114 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



March, 



of Scrub Oak and the undergrowth of 

 quaking aspen groves into the reserve. 

 On October i6 the rangers finally mas- 

 tered it, the precipitous and rugged 

 formation of the ground greatly imped- 

 ing their efforts. It destroyed 1 20 acres 

 of live timber, principall}^ spruce and 

 pine; Quaking Aspen partially burned, 

 400 acres; undergrowth, 50 acres ; dry 

 brush and dead timber, 60 acres, and 

 grass, 1 70 acres. The damage to water- 

 sheds was comparatively small, as the 

 headwaters of the creek were not af- 

 fected. 



The practical immunity 

 Battlement of this reserve is to be 



Mesa Reserve, ascribed to the efforts of 



three volunteer fire as- 

 sociations, which were formed for the 

 purpose of assisting the government 

 officers in the prevention of fires. The 

 work of these associations has proven sc 

 valuable that it is hoped the people liv- 

 ing within the other reserves will also 

 organize. It is certain that the protec- 

 tion afforded by the government is val- 

 ued very highly by the resident citizens. 



FIRES OUTSIDE OF THE RESERVES. 



Sparks from a locomotive 

 Summit ignited the west slope of 

 County. Mount Bald}' June 29. The 



blaze was extinguished on 

 July 2, the railway people and the min- 

 ers having succeeded in limiting the 

 burning area by means of trenching and 

 back-firing. About ten square miles of 

 timber were destroyed. 



On July 24 a large fire started 

 Jefferson between Morrison and Pine 

 County. Grove, caused by negligent 



campers. It was extin- 

 guished about July 28 by employes of 

 the State Land Board, the area burnt 

 over amounting to about sixteen square 

 miles. During the month of July five 

 separate forest fires were burning at the 

 same time. Only in one instance were 

 the state officers able to locate the origin 

 in sparks from a saw-mill operated on 

 patented land. 



A great fire was observed on 

 Park MountEvans July 24. It had 



County. evidenth' originated from an 



abandoned camp, the dry 



weather permitting a rapid spreading of 

 the flames. The mountain at night had 

 the appearance of a volcano in action, 

 and people came from great distances to 

 watch the striking spectacle. About ten 

 square miles of woodland were denuded. 



The latest fire of the season began at 

 the foot of Mount Rosalie October 28, 

 burning over seven square miles of fine 

 forest growth, until it reached timber 

 line, about December i, when it died 

 from want of fuel. 



On July 22 a fire started in 

 Boulder Boulder Canyon, near the 

 County. property of the Alaska Gold 

 Mining Compan^^ Eack of 

 material to feed on stopped it within 

 forty-eight hours, but the timber of the 

 canyon was destroyed over a distance of 

 four miles. 



On September 14 a conflagration be- 

 gan at a hunter's camp in a gulch at the 

 foot of Woodland Mountain, near El- 

 doro, just above Quigle3''s saw-mill. It 

 destroyed all the timber in township i 

 south, range 74 west, and touched the 

 adjoining townships. It ceased about 

 October 10, after having denuded a dis- 

 trict of some forty-four square miles, 

 which contained the finest timber in 

 Boulder County. The watershed of 

 Middle Boulder Creek has been burnt 

 to bed rock, and the sources of South 

 Boulder Creek have been laid bare. The 

 result must be disastrous to the farming 

 interests of Boulder Valley. There is 

 no tree cover left to prevent spring 

 floods, and there will be no snows to 

 feed the creeks during the late summer 

 months ; hence there will be no water 

 for late irrigation. The Denver papers 

 claim that this fire was of incendiary 

 origin, but it does not appear that any 

 arrests have been made. 



On September 22 a fire started in the 

 Silver Eake district, near Sunnyside, 

 four miles east of Ward. This also was 

 of incendiary origin. It ran over an 

 area of ticcnty square miles and burnt 

 itself out in ten days. 



Boulder County is now practically^ a 

 mountain desert. Timber for mining 

 purposes will have to be brought from 

 afar, and we ma}' expect to hear of an 

 appeal for aid in the establishment of 

 reser\'oirs within a year or two. 



