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<br />Clear water both bane and blessing for farmers
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<br />11) IJ[,\:" rRr.STO~
<br />fl",r,,,'M<J(I,,,li,,,,,
<br />Wh.:n d~'.lr \\'.lll'f out of La!...: Pll~'bl()
<br />fir~l Oll\\C"J through n':~"Cml'r Dilch ;1\.1
<br />fl'''U]t ('If the rryingp.;ln',\rkan<;.I~ Pro-
<br />jl'';t. some (If Ihe I<lngu:lt;:c anwng 1;1(111-
<br />cr.. along lh..: dit\.'h lkfiOltd} \\('lulu nOI
<br />11<1\1.' lit into ;l Sunil,,,, ~'rnl<1n,
<br />r.lrn1l'rs wen: h~.l\-i~g .:nough tr.lubt.:
<br />gl'lIlng irrigatitl/l \\'Jla 10 the 1,)\\('( end
<br />(If the h.llf-mik-l,'ng corn row.. \\ hl'n il
<br />,;'.1m.: Ollt llf th..: 00\\ ing ri\.:r and W.IS
<br />muud) '\0 it could 'l'.llth.: por..... or th..:
<br />,oi! "')"I1l'f ;Lllti \"l'l'P the \\.u...r nhwin~
<br />on do\\o (h.: f(lW,
<br />Dik'h 0\\ nl'T.. f..:lulld tho: ck;ir \\ .\ler
<br />W.IS "l'\"'ping morl' and Ih..: IlatC( Ihat ~l)1
<br />to the lidd..just "l'pl \o;l\..in~ dCt'IX'f ;lnJ
<br />dccpI.'f Cln Ih..: upJ'lo:r l'nd of Ihe rm\' \, hit.:
<br />Ih~ I,)\\~r ~'nd ,\1' th~ lidd r~main~'d dry.
<br />"Th~' ,kar \\.lll'r ,.Hl~~'J prohl"ll1s in
<br />th~ tidd~. .Il~ .l\\ay al ditdl b.lnk~ and
<br />c.lII,~d lh a I,l! ,\1' prob!.:m~." ~.Iid Roh.
<br />~rt "U\)b" \\'ik\'. fk f~lrm~ llll Ol'lln
<br />R(l:lU n,'M Ih....,:n" Ill' Ih~ (k"",'l11a
<br />Dih.:h."1I h,l~ 1l1,IJ~ f,trllling Il1<.H~
<br />c\p,'n"h....,..
<br />IIi.. f;lth,'r. R,lb..'rt \\'ik)' Sr" "\\l'nl
<br />\\Ilh a Bur,'.lll (If R.:d.lOution l\1arl tt)
<br />hdp ,,'11 Ih", id,';! llllh~' t:lnlll'r..:' Wi!.:y
<br />'~lld,
<br />[qU,llly di..!Urhing \\.1\ th", <,fink Ih.lt
<br />.l\:coll1p.lIlkd th~ \\;lIer. 1'i,1\ .lou fr".,h
<br />\~.ll,'r ..hrimp sud.,'u ilHl) th..: outl,.t near
<br />the b\llhlm ,11' the re'>l,'noir r~'m.lin,'d
<br />ali\e and he,llthy untjl they \~~'re
<br />dumped 01\10 the jj,'ld Olnd the \\;ll..:r
<br />..o,lkctl int0 the ~oil. 1 h..: h01 ,ummer
<br />~lIn Sf),ln ..~nt str.IIl~": .Homas in!\) th~
<br />,Lir.
<br />Gral~'') \\;Ihin th..: r~'~":T\oir now h'..:p
<br />nHH.t of the Ii\, ('ritl~'r.. in the I;tkejn~te:td
<br />of in Ih~ dit,'h and (\I1lhe lidd...
<br />,- On th,. (l<-hiti\e ..iJ~'. \Vitey ..;tid.
<br />....\grkllhur~ Stabih/allol\ ;lnd Con....:r.
<br />\J.tion S....nii.'..: and S,)I] C'on<,en<ltion
<br />SI..'nk..: ha\~ lx'\.'n \~vrking \\ith u.. 10
<br />upgr.ld..: our ......,.ping din diti.'h..:s to con.
