The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-10-07

l.
s-7 in northern Colorado Its junction
with the Green river In southeastern Utah. The
Grand and Green rivers together make the Colo
RADIO river. tssiN s-- (
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 ls 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 IS 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 IL
a tributary. Ass,ssf
It is the people Of Colorado who are behind the
Joint resolution for the change Of name. With
them It appears to be a matter Of deep sentiment.
Representative r. T. Taylor Of Colorado. speaking
to the joint resolution, said:
"Mr. Speaker, for the past as years my home
has been and is now in the beautiful little city
Of Glenwood Springs. Colo. 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
i 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 rightfu
name, as the source and principal part Of that
and proudly welcome the greatest river in our
state as 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 Coloradans. will be contaminated"
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 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
years.
In the meantime. inasmuch as the Colorado
is interstate and international stream and Is
classed navigable It 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 as 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 importance 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-nve millions. Faf sssVa
The Colorado Is a mighty river beyond doubt
Many rivers unite to form It. The principe
branches OF the green are Ine Ulutds FE1ce, Anin
pa and White :; Of the Grand the Eagle, Roaring
Fork. Gunnison and Dolores: Of the Colorado, tht
Fremont, Escalante Paria, Kanab and Virgin OF
the right and the San Juan, Little Colorado. BIZ
williams and ella on the left The Grand canyon
is on the main river In Arizona and extends from
the mouth Of the Little Colorado to the Crane
WASH The Grand Canyon National park encloses
217 miles of the river which In places Is 6OU
feet below the rim Of the canyon The lowe
Colorado runs through low desert country. Al
Yuma, on the Mexican line, is an immense frrfga
ton project which consists OF diversion dan
nearly mile long. 400 miles Of canals and 4
miles OF dikes and cost about $5,00OO0O. The
water is carried 10 Arizona lands by a thousand
foot tunnel, which passes under the river.
Below Yuma the river. when in flood. mandates
large areas lying below sea eyel.as4In 1905 thu
floods enlarged the 50-foot intake of the fmperla
valley (California) irrigation canal in Mexican
territory to 26OO feet. 1t poured all Its waters
through this break and It's regular channel to th'
Gulf Of California went dry This break was no
successfully closed until 1906O7. Floods agalr
threatened to drown out the Imperial valley ant
In 1901 10 congressional appropriation Of $1,000.
600 was applied to- the construction Of levees ant
dikes. The waters Of the Colorado here run IL
a huge aqueduct which the river has built up fo
itself from silt This aqueduct cut the part tt
the north off from the Gulf of California Evapo
ration has left only the Salton sea, which is sa
and below sea level