Elbert County tribune., 1921-10-07


in northern Colorado TO its junction
with the Green river In southeastern Utah. The
Grand and Green rivers together make the Colo
RADIO river.
The Grand is 423 miles long from its source to
its junction with the Green. Eighty miles of this
streams length is In Utah. The Green rises just
south of Yellowstone National park In northwest
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 long
the Grand the Grand carries the greater volume
of water. Moreover, the Green 35 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.
1t is the people of Colorado who are behind the
Joint resolution for the change of name With
them 1t appears to be matter of deep sentiment
Representative r. IT. Taylor of Colorado, speaking
TO the Joint resolution said
"Mr. Speaker, for the past 35 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
beloved commonwealth would bring about the
change of the name of that stream to Its rghtful
name, the and principal part of that
wonderful river, and permit our citizens to fondly
and proudly welcome the greatest river
state great states stream under the name
that is dearest to every Coloradan heart. And
with the passage of this resolution that hope of
many years, not only of my own, but thousands of
other Coloradnns, will be consummated"
At its last session the Colorado legislature
passed bill officially changing the name of the
Grand from Grand to Colorado, within the state
boundaries bill introduced in the Utah
legislature nt 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 the bill and will not meet again for two
years.
In the meantime inasmuch as the Colorado
is an interstate and International stream and is
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
eve Just a national river of tremendous
Importance. Already water power and irrigation
projects of great importance-the Imperial valley
in California; for example-mark the course of
the river Projects under discussion are nppar-
emily of still greater importance-the proposed
Boulder dam across the Colorado just below the
Grand canyon, for instance. This project may be
undertaken by the federal government. 1t would
be the most spectacular work of Its kind in the
world and would cost anywhere between forty and
seventy-fye millions.
The Colorado is mighty river beyond doubt.
Many rivers unite to form 1t. The princpul
branches of the Green the Uinta, Price. Yam
pa and White; of the Grand, the Eagle Roaring
Fork Gunnlson and Dolores: of the Colorado. the
Fremont. Escalante Paria, Kanab and Virgin on
the right and the San Juan, Little Colorado, Bin
williams and Ga 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
217 miles of the river, which in places Is 5000
feet below the rim of the canyon. The lower
Colorado 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 40
miles of dikes and cost about $5OOO.OOO. The
water is carried 10 Arizona lands by thousand
foot tunnel, which passes under the river.
Below Yuma the river. when in flood. mandates
large lying below level. In 1905 the
floods enlarged the 50-foot intake of the Imperial
valley (California) irrigation canal In Mexican
territory to 2600 feet 1t poured all its waters
through this break and its regular channel TO the
Gulf of California went dry. This break not
successfully closed until 19o6-07. Floods again
threatened to drown out the Imperial valley and
In 1909-10 congressional appropriation Of $1,000.
900 applied TO the construction of levees and
dikes The waters of the Colorado here run In
a huge aqueduct. which the river has built up for
itself from silt. This aqueduct the part TO
the north Off from the Gulf of California. Evapo-
ration has left only the salton sea, which is salt
and below level.