<br />a..:t..: dil..:ll..:... undergrounJ pipdine.. and
<br />l:!;!ted pipe in th..: fidJ. We n........<kd thai
<br />pu\h beC.IU....: \\..: \\I.'r~ bo..-hin\1 :\'onh":fIl
<br />Color.Hlo in th,1t r~'barJ."
<br />fie S;.liJ faTlll.:r.. h:Jrn.:J to "hlHt...'n th..:
<br />h:nj!.th of crop rO\\.; ;lnJ J<.l mor..:land
<br />h:\ding. "In th..: long rUll. it Ol.td..: b..:u..:r
<br />1:lrnl':r~ of u,,:'
<br />Prob..tbl) on..: 1.\1' gr..:.It..:")t phh fa...:-tor"
<br />hOl.. b.:en thc \~int':r \\,tler program. Pri.
<br />or to that ":\":IlI. f.lrma,> luJ to dth,'r
<br />run th,'ir ~hare of irrigati0n water onto
<br />frolen ground or h:t it 110\\ on J(,}\\n.
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<br />Preparing ground for planting on 'he SI. Charles Mesa
<br />more water came with project, changed farming methods
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<br />CO.......nl,'.pl't%;>z::
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<br />~trl..al1l wllh n,) !.:fl.'uit bo..'ing build to\\ard
<br />futur..: \\;lla u"eag.:.
<br />"\\'..: wac ju.,t kiJJing our"",h..... \\I1..:n
<br />\\.: dUlll~d the water on frol'en sdil."
<br />Wih:y said. ":--:0\\1 \\.: ha\.: wint.:r ")tor-
<br />ag..: wat..:r for ..:arly spring u,.... Then, \\e
<br />h;\\l,~ pmjl.'..:t \\ater ')torage fvr U~ \\hen
<br />th.: nati\e ri\er now dmp.. in l.lte July
<br />.lnd Augu..t to let U'i holJ th.: dih:h now
<br />up."
<br />If..: ")aiJ that if Ih", price of !>toragl.' and
<br />bu)in~ fl.'gular r":~f\oir water geh too
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<br />high, it might not Ix \\'tlrlh it then I'M
<br />farm U'iC but it j" po..iti\'e for now.
<br />With Pueb].) ~lIing wat.:r to Aurora.
<br />a.. it had Jon.: this )ear, it would ha\c
<br />been problematic for agrkullure if
<br />Southern Colorado had \ta)('d hot ;lIlU
<br />dry like it was in June and ":<lfly July.
<br />DI)\\'n!>tream at Rody Ford. Frank
<br />lIolder said the rr)ingpan.,\rkOln'kls
<br />Projl'..:t "definitdy incrc(1~d th..: "'alu..: of
<br />farmland in the \all...y. It was one of the
<br />best things that e\'er happen..:d for our
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<br />a;;rkuhur...."
<br />1I\)lJcr said th... projed lia\ m;lde hel.
<br />tcr diteh..."J, out 'If Catlin and Ilighlille ca.
<br />nals by gi\iTlg Ihem more slahility so
<br />f.lfmcrs could grow some of Ihe high.:r
<br />prked crop.. such ;1"1 onion'i and mdOlh.
<br />"All dih.:hes haw bt.'I.'n ahlc to gel
<br />..ome waler when necdl.'d in tim...s of
<br />slress. It i'i got>d insurance," While Ihere
<br />ha\'e been some problems with deM wa.
<br />ter and some seepag.... "the bendil<i
<br />outweigh the probJ..:m.....llold..:r said.
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<br />Without project water Arkansas Valley would-be less green
<br />n~ DJ::.\:\' I'RESIO:\l
<br />Ih,'PJ..UoJ(/'i.jt"i"
<br />rarmcrs. and .lgrkultural agenl.:)' per-
<br />~onnd <lgree that Fr}illfp.ln-,\rkamas
<br />Project w<lter is a plu.. to agrkulturc and
<br />surrounJing communilie')' economy, but
<br />at ka~t on~ proJucer recogni/e"i ....hal
<br />some consider to bt: a n.....;athe dfc;ct of
<br />lhe project.
<br />[\..:n bt:f0re th..: compktion of the
<br />proj..:ct to ui\en Wf,.'"t Slope \\.llc;r to the
<br />,\rkansas V;1I1..:y. a majoflty of Ihe water
<br />\\hkh \\;lS ~old was going to citks and
<br />the stabililing elli.'cl of the project Willa
<br />flow m.l)' ha\e been a f.lctor in al kast
<br />LIl1C '>;lk
<br />"Proje..:t \\.Her probably mad~ Colora.
