Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-03-18
IRRIGATION PROJGCr
OF VAST PROPORTIONS
Arkansas Valley Ditch Asso-
ciatior Interested In
HNlT NhhkI ANN
COLT CANAL AND
RESERVOIR SCHEME
OF Commanding to Entire Valley and
Principal irrigation l"mpanies
1ay Unite in ConSl. .i-tiOn

OF Commanding to Entire Valley and
Principal irrigation L Iimpanies
rlay Unite In Consi. L-tion
James D. Schuyler Of Los Angeles.
CAL, one Of the most prominent irriaa-
ton engineers in the country. who spent
last week in this vicinity inIestig gating
the Colt canal and Lake Meredith reser-
voir projects. was so greatly impressed
with the immense possibilities of the un-
dertaking that he advised the Arkansas
Valley Ditch association to take imms-
diate steps to acquire and carry through
the project.
As result of his advice G. M. Hall,
secretary Of the association. left on We'd
nesday to personally present the propo-
sition to the several members Of the as
sociation and there is good reason to be-
lieve that the principal irrigation COM
panies will unite in the construction of
the canal and reservoir.
That the proiee. is of commanding i'm
portance to the entire valley will be ad-
mitted by all who read Mr.. Schuyler's
letter to Mr.. Colt. which the Enterprise
is here allowed to reproduce:
Rocky Ford. Colo. Mar. l2. 1910
Mr.. W. A. Colt.
Las Animas. Colo.
Dear Sir:-The examination which
made last fall into tho merits Of the
great food water canal and reservoir
project which you have undertake TO
carry out interested me inten sely at the
time and was glad to have the oppor-
tunity Of studying its remarkably favor
able conditions and pleased that could
report in its favor. On my recent trip to
the valley at the invitation Of the Fort
Lyon Canal Co. have renewed my fam
iliarity with the irrigation situation and
have become impressed as never before
with the commanding importance Of the
Meredith Lake Reservoir and It's ability
to serve the interests Of the entire valley
in 4 way which no other possible or
existing reservoir on the river or in the
water shed can approximate to. In fact
the project now appears to me too large
and too necessary to the entire valley to
BE- In the hands Or control OF one individ-
uai or corporation and II seems 70 me
fortunate for the public welfare that you
have not yet succeeded in financing it for
partial development and thus restricted
its use and service to one small locality.
The fact is there is no situation on the
river where it is possible to build ditch
large enough to divert the entire volume
Of your average foods in IL miles Of
distance to a reservoir Of such enormous
capacity as this. The Ft- Lyon Storage
Canal is 45 miles long and crosses two
large streams; and the feeder Of the
Great Plains reservoir system is II
miles in length and has many natural
obstacles. The Colt Cana location
crosses no streams, is almost absolutely
straight. is free from all obstrustions
which would interfere with movement Of
ice in winter. and moreover ii has an ex-
eep,ionally fire headworks location.
where the river has not changed in the
past forty years, and cannot change its
channel.
II all the principal canals in the valley
were TO unite in constructing this canal
and reservoir they could all be largely
benefited as i; would serve as an equal
izer OF these tremendous fi5o5s which
now escape all possible ca pture. and do
nothing useful. but on the contrary create
havoc ana destruction 70 carels. Le-d
gates. bridges. and fields. With these
foods held temporarily in the great res
eTyoiT Of nearly 100000 acre feet cap2c-
ity all the reservoirs row depending en-
feeder canals from the river Of moderate
size could be filed from Meredith Lake
al a uniform rate the foods had subsidized.
leaving the reservoir part ally or wholly
empty. ready to receive the next foods.
Viewing the matter from this stand
point feel like advising the Canal As
soeiation Of the valley to take immediate
steps to combine and acquire and build
your main canal and reservoir.
This will be the most important means
Of defense from the eneroaehment OF
various other extensive projects now un-
der way which bid fair to absorb all the
upper waters Of the Arkansas and its
largest tributaries.
Yours very sincerely.
James D. Schuyler.