The Raymer enterprise., 1921-10-06


l~W near Rocky Mountain National park
In northern Colorado 10 Its Junction
with the Green river In southeastern Utah. The
Grand and Green rivers together make the Colo
rado river.
The Grand is 423 miles long from Its source to
It's junction with the Green. Eighty miles Of this
streams length Is In Utah. The Green rises just
south Of Yellowstone National park In northwest
ern Wyoming and is 700 miles long to Its junction
with the Grand. The Colorado from Utah to the
Gulf Of California, is 1000 miles long
Though the Green Is nearly twice as long as
the Grand the Grand carries the greater volume
OF water. Moreover. the Green runs 70 miles
through the northwestern corner Of Colorado and
receives much Of Its volume from Colorado. 1t is
therefore, contended by Colorado that the Grand
Is the real upper Colorado and that the Green Is
a tributary. I
1t is the people OF Colorado who are behind the
Joint resolution for the change Of name. With
them 1t appears to be n matter Of deep sentiment
Representative r. T. Taylor of Colorado speaking
to the Joint resolution. said:
"Mr. Speaker. for the past IS years my home
has been and Is now In the beautiful little city
Of Glenwood Springs. Colo, on the banks OF what
has heretofore been called the Grand river, the
principal tributary and, in fact, the main stream
OF the Colorado river. and during all those years
have always hoped and believed that sometime
the state pride OF the sons and daughters OF our
beloved commonwealth would bring about the
change Of the name Of that stream to Its rightful
name as the source and principal part Of that
wonderful river and permit our citizens to fOndly
and proudly welcome the greatest river in our
state as our great states stream under the name
that Is dearest TO every Coloradan heart And
with the passage OF this resolution that hope Of
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other CoOradans, will be consummated."
At It's last session the Colorado legislature
passed a bin officially changing the name Of the
Grand from Grand to Colorado, within the state
boundaries. bill was introduced In the Utah
legislature at the last session TO change the name
Of the Grand from Grand to Colorado within the
boundaries Of Utah. The Utah legislature did not
act On the bill and will not meet again for two
year,.
In the meantime, lnasmuch as the Colorado
Is an interstate and International stream and 10
classed navigable 1t has been decided that the
change In name should be brought about by act
Of congress rather than by action Of the states
Moreover, the Colorado bulks large In the public
eye just now a national river Of tremendous
importance. Already water power and irrigation
projects Of great importance-the Imperial valley
In California for exampe-mark the course Of
the river. Projects under discussion are appar.
emily Of still greater lmportance-the proposed
Boulder dan across the Colorado Just below the
Grand canyon, for instance. This project may be
undertaken by the federal government II would
he the most spectacular work OF Its kind In the
world and would cost anywhere between forty and
seventyfve millions.
The Colorado Is a mighty river beyond doubt.
Many rivers unite TO form 1t. The principal
branches Of the Green are the Uinta, Price, Yam.
pa and White; OF the Grand. the Eagle Roaring
Fork Gunnison and Dolores: Of the Colorado. the
Fremont. Escalante, Paria, Kanab and Virgin on
the right and the San Juan, Little Colorado. BIZ
williams and Gila on the left. The Grand canyon
Is on the main river In Arizona and extends from
the mouth Of the Little Colorado to the Grand
Wash. The Grand Canyon National park encloses
PIT miles Of the river. which In places Is 5000
feet below the rim Of the canyon. The lower
Colorado runs through low desert country. At
Yuma. on the Mexican line, Is an immense irrga.
tion project which consists Of diversion dam
nearly a mile long, 400 miles Of canals and 70
miles Of dikes and cost about $5.O00.O0O The
water Is carried to Arizona lands by thousand.
foot tunnel. which passes under the river.
Below Yuma the river. when In food, mandates
large areas lying below sea level In 1905 the
floods enlarged the 50-foot intake OF the Imperial
valley (California) irrigation canal In Mexican
territory to 1900 feet. II poured all Its waters
through this break and Its regular channel to the
Gulf Of California went dry. This break was not
successfully closed until 19O6-O7. Floods again
threatened to drown out the Imperial valley and
IN 1900-1O congressional appropriation Of 81 0OO.
600 was applied to the construction Of levees and
dikes. The waters Of the Colorado here run 10
huge aqueduct. which the river has built up for
itself from silt This aqueduct cut the part to
the north OF from. the Gulf Of California. Eyapo-
ration has left only the Salton sea. which Is salt
and below sea level.