The Delta independent., 1919-08-22
THE UNcoMPAHoRE VALLEY
IRRIGATION PROJECT, AUG. 12

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at Olathe between and $3.50 o'clock
Tuesday, August IL, for the purpose
of accompanying the ditchriders and
superintendent of the lower part of
the Uncompahgre Valley project ov-
er this immense government irri-
CATION system.
The first point of interest when
the party took the ditch" was
the flume at the top of the Ash
Mesa road. Here the party circled
around the Ironstone and came back
on the ditch bank. The first flume
is 800 feet long and was constructed
in March, 1917; at cost Of about
the flume owing to the formation
around this point that had been
gradually giving away from year to
year. 1t seems that after the ditch
carried water about half of the year
the formation became so loose that
it was impossible to keep it in re-
pair and was dangerous as well.
About a quarter of a mile farther up
the Ironstone We came to the second
lHlS Is dUOut OUU leel lOHS
and was built in five days in June,
1915, at cost of $4,000. The Ironstone
follows around the edge of the mesa
and there looks as though additional
flume will have to be built from time
to time to make the small river safe
at all times of the year.
After winding around the Ironstone
for few miles the party was led over
to the top of what is called High
Mesa, a spot which but few years
ago was nothing but desert. Crops on
this mesa are excellent and there
seems to be a very good class of
farmers all along the highway from
the way things are kept up and the
growing condition of the crops. This
is the fifth year that this land has
been under cultivation. The mesa
the syphon. This is quite a sight
to see the water gushing through a
24-inch pipe across from Franklin
Mesa. The syphon is about three
quarters of a mile in lengthh and has
given excellent service, with practic-
ally no upkeep.
From the syphon we dropped into
Peppers Gardens, and viewed with
much interest the wonderful waterfall
that supplies some 1000 acres of land
The falls are a young Niagara and are
capable of developing many horsepow-
er. Peppers Gardens secure their
water supply out of what is called
Franklin lateral, being taken out of
the Montrose and Delta canal.
The party continued into Shavano
Valley and along hhe West Canal
past the Al. Neale ranch and along to
cially designated as lob. Here is
where they had a washout this spring
that compelled the flume to be ex-
tended several feet longer. Appar-
emily there is no need for a flume
even as long as originally constructed.
but when a cloud burst happens along
there is no telling Just how large a
opening is required.
From this point the party again
| came back into the Montrose and
Delta canal and made the next stop
at flume B4-5S. This is some
crossing too. Nearly straight down
and straight upi following along a
| ditch bank through a very treach.
erous piece of ground. It seems that
the ditch has nothing whatever to
do with the spongy ground. AS the
water is applied, to the land above 1t
seeps to the surface to what looks
like nothing but a shale hillside
About every 100 feet the government
has put in drains back into the rill-
sides on the upper side of the ditch:
This helps to keep the seep down.
but does not entirely free the danger
Of the waterway. But one thing we
noticed in particular, that at every
point where there was a possibility
of the water supply, or the curtail.
ment of the ditch. being hampered in
its full discharge of its duty to the
farmer who was paying for his water
a safeguard of some sort was being
tried out. Nothing appears to have
been over looked at any point, how.
ever, the engineer has many problems
to solve under this immense system.
Next we came to the head-gate OF
the Montrose and Delta canal on the
Uncompahgre river near Riverside.
Here we took lunch and was mighty
glad to stop, rest and refresh oursel-
YES.
The head-gate is constructed of con.
crete, and takes up the whole river
and discharges the surplus through
concrete spillway. Everything here
looks of a most substantial and last
ing construction. This canal is one
of the longest and has the largest car.