La Junta tribune., 1910-02-19

| btAty luuuuOlutIS tut
Iii Otero canal assembled In
= the district court room to
hear and discuss the report OF Mr.,
Geo. q. Anderson, the irrigation en-
gineer, who has been engaged for the
past two months In making com
plete survey OF the Otero canal
The report was thorough and com.
prehensive. going into more technical
details than we have space for, ex.
cept In general description.
Changes made by the river at the
headgate near Fowler will necessiate
certain work costing nearly 5000.
A new headgate Is not necessary at
this time though one will be needed
In about five years.
Approaches to siphons at Apishapa,
Smith Hollow, and Timpas creek, as
well as the lower ends of these
siphons. are all improperly con-
structed and now oppose the run
ming water instead Of facilitating its
easy passage. These changes can
be made at comparatively small cost,
and will be remedied by April Goth,
which will enable the canal to deliver
much greater head OF water this
spring even before the actual en-.
.largement takes place.
At Crooked and Anderson arroyas
very ingenious crossings are proposed
saving distance. improving the grade
and providing a so!uie safety from
destruction by summer floods.
Al Ormega. where the stockyards
now are. the canal makes a number
OF unnecessary detours. crossing the
railway three ,imss. A cut off will
be made which economy and good
sense show to be necessary.
King Arroyo presents the greatest
problems. over half the district lies
east OF this water course and the
present line Of the canal is con.
dcmned by every engineer. Mr.. An
derson boldly proposes to abandon
about five miles of dangerous hill
side construction. cross the arroyo
with siphon and then 20 straight
through the hill with a tunnel and
cuts. This will cost more now than
enlargement Of the old line. but
will be Infinitely cheaper In the fu-
ture. and really there is no choice
between the new course surveyed and
the old impractical line.
The directors asked Mr.. Anderson
to furnish them estimates OF cost OF
enlarging the entire canal to carry.
ing capacity OF 500 cubic feet per
second. This Is necessary In order
that all users may irrigate stimuli
taneously. that the decrees TO ass
feet may be retained. that the ut
most advantage may be taken OF
floods. etc. To carry ou, this en-
largcment together with the other
improvements mentioned, Will reQpir,
the removal OF about G25 900 yards OF
earth.
The west end OF the canal can /,
enlarged by means OF dredge Will,
water is running. The cut off and
arroyo crossings can be accomplished
without disturbing the old line OF III,
canal. or interrupting the use OF Wa
ter this coming season.
As to the reservoir on the Ander
son arroyo. for which $4,000 wal
voted. the engineer advised that th'
sum appropriated was inadequate ant
expressed the opinion that the bees
interests OF the system would be con
served by devoting the money to per
manent canal improvements.
The plans contemplate the rcmcdi
Of every defect In the canal from
end TO cnd--eighty five miles. whicl
win be reduced by nearly ten miles
: While the total cost In some wha
more than WAS Intended to be- spcn
: the farmers seem to be unanimous II
. favor Of doing the work sbsolutel!
right this time, and even II the In
; vcstment finally reached the sum o
S35 per acre. II will sull be th'
cheapest water right In the ArkAnsal
Valley. and the entire construction
, cost Will be less than ninc.tenths o
tho government irrigation projects.
, When the otcro canal was acquir
/, I'd In 1901 from the creditors In bank
/. ruptcy. watr rights were. not wortl
. onc.third their present selling price
nor WAS land 80 hlxh. II was lmpos
+ sibls to put the amount Of money In
to canal construction that presen