The Glenwood post., 1908-08-01
Gigantic Scheme to Tap Eagle
River and Nearby Streams
to Benefit Eastern Slope
WEST SHOULD PROTEST

the eastern side to appropriate and di-
vert the waters which have their
source west of the great continental
divide is a matter of more than or
dinary importance to this section of
the state.
Frequently during the past few years
have reports been circulated to the eff
feet that steps were about to be taken
to divert large volume of water from
the headwaters of the Grand river and
the people of the Grand valley, al
though never fully organized, have con
sidered, in desultory way some plan
of action for united protest against
such movement. Already one of the
projects for tapping the source of the
Grand river and carrying its waters TO
the eastern slope is well under way
and apparently no protest has been
made to this action, perhaps because of
the feeling that the stream is suffi-
ciently replenished below the point of
outtake to supply all present and fu-
ture demands.
But now comes Promoter Allison with
a scheme to drain the headwaters of
the Eagle river and the creeks which
60 to make up that stream, the object
being to carry the water across the
divide by tunnel, empty it into the
Arkansas river and divert it from that
stream near Pueblo for the purpose of
irrigating about 10000 acres in east
ern, Colorado.
The question now is whether the peo
pie of the Western Slope country win
permit this diversion of Western Slope
waters without making all legal and
other protest possible. If the farmers
of Eagle county realize the meaning to
them in future years of Mr.. Allison IS
project, should it be carried out, they
will combine to prevent it by every
legal means possible. The waters of
western Colorado constitute one of the
chief assets of this great country and
a vigorous effort should be made to
have these waters retained in the sec
tion in which the Almighty intended
they should be utilized.
The following which appeared in this
mornings issue of the Pueblo Chief
tain will explain the effort being made
to divert the waters of the Eagle riv-
er and nearby streams:
Construction of an irrigation system
which wonld mean water for 10000
acres of land, now lying valuless and
sterile in Pueblo county, was promised
the citizens of Pueblo yesterday after
noon by Frank H. Allison, promoter of
the Allison Supply System. who pro
poses to bring many thousand feet of
water across the range by means of a
tunnel under Tennessee Pass and turn
it on unirrigated land
The plan was favorably received at
the meeting, and committee com.
prising from five to nine members will
be appointed tomorrow to confer with
Mr.. Allison and determine the feast
bility' of the project. A. G. Watson
called the meeting to order and Mr.
'uison laid his plans before those pre-
ev1.
Mr. Allison declares that the water
rights acquired by him will divert
the waters of the nine creeks which
form the head waters of the Eagle and
Ten Mile rivers on the other side OF
the range. The water will be brought
from the western slope under the Ten
nessee Pass by means of tunnel 4,
900 feet long and turned into fork
of the Arkansas river. He proposes
to sell the water rights at $50 pei
acre.
Land Owners Are Present.
The persons attending the meeting
were representative business men and
many of them large land owners who
have titles to the arid district that tn,
Allison System proposes to irrigate. L
was the unofficial sense of the meet
ing that they approve of the plal
and adopt it if it could be show
that the project as represented coul'
be carried through.
A. G. Watson, while not declaring
himself positively in favor fthe ALI
son system, said that he favored an
plan that could actually do what wa
represented.
"a city dependent on agricultural r,
Sources" said Mr.. Watson, els th
city that makes strides and doe
things. It il . curious fact Of histor
that NO city ever attained greatnel
independent of aRrieuIturnl raaouree