The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-01
WATER POWER IN COLORGDO,
More Politics Than Conservation IN m.
ganrnplfl-P,nehot AEt,at,on

] ANNNAAANNAAANIA ~
Characteristics Agitation
To TIE EDIIoR oF THE sUN So 80.
or two aRo Mr. PinchOt begar A az, !,
crusade TO prevent citizens NJ ths o.,
Western states from controlling '-a -.
power Of the rivers OF those STATE. h,
order 20 excite the preiudices and fa,-, d,
the people he asserted that the .rrr-s,,,.
we're trying to establish wafar r-r.,
trust u seems to me that me no 4,,
come 10 have attention called IN no f3r,,
| A. Colorado IL one of the state, v-,,.
water power -the interests are twin,
l to control and A. | have lived in .-.6r,to
| thirty years I think that can rrasar. r,.
/ facts - that there can he no r...rts-.
standing.
| The main range Of the Rocky Mountain,
| crosses the state from north % south and
| In these high mountains many large .,rss-n,
/ have their sources On the eastern sion.
} the principal streams are the ,-aau.
aud the Rio Grands and on tho e..fs-p
| slope the Gunnisnn and the Grll1 II,
/ illustrate let me take the Gunnlsu. River
This river has lie sources IN the main -snss
At an altitude Of more than ll ps. 'sst
| Il flows into the Grand River at laa rrv
I Of Grand Junction az an elevation ~ about
t.OOO feet. Il is fair 20 say that this stream
in a distance Of something over one hundred
miles has a fall Of 900 feet and has an aver.
age cross section Of more than :oo square
feet To give the non-professiona man
an idea Of the power that can b obtained
| from this stream would say that a stream
Of water from a nozzle ave inches 10 diam.
eter with a head Of 500 feet applied 70 A
I
Horsepower. To develop the full power
Of tho river az any point it would he necss.
sary 20 build a dam across the river and
conduct the water by hume and pipe 70
the mill site The laws Of Colorado givs
right Of way for the pipe line and the Avs
Of the United States give TO any ctilsa
Of the Unhsd States the right 10 take 10
Eve acres Of non-mineTal ground as nil
site. A e;e acre mill site eives amps
room for the buildings and machinery
for q power plant. and one power plant
developing the fun power Of the Gunnissn
River az one point with a head Of IN feet
would give more power than there vii
be any demand for In that section for the
nest twenty-five years. yet 10 pTeyent tho
possibility Of some corporation taking up
a Ave acre mill site these sO-called consef.
yationists would have the President In vio-
lation Of Law withdraw from settlemeai
100 square miles Of land.
What u true Of the Gunhlson rue e
the Grand. the Arkansas and the Rio Grahds
and many smaller streams For forty
ysars the laws Of the United States have
given To citizens the right TO take No mil
sites along these streams. yet to-day there
j. not one dam impOunding the waters Of
either the Arkansas. the Rio Grande. The
Gunnison or the Grand River.
The nov or constantly wasted in the s,aie
of Colorado i enormous With the ArkAn-
sa- River foN ing through the cily of Pueblo.
Inc rover used Tor the steel works smelteu.
street railroads aud electric light plants q
All obtained by burning coal The city -
Grant junction. through which How The
water. Of The Grand and Gunnispn ryers,
uses coal for ~ power plants. and farmers
along those streams no oosa'n by pumping
the water TO irriRale their orchards use coal
, power 10 Operate their pumps canon city
: ! lacated al the lover end NJ The Grand
I non of the Arkansas River. and The cry
Of Salida a. he upper end .ot me clhcn
The tail oG he river between these tvo
poipfs j. about Z. fsN feet. yet both cities
burn coal for pow er while the wafer power
runs to waste The same condition a 'rue
NJ the cities of Denver, Leadville, 'fippe
treeh ol0rsd0 spring.. Monirnsa ami
~ her smaller towns. The reason b as vel
knoWn 10 Pinchot and Garfield a. 10 every
one else coal IL cheap and the coal mines
are near Al hand The power companies al
through Colorado prefer ~ Use coal power
There are a number " water power plants
in dtgarent uarts ~ the State. hUt I thins
that without exception they are io'ated on
smaller streams iu the mountains where
transport alton Dharges make coal cnsi rom
s. % en- ton.
Ita large water power streams are a.
VET undevrIupad because the FIRST cos' q
tho water power plants o. very great AMI
uHgifG .I.f- cannot zee anv profit IN making
water power plants compete with chap
coal lha time will come hen The water
power of the streams will he devei0ped. 1li
there is no one a. present trying 10 DO 'a-
and there Is plenty ~ time for ConEress %
change tho Class location Of the lands n %
30 desires u r. not necessary Tor ne
pre.ldcni ~ 10 his IN violation " AW
Garfield aud rinchOt know perfectly vel
tbst there Is no Water power trtisi ami rhai
there IL no possibility ~ niOnopOv NJ no
water power when the large river. ~ he
state have within reasonable .m'9 NE
81 from four 10 six thousand 'eH' "I.I -'
'h7t The vsfev can he used over ami 0'0-
again They know that the real trouble
that captalisfs cannot be indlced 70 build
water power plants
The PEOPLE ought 10 see that this Whole
crusade seems 10 have been undertaken
in order 10 Keep the public In q state n
FRENZY Tor some political purpose W ~
the present time their sur"ess 10 too.inE
tho people has been phenomenal. hui com
mon sense ought % teach people inst No
interests do not want The water power
~ least " per cen, q me poSsT used ~ Y
tho coal could be saved " The water power
ere used II encourage the deye.opmen'
N the water power Is therefore tbe Use
policy n kttp
sur LsKr CITY. MAY ..