324 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



August, 



the state, an increase of 80.9 per cent. 

 In 1890 most of this land was public 

 domain and comparatively valueless. 

 At the present time its value, at a low 

 estimate, is $28,968,552, an average of 

 $40.77 per acre. Irrigation has added 

 this large amount to the farm wealth of 

 the state. 



The total number of acres of irrigated 

 crops is 1,300,840, while the total num- 

 ber of acres of land irrigated is 1,611, 

 271. The difference of 310,431 acres 

 represents in part the area of pasture 

 lands irrigated, but includes also a con- 

 siderable acreage, which, by reason of 

 shortage of water, was only partially 

 irrigated and did not produce crops. 

 On the other hand, it is probable that a 

 portion of the area upon which crops 

 were reported as grown without irriga- 

 tion was really irrigated at some time 

 during the year. 



While the number of farms outside of 

 the Indian reser\^ations increased in ten 

 years 50.7 per cent, the number of irri- 

 gators increased 82.3 per cent, and the 

 irrigated area 80.9 per cent. 



Most of the water used for irrigation 

 is surface water obtained from rivers, 

 but, in addition to this, considerable 

 quantities of ground water, or so-called 

 underflow, found at depths varying from 

 20 to 1,500 feet, have been utilized. 

 There were 227 farms which were irri- 

 gated wholly or in part by pumping this 

 underflow from wells. 



The number of acres of irrigated land 

 for each mile of ditch operated averages 

 218. The number of acres under ditch 

 for each mile is 390, or nearly twice the 

 area irrigated. In other words, the area 

 rendered cultivable by irrigation would 

 be nearly doubled if the ditches alread}- 

 constructed were furnished with a suffi- 

 cient and properly administered water 

 supply. 



In 1899, however, the water supply 

 in many parts of Colorado w^as excep- 

 tionally deficient, and in years of aver- 

 age precipitation the area irrigated is 

 undoubtedly much larger. 



The average cost of constructing the 

 ditches was about $1,575 per mile. 

 The average construction cost per acre 

 of land under ditch was $3.60, and per 

 acre of land actually irrigated in 1899, 



$7.21. The average cost of mainte- 

 nance per acre irrigated in 1899 was 

 $0.34; but estimating the cost of water 

 right upon the basis of the area irrigated 

 in a year of short water supply neces- 

 sarily made the average cost higher than 

 it would be in an ordinary year. 



In 1899 the average value of arable 

 land under ditch, but not yet prepared 

 for irrigation, varied from $2 to $20 per 

 acre, while that of irrigated land is from 

 $24 to $1,000. The difference repre- 

 sents the increment to the value of the 

 land by irrigation and the improvements 

 thereby made possible. This shows a 

 large profit on the cost of ditch con- 

 struction. 



There were in 1889 7,055 acres irri- 

 gated from wells. The total cost of con- 

 struction of the irrigation systems ob- 

 taining water from wells was $190,566. 

 The value of all land in irrigated farms, 

 not including buildings, is $79,696,998, 

 and in unirrigated farms, $10,640,465. 

 The value of all buildings on irrigated 

 farms is $13,178,702, and on unirrigated, 

 $2,822,700. The land in irrigated farms, 

 then, represents 88.2 per cent of the total 

 value of all farm lands, although consti- 

 tuting but 65.8 per cent of the total acre- 

 age. The value of buildings on these 

 farms is 82.4 per cent of the total for all 

 farms, and the value of implements and 

 machinery 83.1 percent. The irriga- 

 tion systems in the state, as reported in 

 1899, represent a cost of $11,613,732. 

 The value of the irrigated products 

 grown in 1S99 was $15,633,938. The 

 irrigated area in crops is i , 300, 840 acres. 

 The income from this land in 1899 was 

 therefore slightly more than $12 per 

 acre. 



Exclusive of the Indian reser\'ations, 

 the average value of land, exclusive of 

 buildings, is for all farms, $9.54 per 

 acre; for unirrigated farms, $3.29, and 

 for irrigated farms, $12.77. I'he aver- 

 age value per acre of irrigated land is 

 $40.77, while that for the best irrigated 

 land, suitable for growing alfalfa, ranges 

 from $50 to $150, and irrigated fruit land 

 has in some instances a reported value as 

 high as $1,000 per acre. 



The principal rivers of the state are the 

 South Platte, Arkansas, Rio Grande, San 

 Juan, Grand, and Green. The three last 



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