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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />September 7, 1927 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Flood Control Investigation - Cucharas & Huerfano Rivers, <br />Huerfano (jounty, Colorado. <br /> <br />TO: War Department, <br />U. S. Engineer Office, <br />Gay Building, Broadway at Third, <br />Li~tle Rock, Arkansas. <br /> <br />Gentlemen: <br /> <br />My residence in this county for the period !l:n,excess of 35 years <br />makes the proposed program of flood and erosion control mos,t attractive. <br />I invite your attention to two streams which are trl butary to the <br />Cucharas River, namcly, the Santa Clara and Bear Creek. <br /> <br />Twenty years ago, approximately four times the population, now <br />Ii vl.ng on these streams made a, go011iving by farming and cattle raising. <br />But since that time the denudation of the forests, brush and natural <br />grasses, combined wi th improper farming practices, caused a much more <br />rapid run- off wi th attendant increase of erosion. Where formerly <br />spring supplied domestic and stock as well as irrigation water now in <br />many cases these have dried up completely and in others the flow has <br />diminished to only a small part of its former volume. In the past these <br />streams flowed a very .considerable amount of water all summer but now <br />they are completely dry for long periods of time. <br /> <br />It is therefore apparent that unless some well defined program <br />of soil conservation and erosion control is adopted, it will be but a <br />comparatively short time unttl these areas will support little, if any, <br />population, <br /> <br />And so, it is my opinion that the War lJepartment and the Vept. <br />of Agriculture may well consider not only these two streams but other <br />streams in this count,r, tributary to both the Cucharas and Huerfano <br />Rivers for the purpose of outlining projects, in accord with the <br />pOlicies of your two nepartments for the prevention of further soil erosion <br />not only by coTitouring ann terracing and reforestation but by the con-, <br />struction of retention ponds, diversion canals ann impo~nding reservoirs <br />so that river bank erosion may b,e retarded, stock water provlded and <br />water provided and water for irrigation may be, supplied where earlier <br />priori ties would not be affected. <br /> <br />Very respectfully yours, <br />T. :::>. Young, <br />President \ialsenburg Rotary vlub. <br /> <br /> <br />