Cañon City record., 1908-02-13
Complete Deta.N OF The
Proposed Watts Supply
Mayer Seely Outlines the Latest Plan to Sorve the Water
Problem-C1aims City VIII Have Surplus Water
Enough to Irrigate 1900 Acres

decision on the water question and
It's plans only await the endorsement
OF the tax payers of the communit!
to be carried into execution. A bet
ter and more adequate supply of wat
sr for domestic and irrigation puI-
poses than the one now drawn upon
by the people Of Canon City has occu-
Med the attention OF the council since
It's election a year ago. and it is to
the credit Of its members that they
have worked out what seems to be a
solution Of the matter.
To reach a conclusion upon SO i'm
portant = subject has necessitated a
degree OF study and investigation lit
tie realized or comprehended by the
public, for there were difficulties 10
b overcome and prejudices to be
NlpGO away WOW ~ nv
easy Of accomplishment
One OF the greatest problems that
municipalities have to meet is that OF
securing an abundant supply OF pure.
soft water for drinking and house
hold purposes. and Canon City has
been no exception TO the rule. a
score Of propositions have been made
to meet the exigencies Of the situa-
tiou. but none Of them have been
wholly satisfactory 10 the public. and
until now, none of them entirely
agreeable to the council.
It has been contended by many peo-
pis throughout the long g-discussed
water proposition that the Arkansas
river was Canon City's natural and
logical source OF supply for drinking
and domestic purposes and the city
council. after a thorough canvass OF
the question has arrived at the same
conclusion. but whether its judgment
will be sustained by the people re-
mains to be seen. although the belief
Is pretty general that 1t will be.
The whole scheme has been pretty
exhaustively gone into BY competent
engineers who pronounced II feasible,
and. upon their deductions. the coun-
ell has given the undertaking the
stamp OF approval.
The proposition is a comprehensive
one and implies a great deal for the
city, particularly in relation to Its
growth and expansion. as 1t means a
supply OF water at least ten umes
as much as II now possesses. Some
Of the details OF the matter were ex-
plained to the writer by Mayor Seely
this morning and can hardly fail To
be Of interest to our readers. Among
other things. MIR. seely said:
81 .Canon City owns approximately
/. fDrty-five cubic feet OF water in the
Arkansas river. thirty-nve Of which
Il holds under DEGREES granted more
than forty years ago. The other ten
feet has never been decreed, but the
city can easily establish Its right and
ownership to It at any time de-
sires. The city owns fourteen cubic
feet OF water coming out OF Cotton
wood creek. the remaining twenty-one
cubic feet represents Its interests In
the flow OF the Canon Hydraulic and
FruItlands ditches.
:.'our plans provide for twenty
four inch pipe line extending up into
the Royal Gorge and debouching into
o series Of settling basins. connected
with a storage reservoir OF sometAing
like 100000 gallons capacity locat-
cd on tho Alpine Heights property II
g A. Van Busklrk. n mile or 80 north
Of town. from which the water would
b fed directly into the city mains by
gravity.
The intake ON the river would be
approximately eight miles from the
city. or. perhaps. o mile and q half
above Hanging Bridge. The paDs line
would. probably. be brought down
through the Royal Gorge on tho grade
Of the old state ditch, but need NOT
interfere with the proposed scenic
driveway over that survey.
The pipe line will run along the
eastern slope OF the Hogback to the
settling basins. three in number
which will BE- built one above the
other In terrace fashion. the lower
one TO coanect with the reservoir. A
tWsaty-eoar inch pipe. such - we pro
poss 10 ~ n, viii carry from twslve
% Aessea cuAlo feet Of water pr ESQ
Cd Of tins. . quantity many tinsa