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. C , o P T .. THE ENLARGED SOUTH SIDE DITCH COI1PANY 703 No. Clmmeroial Trinidad, Colorado tlar.oh 2, 19iJ4 "One day nearer Viotoryl tl Senator Ed. C. Johnson Senate Building Washington, D. C. Dear Senator Johnsonl During the 1943 season we were unable to 'produce any orOps on our 6,000 acres due to extremely low flow in the Purgatoire River., Yet, during the twO preceding years, 1941-1942. 335,000 aore feet passed by Trinidad and over our dam, while the normal flow for the two years w:>uld have been 142,6000 aore feet. Had some of this ,..,ateI' been oonserved, we oould have had a full orop last season. We have replaoed our dam that was washed out in t,he 1942 flood, with a per- manent struoture, whioh oost us aboutt15,Ooo. We did this with Purgatoire Soil Conservation Distriot and SoU Conservation Servioe assistanoe. Under the Flood Control Aots. approved on June 22, 19:;6. and lJune 28, 1938, a preliminary survey of the Purgatoire River was oompleted and submitted to the House of Repre sent ati ves on January 24. 19~. The report emb,odied a.n approved reoonunendation for Flood Proteotion to the City of Trinidad. but made -no provision for flood 0 antrol. It is the opinion of the water users of the Distriot oovered by the report, that the proposed flood pro- teotion for the City of Trinidad does not in any way solve the flood oon- tro1 problEllll and would, if oompleted, result in serious damage to all the irrigated land below, Trinidad. Our headworks. !liS well as those of other Companies. wot\ld be worse off than they now are. Water oonservation and oontrol is of vital importanee to' the entire OOIllmun- i ty and oonsideration of water oonservation and flood oontrol is urgently, requested for the benefit of all ooncerned. However. all wateh users sin-, oerely think that the money intended for use on a ohannel through Trinidad would not solve the problem as it would make a greater burden on dams and ditohes and oause more ,..,ashouts and damage on theriverb~low Triliidad. We feel that it would be to the best interests of all ooncerned to have the Bureau of Reolamation interested in the project. Your support in water oonservation on the Pur gatoire River would. we think. solve the problem for the City of Trinidad and land owners on the River. The vater users are willing to shoulder any of the expense they oan to get this jOb done. This was deoided at a general meeting held February 25. 1944. at whioh praotioa11y all oompanies were represented. Yours very truly, The Enlarged South Side Ditoh company (Signed) BYI James Cummings, President. _.-;,,'