The Delta independent., 1923-12-07

showed that 1000 acres of land
were susceptible to irrigation; that
less than 10000 acres were under cul.
tivation with scarcity of water avail.
able from the Uncompahgre river for
that acreage The project was de-
signed to furnish water for all the ir-
rigable lands on both sides of the
Bncompahgre river This was to be
done by supplementing the flow of
the Uncompahgre river by water
from the Gunnison river. AS a range
of mountains separates the basins
of these two rivers, the water was to
be diverted from the Gunnison thru
tunnel six miles long, to be driven
thru the mountain and a canal twelve
miles long. The water was to be dis
tributed by other canals, some to be
constructed, and some already in ex-
istence and to be acquired by the gov
ernment
History: The first attempt to di-
vert the waters of the Gunnison riv-
er into the Uncompahgre valley was
undertaken by the State of Colorado.
In April 1901, the State Legislature
appropriated the sum of S25,0OO for
the construction of a tunnel; work
was begun in December the same
year, but early in the fall of 1902.
when the tunnel had been driven 900
feet, the appropriation was exhausted
and work was discontinued
Upon the passage of the Reclama-
ton act, the water users of the I'm
compahgre Valley organized and ask
ed the government to undertake the
diversion of water from the Gunnison
river into the Uncompahgre valley.
Mr.. A. L. Fellows, a photographer
of the Geological Survey, was sent to
the valley to make a reconnaissance
On March Z, 1903. the Director of the
Geological Survey recommended to
the Secretary of the Interior that ex-
animation be made in general detail
for the preparation of specifications
and the letting OF contracts. On
March IA, 1908. the Secretary ap-
proved the general plan and author
lied the preparation of plans and
specifications for his approval. On
May l. 1904, Fellows submitted re-
port and on May 9th a board of en-.
gineers, consisting of Arthur P. Da.
Wis, George Y. Wisner and w. H. San
ders, met in Montrose and, after GO
ing over the plans and examining the
site of the tunnel and other physical
features Of the project, recommended
to F. H. Newell, Chief Engineer of the
Reclamation Service, that the project
be approved and authority be granted
for its construction. Recommends
ton was accordingly made and the
Secretary on June Z, 1904. granted au-
thority for construction of the project.
Bids were received. contracts let,
and work on the tunnel was begun by
the contractors on January IL, 1905.
They gave up the contract on May 81,
1905, and the work was then taken
UP by the Reclamation Service on
force account. On September 26,
1905, further bids for the construc-
ton of the tunnel were received, but
all were rejected and the work was
carried on by the reclamation SER
vice.
In the specifications for the con-
struction of the tunnel the time limit
was set as April Is, 1908. The first
water was turned thru the tunnel on
July 6, 1910, and at that date great
deal of work on the tunnel still re-
mained to be done.
1t was estimated that the tunnel
would cost 100000. The actual cost
was s3,O3S.S95.52.
Several canals conducting water
from the Uncompahgre river were in
operation before the project was un-
dertaken, and these were taken over
and paid for by the Reclamation ser
vice. The three principal canals thus
acquired were the Montrose and Del
Ia. the Loutsenhizer and the Iron
stone. These canals did not have
sufficient water for the land they
were constructed to irrigate, and, as
they had to be reconstructed, what
the Reclamation Service did acquire
was to many rights of way on which
to build canals.
A survey showed that in the prof.
ect there were 1OS,500 acres of irri-
gable lands in private ownership and
1886 acres OF irrigable public lands.
There appeared to be some doubt as
to water from the Gunnison river be-
ing always available for this acreage,
and the construction of a reservoir
was considered. Altho a site on the
Taylor river was decided upon, the
reservoir has not been constructed
and. SO far. the need OF storage wa
ter has not been felt. The Reclama-
tion Service states in the Annual Re
ports that water for 100000 acres has
been available since the season of
1918. but the greatest acreage irri-
gated was In the season OF 1922, wh en-
water was furnished for 64,730 acres.
1t was estimated that the entire
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