running in the |
creek now as several years ago when
a was water commissioner.
Il heard that some were saying |
that the water in Hannah creek got
as low as 800 inches, III explain |
that, down near the mouth of the |
creek where the priority rights be- |
gin the water has measured as low |
as 81 inches but this was way below |
where they expect to take the water |
from the creek for Grand Junction |
and has no bearing at all on the mat
ter. Never did it run anywhere near |
as low as 800 or even 400 inches up |
the creek. am certain that the I
town can bank on at least 600 inches
of water at all times. OF course in
high water season the creek runs lots
of times 1 900 inches and more"
Mr.. Morrison says that there is no
water dogs or wigglers in Hannah
creek and that the water is always
of fine quality way up the stream
especially. He states that no water
runs into Hannah creek from reser-
voirs only in high water season, that
there are no reservoirs right on
Hannah creek but up on Grand Mesa.
This old timer believes that be-
tween Mesa Creek and Hannah creek
there is no question of choice Kan
nah creeks supply being so much
greater than that of Mesa Creek.