512 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



November 



establishing new uses for less com- 

 monly known woods, and in demon- 

 strating improved methods of grading 

 their material. 



The members of the Conference ex- 

 pressed themselves freely and unani- 

 mously to the effect that the laboratory 

 should, by all means, be established, 

 and that every effort should be em- 

 ployed to secure the necessary appro- 

 priation. 



After discussion it was agreed that 

 the appropriation should be $200,000. 



The following resolution was then 

 adopted : 



"Resolved, That it is the unanimous 

 sense of this conference that a labora- 

 tory for testing the strength and other 

 characteristics of wood, and for solv- 

 ing problems connected with its eco- 

 nomic use, is absolutely essential to the 

 manufacturers and users of forest 



products of this country ; that we ask 

 these interests to petition Congress for 

 an appropriation of $200,000 to estab- 

 lish such a laboratory, and that it be 

 under the control of the Forest Service 

 of the Department of Agriculture." 



A permanent organization was next 

 effected by the choice of Rufus K. 

 Goodenow as chairman and Thos. E. 

 Will as secretary. These officers were 

 authorized to take such steps as, in 

 their judgment, migh be necessary to 

 carry out the resolutions adopted. The 

 formal session then adjourned. 



The delegates took lunch at the 

 Cosmos Club at 1 o'clock, and met 

 the Secretary of Agriculture at 2 130 

 o'clock. 



Active steps have since been taken 

 to promote the purpose of the confer- 

 ence. 



UNCOMPAHGRE VALLEY PROJECT 



How Work is Progressing on One of the Most 

 Interesting Government Irrigation Works 



BY 



MORRIS BIEN 



Consulting Engineer, U. S. Reclmation Service 



"HIS is one of the striking pieces 

 of work which has been taken 

 up by the U. S. Reclamation Service. 

 It is intended to irrigate about 150,000 

 acres of lands in the valley of the Un- 

 compahgre River in southwestern 

 Colorado. 



The Uncompahgre River itself fur- 

 nishes but a small amount of water and 

 is wholly inadequate for the irrigation 

 of more than a small fraction of this 

 area. 



In an adjoining valley to the North, 

 is the Gunnison River flowing through 

 one of the most magnificent canyons 

 in the world. The river gorge at this 

 place for 20 miles is a narrow cleft 

 with almost vertical sides, the river 

 bed being in many place from 2,500 

 to 3,000 feet below the uplands at the 



summit of the cliffs. This river for 

 practically its entire length passes 

 through narrow mountain valleys, af- 

 fording little opportunity for the use 

 of its waters in irrigation. 



The Gunnison, which is but little 

 more than six miles in a direct line 

 from the valley of the Uncompahgre, 

 seemed inaccessible for the irrigation 

 of the arid lands in the Uncompahgre 

 Valley because of the intervening 

 mountain range whose summits are 

 more than 4,000 feet above the valleys 

 on either side. 



By means of a tunnel through this 

 mountain the waters of the Gunnison 

 are to be brought to the Valley of the 

 Uncompahgre. The tunnel will afford 

 a waterway of about 10 feet by 12 

 feet and will deliver about 1,300 cubic 



