The daily sentinel., 1908-01-09
What the Canal Means

4 There is ho enterprise proposed for
toe general good of the whole people
of the Grand Valley. which abounds
in such glorious possibilities as the
construction of the High Line canal,
named by the government in their
surveys as the Grand River Pro-
ject.''
The construction of this mighty ir-
rigation enterprise, which would
bring under cultivation seventy CO.
000) thousand acres of the richest
lands in the world, has been the coz
gtant hope and dream of the people
of this city and valley for more than
a decade. Unsuccessful efforts have
been made during that period to Sc
cure its construction. but at the pres
ent time the prospect of its being
built by the national government
seeing nearer of realization than ever
lefnre in the history of the enter
prise.
To those unfamiliar with the pro-
ject and the resulting benefits which
wonic come with its construction.
short outline of where ard how Il
will be built, will not lie Tut of place
H. tits article.
a mighty river-The Grand, with
d larger volume of water flowing
down. its channel. than the waters of
al the rivers of the eastern slope
ccn.h.ued, flowing from The Rocky
Mountains in Colorado, sweeps ever
lastipgly through this valley, afford
ing ali abundance of water at all sea-
4 As ..f the year for this largest pos
sible scheme of irrigation.
The waters of this river enter the
valley from the mouth of the canon
of the Grand River, at point twel-
We miles east of this city and about
two miles east of Palisnle.
F.m this river, water has been
taken 10 supply several gravity ditch
es and two large pumping plants
which supply all the water used for
Irrigation in this valley ut the pres
ent tine. Notwithstanding the great
quantity of water taken from the
river to supply irrigating plants,
there is no noticeable diminution of
the waters of the river, or that there
need ever be any uneasiness of a
lack nf supply of water for any en-
terpr.se.
h0nve these irrigated lands, there
is a large territory of land, not now
Nj, frnn
any plant constructed. These lands
lie close to the Book Cliff range of
mountains and are just as rich in
the character of the soil. as any 9th
er :ards of the valley. These lands
begin rear the mouth of the canon
ard run in an ever increasing width
Of territory to be irrigated for Il
81 ach of at least fifty or sixty miles,
westward toward the Wasatch range
of mountains in Utah.
A very careful estimate of the
lands that would be reclaimed places
the acreage at 10000. If these VOL
derfully rich acres were planted FOL
orchards as they would be, ten acres
being allotted to a family. 1t would
approximately furnish livlihood to-
five 10000 thousand families and
placing the number of each family at
five persons, would support popula-
tion of not less than twenty-five
thousand people.
When it is considered that irrigated
lands have increased In value from
$500 to So, 500 per acre. the average
reader can well see what an impetus
would be given this whole section of
country and how wonderfully rich
per capita it would make every in
habitant of the Grand Valley.
At no time has interest in the pro-
ject been allowed to lapse. At times
the matter has been left to rest for a
sb(E period, but watchful eye has
beef kept open for opportunity to
advance the scheme to secure the
construction of the canal.
The Chamber of Commerce of this |
city has been the focal point around
which all effort to interest the gov-l
ernment in the construction of the
ANAL has centered. Agents of this
body have made close Investigation
from time to time of our chances to