, 1911-03-30
Immense Project
Mammoth Reservoir in North Park to
Store Water For Power and Irri-
cation Purposes

From time to time, during the past few years, the Sun has men.
toned the fact that a large power and ditch project a under way
and that when completed. the company owning it would be able to
furnish all the power needed for light, heat and power purnoses in
the valley. Some three years ago, when M G. Henderider, : civil
ngineer( who was for many years in the employ of the Government
Reclamation SERVICE twas here, he informed a representative of this
paper that he WAS, at that time, making surveys for a COMPANY which
contemplated a large dam and reservoir in North Park, as we'll as
pmpuunding the flood waters of Big creek.
Very recently we have seen the maps and plans of this dam .,d
reservoir and have been gwen permission to make known to the pub.
lie the plans of the company, now that they have been perfected to
such an extent that publicity will not in the least interfere with the
final accomplishment of the aims and purposes of the company. Up
to a certain point in the affairs of any company it is always we'll to
keep its movements under cover, owing to the fact that there ae
many men ready to hamper and hinder any movement forward unless
thew can have a hand in the matter.
The enterprise contemplates a dam which is to be erected in town.
ship twelve, north of range eighty-one, at a point in the canyon about
four miles from the state liue between Colorado and Wyoming
This dam will back the waters of the North Platte river up into the
Park seven miles, thus covering up many ranches, necessiating the
purchase either at private sale, or by condemnation proceedings, ofa
very large amount of private property.
Power houses will be located at convenient points below the dam
and power for electric roads, the lighting of towns and cities aud for
all kinds of machinery, will. be furnished from the plants of the COM
pany. Dams will be erected at the proper places down along the
North Platte River and the water, after it has served its purpose in
the production of power, will be used to irrigate every foot of land,
on both sides of the river. that can be watered.
The reservoir, which contemplatesc conserving the flood waters of
not only The waters of the Platte river and the many small tributaries
Of that stream, but also of the waters of the Canadian, Michigan and
Indiana rivers, the waters of which go, in a large measure, to make up
the North Platte river In North Park. The rights of no ranchman
or farmer in the park will be in any way infringed VI on or interfered
with in any way. The reservoir will hold $4,000 acrefeet of water.
The filings of the company have been made in the office of the
State Engineer of Colorado and the United States Government has
also approved the plans and given its consent to all the work under
contemplation by this company, thus insuring the corporation a solid
and safe backing. The legal work of the company is in the hands
of Hon. f. A. Williams, one of the foremost legal lights of Denver,
aud a man who was for two years the attorney for the city OF Denver,
position that requires legal talent of the very best. Judge Will
Gams is a member If the board of directors Of the company, which is,
in itself a guaranty that the company is a sound one and that all Its
work will be clean and of a most substantial character.
The carrying out of the plans of this company mean a great deal
toevery person in southern Carbon county. 1t means that electric
power will be cheap and certain for every possible use to which
electricity can be put-and the uses to which it can be put are on the
increase every day. The company is now being financed by New
York capitalists. M. G. Hinderlider, the engineer mentioned above,
is in charge of the engineering affairs of the company. Every one
vino knows Mr.. Hinderllder. knows him to be a man of large expert
and one of the most capable reclamation engineers of the west
As stated above he was at one time connected with the Engineering
Department of the Government Reclamation service and left the Gov
ernmeut employ in order that he might take up the work OF this COM
PAW and carry it to a successful issue.
The work of construction by this company will begin at as early
A date a q possible, and while the work may be delayed for some
months and perhaps a year, that it will go forward In the course oil
,;m. 10 ,oo;tivalv assured. The Government at one time contem-
plated taking hold of this very enterprise and only relinqulshed 1t
when it had positivea assurance that the present company had abund-
ant means to carry on the work.