The Glenwood post., 1907-07-20
Concerning Co|orado's Great
Irrigation System Which
Makes State Famous
the World Over
GREAT PROJECTS PLANNED

hSiS aiS o,ffo VI ulICucSy
canals and tunnels in the state.
There are 4,074 miles of laterals.
This means that these bitches,
placed in straight line, would reach
half way around the earth at the
equator. They would be long enough
to reach completely around the United
States-approximately 10000 miles
with enough yet left over to carry the
waters of the Rocky mountains to the
Atlantic ocean. They would stretch
four times acrosss the United States
from Quoddy Head, Maine, to Cape
Flattery, Washington, with still near
ly 1000 miles left over.
Two million eight hundred and thir
ty-six thousand one hundred and thir-
teen-acre feet of water are used in
these systems each year. Could this
water be confined in one huge reservoir
the dams and walls of the reservoir
being built on the boundary lines of
the county of Denver, it would cover
the A 12 square miles of Denver to
an average depth of 90 feet and 8
inches.
would cover the whole state of Della
six Thousand one hundred and thirteen
ware to depth of two feet.
This amount of water spread out
would cover the whole nine hundred
and fifty-ive acres of land that are un.
irrigation in Colorado, or larger area
than the entire safe of Delaware.
There yet remains 1,O4O,9O7 acres OF
land, according to the state engineer s
office that can be placed under irrigs
tion without exceptional cost or labor
This is exclusive of the large tracts of
land which are at present supposed to
be at too high an elevation or too far
from a water source to make irriga
tion practicable
January l, 1907, there were 1851
more miles of irrigation bitches and
5Ol, ,llS more acres of land under irr-
cation than were January |, 1906.
At present there are approximately
200 reservoirs in Colorado wherein wa
ters are impomnded Cor irrigating pur-
poses. 1t is estimated that these reser.
voirs impound 100000 acrefeet of wa
ter all the time.
In the state engineer S Office during
the past year, plans were filed for Oil
more reservoirs, each with a capacity
of from 1000 to 5OO,OOO-acrs feet, the
total capacity claimed being $3.50, ,l5C.
acie feet. Plans have also been filed
for 1878 additional bitches. The car
rsing capacity per second claimed for
these is 179,46l cubic feet.
Since the first of the current year AZ
\ >companies have been incorporated un.
der the state laws for the purpose of
furthering irrigation projects in this
state. These companies have total
capitalization of more than five and
one-half millions of dollars, and each
company has the privilege of mortgag-
ing any and all its assets and to in
crease its capital stock whenever it be-
comes necessary for it to raise more
money to push the project further than
originally planned.
Few people, even in our own Centen-
nial state, realize the magnitude OF
the irrigation systems of Colorado-thc
system that has made it possible for
this great state to enter the list OF
the produce market and to outstrip
other states for the wealth and pres
tige to be gained there.
How successful Colorado fruit and
produce growers have been, thanks to
the irrigation systems which spread, net
like, all over the state, is evidenced by
the fact that scores and hundreds OF
capitalists throughout the country are
anxious and eager to invest theil
money in Colorado irrigating project,
and in taking up land under the Carey
act.
Outsiders have watched the growth
Of Colorado's farming area with some
thing akin to wonder, not understand
ing how she has been able to over
come her world famed dry climate sufi
ciently to prove dangerous rival fol
= even the best farming and fruit grow
ing states Of the Middle West ant