<br />\Iv Canal :.har\''i more s.ll..:able," SOlid
<br />Cliff Walter of ~Ianzanola. II.: \\OlS
<br />speakin~ or the purchase of part or Col.
<br />or.ldo lanaI's water by the dty of Auro.
<br />ra to augm...'nt the n":ed') of the
<br />c_\panding Demer :.uburb.
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<br />"\Vc; had willlcr storago:. Tholl, al..mg
<br />\\ith the ability to c;hange Ih..: sile of thc
<br />watl.'r outlet mad... it more imiling to
<br />buyers," Waller saiJ.
<br />"Our di\ersion point ;It UOOII... wa<, a
<br />plus for Aurora to buy, panicul..uly
<br />...ince the !>Ioragc; \c;hick was Ihere at
<br />Pu..:blo. It \~ouIJ bt: a good guess to say
<br />J\urora might not ha\c bt:en as ready to
<br />buy this water ....ithout proj\.'C1 watcr.
<br />Walter abo <,...'\:'S positi\e impiKts for
<br />agriculture.
<br />"It has helped .111 Jih:h.:s and Ihe en~
<br />lir~ s)i~tem. Without the project wal..:r.
<br />there \\vuld be k!>s tlexibility on v.h.:n
<br />the farmers c;auld u~.: the ditc;h water.
<br />The remaining ditch \\ater would not
<br />hJ.\'e been.1'> good it.. it is \"it,h projl.'ct
<br />waler." he ~aid.
<br />Doug Wiley. 29, is a )ounger genera.
<br />lion farma who h;lS been promoting
<br />~urge irrigalion and cablegation.
<br />"Personally, I like tt!..: dear Wilter," he
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<br />~id. r..:f..:rring 10 Ihe effect of Puc;blo
<br />Re<;cn'oir in seltling s..:Jiml.'llts out of Ihe
<br />wat..:r. ". am able to save wal..:r. now
<br />lhal I ha"e learned how to use it. In
<br />pl<lces ""here. I want 10 wOlI..:r real ekep,
<br />muddy water is a real pain and lale..
<br />longer to fiU th~ profile."
<br />Wiley has his surge irrigation system
<br />on computer program control. He was
<br />all smiles \\hen he said, "I hawn', golten
<br />upal midnight to move water all Jear,"
<br />There is not much interest in surge
<br />and cablegation downstrc;am ....h..:re
<br />~trcam .....ater has picked up some mud.
<br />And, Wiley said he probably would nOI
<br />have been as apt 10 go computer surge if
<br />he slill had the muddy water.
<br />BUI, "When I starled laking measures
<br />to rcdul:c wil compaction, I couldn't gel
<br />the dear water to go any", here. Comput-
<br />er surge reduced my labor by 25 perc;enl
<br />or mor..:. Now J can s~nd le'>s time and
<br />get a lot mon; cOicil.'nt job. Without the
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<br />proj..."t. we .-.Iill would be irrigaling until
<br />we couldn't stand to bU<;llhe K.'C any-
<br />more," he said. Slorage buill under IflC
<br />Fryingpan.Arkan-.as Pro~":l ha.-. allowed
<br />ror winter WOller "toral:.'C progr<.lms lh<ll
<br />alfdw farmers 10 avoid rhe: "u~ il or IIoW:
<br />il polici..-s or (he past
<br />Bob O<.lJk. Soil Conscr...alion Scrlli.:...
<br />area cngilll.:er 011 La JUllta, '>Ces projecl
<br />walcr as a stabiliLing influence.
<br />"TOlke t-hOlt waler away and a Jot or ju.
<br />nior ditches would be where ("foP'> had to
<br />be laid by eOlrly and yield would be Ie..').
<br />We are seeing people lake chances with
<br />ero,?s that would be 'iffy' at bc!>l withoul
<br />projeCI waler. In some c"'ics the "hel'lla-
<br />li\'c would be to lealle thc IOlnd idle.
<br />"Without the project. \"C' would scr a
<br />lot of land going back to gra')..land. II
<br />would ha\'e a major impact on comrnu-
<br />nitie, bc;cause sales and scrvkcs would
<br />shrink. unk~.. Ihere i.. some oUI..ide
<br />Impa'llike Neop/an," Clark said.
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