PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



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THE COLORADO STATE CANAL. 



building of the State canal by convict labor in 

 Colorado is several kinds of an experiment. It 

 is an experiment in the use of convicts, in the disposal 

 of public lands, in the policy of public management of 

 irrigation works. The work was authorized by an act 

 of the Legislature of 1889, but only $1,450 was realized 

 from the appropriation of that year. The act, how- 

 ever, enabled the board to receive subscriptions in cash 

 from persons interested, and to issue seven per cent, 

 scrip, 'payable, both interest and principal, in water 

 from the canal. In this manner enough money was 

 raised to carry on the work with a moderate force 

 until the Eighth General Assembly appropriated $50,- 

 000 to continue the work. 



ENGINEERS AND THEIR PLANS. 



The location of the headgate was decided upon by 

 Hon. James P. Maxwell, then State engineer, in June> 

 1889, and is on the south side of the Arkansas river, 

 in the Grand Canyon, about 2,000 feet below the 

 swinging bridge, or about three and one-half miles 

 above the mouth of the canyon. This was immedi- 

 ately followed by the preliminary surveys under the 

 personal supervision of Mr. John S. Titcomb, then 

 deputyJState engineer, and occupied a considerable 

 portion of the season of 1889. Work was then com- 

 menced on a tunnel 750 feet in length through the 

 "PrieonJHogback," that being the first portion defi- 

 nitely located because of convenience for working 

 the convicts. 



From the beginning of the work, the engineering 

 on the canal was under the general direction of Mr. 

 Titcomb, but as it progressed and assumed larger 

 proportions, it became necessary to have an engineer 

 constantly on the work, and in April, 1891, E. A. 

 Smithl'was appointed resident engineer, and still 

 holds that position, having been reappointed in May, 

 1893. 



CANALS AND LAND RECLAIMED. 



The canal, as located, will irrigate about 2,000 acres 

 of the open park immediately northeast of Canon 

 City, will cross Eight Mile and Brush creeks, each at 

 about four miles, Beaver creek at about four and one- 

 half miles, and Turkey creek at about six miles from 

 the Arkansas, and will strike the Fountanie Qui 

 Bouille about two miles above Wigwam station on 

 the Denver and Eio Grande river, or about 20 miles 

 north of Pueblo. The final total length will be about 

 85 miles. 



The dimensions of the canal will be: From the 

 head to about the mouth of the Grand Canon, the 

 width 12 feet, depth 7 feet, with a grade of 5.28' per 



mile. Outside the canon the width is 15 feet, depth 

 9 feet and grade 1.76 feet per mile. This will again 

 be changed to a width of 25 feet, depth 6 feet with 

 same grade. The carrying capacity is estimated at 

 605 cubic feet per second and is calculated to irrigate 

 over 70,000 acres of land. The Ninth General Assem- 

 bly made by Senate bill No. 67 an appropriation 

 of $40,000 to further continue the work, and it is now 

 being pushed as rapidly as possible. 



COST OP THE WORK. 



The amount of work done since the commencement 

 up to and including May 31, 1893, can be seen by a 



glance at the following table: 



Acres. Cu. Yards. 



Clearing and grubbing 56.92 



Boulders removed from surface 3,124.4 



Excavation earth work of all classes 176,799.0 



Excavation rock work 17,116.6 



Total 197,039.0 



This, at fair contract prices ranging frem 18 cents to 

 $5.00 per yard for excavation, and $25.00 per acre for 

 clearing, would have cost $175.730.39, but has actually 

 cost by using convict labor only $76,843.02. The work 

 so far accomplished on the canal has been of a very 

 difficult character,there being a great many heavy cuts 

 some being as deep 62 feet, and the soil being of such a 

 nature that % of it had to be blasted to move. This, 

 of course, increases the cost, and at the same time 

 makes the work necessarily very slow. In all there 

 has been about three and one-half miles of ditch and 

 flume bed built and 1,160 feet of tunnels, one 750 feet 

 long through a limestone and shale formation, and one 

 410 feet long through solid red granite. 



It is impossible to fix the date for the completion 

 of the work, but it is far better to have delay now 

 than after crops have been planted. To avoid injury 

 to prior appropriators a reservoir will be built at Twin 

 Lakes, and water supplied from this source to ditches 

 further down stream, when necessary. 



The lands reclaimed by State sites No. 1 are 

 capable of large and varied production, not only of 

 ordinary farm crops but of fruit, as well. 



THE BEAR VALLEY IRRIGATION COMPANY. 



The embarrassment of the Bear Valley Irrigation 

 Company culminated in the appointment of F. P. 

 Morrison, president of the First National Bank of 

 Redlands, as receiver, December 9. The plant of this 

 company is one of the most splendid irrigation systems 

 on the continent, delivering more valuable water to 

 more valuable land than any other similar works, ex- 

 cept those of Riverside. It was originally developed 

 to furnish water for Redlands, Cal., which it trans- 



