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<br />,THE FO~TMORGANuTIMES, TUESDAY; JULY 22.1~2
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<br />'. ~~Ht:tOJ~L~~ R (J_AN_ TIMES
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<br />" Some Narrows Dam Fact~(
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<br />_~--, The eonstructlOn o( (,"I'-;;ows -:- . -, , , '___ "
<br />Dam" is a question lhat ~<J.-. cour~e IS 1n Morgan county ~nd One Good Irrigation
<br />. ceive the consideration of all P?s.slbly ~ould have a go~ernIng '- ' it is indeed questionable wh"eth-
<br />,J farmers obtaining irrigation water CIVl~' sen'lce staff, locat~d. In Fort er the ~4,OO.o acre feet of. water
<br />from the South Platte river or its I Mo!~an. The ma.1n de,c.1SlOnS and would furnish the 230,000 acres of
<br />tributaries as well as everyone ~ohcles .fJf operation wIll be made J land one good irrigation, leaving
<br />who derives .a iivelihood indirectly In Washmgton a.od ",at locally.. I t~e 30,000 acres ,of new land en-
<br />: from irrigation farming in i.he It ~as been lmplled at varIOus lJrely out of the pIcture. ,
<br />11 South Platte Basin, whether he, meetl~gs by the Bureau of R,ec- Accordingly the 1.52 b~nefit ra-
<br />!lives abo\'e or below the proposed \ lamatlOn at F,ort Morgan, Sterl~ng lio-the benefits weighed ;)gainst
<br />structure. and Greeley, lhat upon completion the cost of construction claimed
<br />, The reell issue is not the location of the the Narrows dam i.hat i.rriga. by the bureau would certainly be
<br />of the dam but who will control tIOn systems b,elO\~ '~he .structure reduced and probably would be a
<br />the water impounded '[herein upon would ~ave all Ih~ Jr~lg~tlOn \\I;,ter minus figure. .. " .
<br />completion of this proposed dam. they might ".eed lor lhe next ~Ifty Most or Qur eXIsting lrrlgailon
<br />California is currently trying to years (the lif~ expectancy :?f i.he systems do need a more adequate
<br />buy back from lhe bureau iden- dam). Accordmg i.0 the i1gures ,supply of water. However, an ad- I
<br />tical privileges which ~he Bureau I judication of water from the South
<br />prcsented by the Bureau of Rec- b
<br />of Reclamation is so very cleverl,v Platte river should e made dir-
<br />lamation, it is estimated i:hat, with
<br />attempting to secure from the in- the return flow from the Colorado. i ecUy to such ,systems rather '.han
<br />habitants of the South Platte River Big Thompson diversion along with 'to the Bureau of Reclamation or
<br />Basin. .A lengthy :OInd well-defined Narrows darn, It behooves the
<br />seasonal floods, there will be an
<br />explanation of the Bureau of Rec- average of 64,000 acre feet of wa- farmers and all water users of '.:.he
<br />lamation's plundering of farmers tel' available for irrigaUon !Jurposes South Platte Basin to demand that
<br />is given in June 1952 issue of Farm annually. With this. the bureau "irrigation water" (our most vital
<br />Journal ."age :l5, I I resou.rce) shall not be taken out
<br />t' proposes to furnish supplemental
<br />To File For Decree of the control of the farmers and
<br />irrigation water for 230,000 acres f
<br />The Bureau of Reclamation pro- 'of lllnd that are already under ex- p~a~ed in ~he hands ? Federal
<br />poses to file for a decree on all isting irrigation systems, as well Civil &ervIce ExecutIves. Any
<br />waters of the South Platte river 'as furnish all and adequate ~rri- reservoir Qr dam impounding irri-
<br />that have 1)ot bee'n adjudicated. gation water for an additional :10,- gation water should be controlled'
<br />The granting of such a decree to 000 acres of new land (land that is II bv far~ers'ana'\vatetusers. Shoulrl
<br />the Bureau of Reclamation would 'not now included in ~ny irrigation I I controversy develop over water
<br />forever forbid upstream develop- ,'system or district). between the bureau executives and
<br />ment or retention of any water in 1 A.ue-' 'FOoD' Required Ithe water users of the proposed I
<br />the basin unless the "Narrows" The bureau states that one acre . Narrows it would be practically
<br />was already filled ~o :ts maximum ' foot of irrigation water is required I impossible to remove a federal
<br />capacity, The dam is so large, cov- in addition to natural r~infall to I farmer and water use: control of
<br />ermg an area of 26.500 acres as adequately furnish one acre of civil service executIve. Under
<br />well as an additional flood ease- 'land with water for irrigation farm- I an irrigation system, prejudiced of.
<br />ment area of 2,100 acres that it ::s : ing annually. Upon analyzing these ficials could be removed by an-
<br />presently believed that it never figures one finds that the G4,000 nual election of directors. Like-
<br />would he filled to capacity. 1 acre feet of water available would wise the supreme executive .'Luth-
<br />I The Bureau of Reclamation is op- furnish only three tenths of an acre ority of any. irrigation system
<br />erated as a branch of the Depart- foot of supplemental water for ~he should be located in 'i..he commun-
<br />I ment of the Interior just 3S are 230,000 acres. ' ity or area served by such system
<br />the National Forests, Practically Since many of the older irriga- rather than in Denver or, in the
<br />: everyone knows or the '~rouble tion systems ct:lrrentIy jn operation final analysis, Washington, D, C.
<br />~ ranchers holding "grazing per- find it necessary to shrink water Can't Venture Cost
<br />i mits" .have ha~ with .civil service I delivery 35% because of seepage Further, the'cost of irrigation wa-
<br />executives of ,thIS S~l'VICe who have throughout delivery, it is neces. ter to be furnished by the "Nar- ,
<br />I reduced the grazing limits to such sary to assume that the Bureau' rows Dam" to any irrigation sys-
<br />'an extent that some individuals of Reclamation would also lose tern is so staggering that ~ven a
<br />r have been forced out of the Tanen- water through delivery. If the 64,-, bureau official, at a recent meet-
<br />:.ing bu~iness, 000 acre feet of water were shrunk .
<br />Operated By Executives 33%, there would be only iwo
<br />The "Narrows" as.presently i:lro-, tenths of an acre foot of water'
<br />posed would be operated by Civil available for each of the 230,000
<br />Service executives, The headquar- acres of land to be furnished with
<br />, ters of the Department of'~he In- supplemental water. ALSO IN;
<br />I terior is in Washington, D,. C,' A THIS CALCULATION THE SUP-:
<br />~ branch rl this department, the POSED 30,000 ARCES OF NEW I
<br />I Bureau of Reclamation has an 0(' LAND.TO BE FURNISHED WITH,
<br />II/ice in Denver, "Narrows" 01 i AN ADEQUATE AND FULL SUP. :
<br />PL Y OF WATER HAS BEEN I
<br />I COMPLg;TE,r,.,L .PISREGARDED.
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<br />2831
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