Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-13
LAUNCH INRRIGATION PROJECT
Bent Prowers District Work is Now
Put Under Contract.
BIG RESERVOIR IS PLANNED
River Bed. UtiliEsd for carryins
watsr--CeBcrete syPhOn Nearly
. Mile LOnG Part of the
system.

LAMAR, Colo, May 12-(Special)-.Th
closing of contract between the board Of
directors Of the Bent Prowers Irrigation
district and the Southwest Construction
company of Lamar for the building of what
IL known as the Bent Prowers irrigation
project, marks one of the most important
events in the life OF irrigation in the west.
The contract was recently awarded by
the board after more than two years OF
consideration and Investigation, and was
welcome news for \the entire eastern sec
ton OF the state Of Colorado. The project
from the time 1t was mapped out some
twenty years ago has passed through all
the stages through which an irrigation
proposition might pass 1t has been held
by litigation, blocked by ambitious
promoters, and changed owners a number
Of times, until two years ago the land
owners OF the district organized and voted
s4,oOoOoo in bonds to finance the construc-
ton Of the system
To Build Reservoir.
The project contemplates the eonstruc-
ton OF a storage reservoir on the Pur-
gstoire river. seventeen miles south of
Las Animas and fourteen miles east from
La Junta. with storage capacity Of 14s, 800
acre feet and from this river and its tribu-
river bed win be utilized to convey the
water for a distance Of six miles, at which
point stone concrete diversion dam across
the river. 800 feet in length and ll5 feet
high will be built, thus using the river
gorge as a natural reservoir
\ From this point the water is diverted into
the main canal of the system which is
more than ITO miles in length. having its
terminus at VOLTS creek, some twenty
miles southeast Of Lamar The main car
rying canal will include a concrete syphon
nearly a mile, across Rule creek, discharg-
ing 800 cubic feet of water per second, and
a second syphon across ~Caddoa creek
lesser In length but of equal discharge
The system also comprises forty miles of
distributing laterals so constructed az 20
make possible the irrigation of practically
every acre OF land in the district The
district includes more than 100000 acres Of
irrigable land Stuated In southern Prowers
and Bent counties and incorporates some
Of the richest land in this section Of the
state.
To IrriEate sixty Thousand Acres.
Only Approximately $1,000 acres OF this
vast area will be introduced to irrigation
at present. but the system will be adequate
to furnish water for the remaining 1000
which will be brought under the system
later. The construction contract calls for
the commencement OF construction work
by June 1 ana officers OF the company
state all is in readiness. Surveys have
been completed and all preparatory work
finished. Fred l.. Harris. who is president
Of the Southwest Construction company,
represented Mccoy & Co. OF Chicago in
the construction of tho Two Buttes Carey
act project completed last year, which in
PRODUCES 1900 acres OF land in southeast
srn Colorado TO Irrigation, and will super
intend the construction OF the Bent Prov
ers project
More than 5000 acres OF the land in this
district is Immediately tributary TO Lamar
and Is at present settled by homesteaders
80 that when water is provided the area
will at once spring from a range prairie
to a productive agricultural section.