The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-09-06
Farms for One Hundred Thou.
sand People Where Once
Was Desert.
CONSERVATION OF RAINFALL
Progress of the Reclamation of Semi
Arid Lands in the West-How
the National Domain Is
Being Developed.

the common, crops. OF such desert
lands there are millions of acres in
the United States In the midst of
this American desert, or semi-arid
region, are the Rocky Mountains. In
the winter these mountains are the
scene Of frequent heavy storms and
the snow accumulates many feet deep
Oh the tops of the ranges and in the
innumerable canyons. These iEmense
snow banks furnish the water for the
great rivers, which flow easterly,
westerly and southerly to the great
oceans and the Cuffs OF California and
Mexico.
From the rivers of the Rocky
Mountain country and their tribu-
taries the waters are now being di-
verified to make the desert country
more habitable and to furnish new
opportunities for people who wish to
engage in farming and fruit culture.
Irrigation is not new thing but
has been >practiced since before the
dawn of history in many of the old
est countries. The prehistoric inhab-
itants of the Americas were irrigating
farmers. But the Caucasian race i'll
North America is learning anew the
art Of irrigation and applying the
waters most happily to the parched
plains of many states.
One Of the largest enterprises ever
undertaken by private capital in irri-
CATION is the system which will furnish
homes and living for at least 1OO,-
600 people in the country between
Denver and Greeley, in Colorado. r.
rigation has long been practiced in
this region, but the canals have been
small, the storage capacity meager
and much of the water has been al
lowed to run to waste. The purpose
Of the new project is to correct the
faults Of the past and to save and
distribute the water so as to bring
the greatest benefit to all, Some eight
or nine old canals and nine reservoirs
have been combined under the man
agement of the Denver Reservoir IT.
rigating company and now the crown
ing work is to be done in the con-
structiOn of the largest dam in the
world.
The building of this reservoir is
necessary in order to increase the
water storage capacity of the system.
A small valley about three miles long
in which are now about dozen farm
buildings and a school house, will in
two years be the bottom of a lake
The lower end Of the valley will be
stopped by an artificial barrier 142
feet high and a mile and a quarter
long. Through the base the dam will
be $50 feet thick and at the top 20
feet across In order that the founda
ton may be secure and to prevent the
Seepage of water, cOre-Wall OF
cement will be constructed. This will
be sunk through the earth and sand
stone which underlie the valley, to a
layer of impervious shale. This core
wall will be nine feet thick and will
be carried we'll above the natural sur
face Of the ground, so as to supply
the necessary anchorage for the dam.
The construction of this dam will
engage the attention of one of the
largest contracting firms in the Uni
ted States. J. G. White & Co., Of New
York. For months the engineers have
been on the ground making measure
ments OF every sort. Test borings
were made to the number of 125 to
learn the depth at which rock was
to be found and to ascertain the char
acter Of the foundation beneath the
proposed lake. Stream measurements
have been made on all the creeks that
will contribute to the waters of the
new lake and plans made for their di-
version.
Several streams of large flow Will
supply the water for the system One
of these is Clear Creek. famous "a
the stream on which gold was first
discovered in Colorado, and along
whose banks valuable workings are
still producing the precious metal
Another is South Boulder Creek, :
stream Of large and continuous flow.
Five other creeks, all flowing from
the eastern slope OF the Rocky Noun
tains, will augment the volume in the
new lake for farm irrigation.
Another bold project in conneC1oo
with this enterprise is the boring OF
a tunnel 1900 feet long through the
comb of the continental divide for the
diversion of water from the western
slope to the lands north of Denver.
Wing bitches about twenty-five miles
north and south from the western
portal of this tunnel will intercept the
waters of eight streams and carry
them through the mountains to the
eastern slope. The water thus gath.
cred will be sufficient to irrigate 1OO.-
600 acres.
The money for these great works
is being supplied by Chicago bank
ing house which has already done
great things for irrigation by placing
the securities issued for the construe-
ton of important irrigating works.
The land to be reclaimed is all of
a wondrously rich and valuable char
c,,I - fain