The Elbert County tribune., 1908-07-23
UNcOMPAHCRE
VALLEY TUNNEL
70 CARRY WATER TO IRRicATe
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
THOUSAND ACRES.
.AEARs COMPLETION
WITH CANALS AND LATERALs
WILL COST ABOUT THREE
MILLIONS.

The Gunnison tunnel is striking
example of what man can accomplish
in the way of engineering feats to di-
vert the waters OF mountain streams
to the thirsty acres of the valley and
plains. A mighty wall OF rock sepa-
rates the Gunnison river from the great
Uncompahgre valley. and to overcome
this barrier a tunnel nearly six miles
in length is being driven by the federal
government, and when the work is com
pleted 10000 acres will be supplied
with water with which to grow crops.
At the present rate of progress the
work will be completed possibly by
next autumn, or not later than jan
uary /. 1909.
"The Uncompahgre Valley Project
Is the official title of the enterprise.
The cost including the main canals and
distributing laterals is estimated at
about $3.000,0O0 The reclamation act
provides that payments for this water
by the farmers shall be In ten annual
installments without interest The
cost, therefore. to the farmer will be
about $50 an acre in the event the cost
of building the project does not exceed
s3,O00,000. However, the cost per acre
all who are familiar with irrigation say
this price is well worth the effort, and
that 1t will not prove burdensome to
the settler. The cost of maintenance
will not be large.
| When the tunnel and canals are COM
pleted their administration will be
turned over to the Water Users Asso-
citation, corporation formed under
the direction of the reclamation ser
vice. The directors will be elected by
the farmers using the water. The farm
ers will come into absolute possession
at the end of ten years, when the fed
eral government is repaid for the cost
of construction. 1t is estimated that
in that time the value of the property
will have at least doubled.
The tunnel will be 10000 feet in
length and 11x13 feet in cross-sections,
and will be lined with concrete from
end to end. Massive headgates will be
arranged at the river portal to regulate
the flow of water and to guard against
destruction during flood time.
The tunnel will cut the mountain at
depth of 2,100 feet. and the
1900 cubic feet OF water that
will be turned into the tun-
mel will flow through at a rate OF
ten and one-half feet per second. The
cost of the tunnel is estimated at about
81, 100000, and the cost of the canals
and distributing laterals at $1,500,000
more, making total of s3,000,0 900
The south canal will carry the wat
ers from the tunnel to the Uncompah-
gre river in the valley, from where
they will be diverted through the west
and east canals to supply water to
lands lying on the west and on the east
of the Uncompahgre river The south
canal will have a number of drops
and falls built Of concrete. and are cal
culated to produce power for CONNER
cial purposes. The work of driving
the tunnel has been prosecuted with
great diligence since August, 1904, and
the big bore has been driven about 27.-
900 feet through solid rock
Should the regular flow of water
through the tunnel be insufficient to
supply the demand, storage reservoirs
will be constructed at the headwaters
of the tributaries of the Gunnison in
which to conserve the flood waters to
be held in reserve to make up any de-
ficiency IN the late months of the grow
ing season.
At present there are about $4,000
acres of land under cultivation in the
valley. 1t is both fruit and agricul-
tural district, and is one of the most
promising sections of the state. The
apples and peaches command top
prices in the market, and apricot, plum,
prune and cherry orchards thrive in the
hands of men skilled In raising these
kinds of fruit. In Colorado, whenever
irrigation is established, land with wa
ter rights attached assures a comfort
able home, stable income and an asset
that is always convertible into cash.
Two leading cities in the Uncompali-
gre valley are Montrose and Delta
Montrose has population of 1000 and
Delta $500. The valley is being set
tied rapidly since the tunnel was be-
gun, and new settlers are becoming
more numerous as the project nears
completion.
1t is said that five OF Colorado's
largest rivers carry 100000 feet Of
water across the state line every year,
most of which is lost to irrigation.
This amount OF water, 1t is estimated,
would iir1gate 100000 acres Of land,
every acre of which would be worth
500 or more.
The reclamation fund is revolving
fund. When a project is completed the
money expended begins to return to
the treasury and can be used in other
districts. These big Irrigation schemes
are too stupendous for private enter.
prise. hence the action of Congress an.
thorizing government aid In reclaiming
the arid lands of the great West