WSPC01812 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

.,...-.~ ~:1"' . . . .. J Much publicit,y has been given to the development of agricultural resources of the nation through irrigation reclamation projects. The limited water resources of the West must be used, however, not only for irrigation but also for balancing the economy of the people in the develop- ment of urban and industrial water uses. The Denver area, which must necessarily include much of the farm and ranch land within thirty to fift,y miles of Denver, presents a water development opportunity including all t,ypes of water use: agricultural, urban, and industrial. The generation of electric power will not be discussed here even though hydro-electric power to be developed in connection with the development of water resources will be a distinct benefit to the Denver Metropolitan,Area. Discussion of power is omitted because it is a product which can be secured from other than water resources. Water, however, is a limited commodity and when the water which falls on the country by natural meanS is exhausted, the country is Wllible to develop further. I t is a recognized and obvious truth that no community can develop beyond its water resource. The agricultural economy of the upper Platte Valley found the ceiling of its development in 1879 when it was discovered that ditches taken out at that time were unable to furnish a dependable supply of water. ArI;f ditch having a date subsequent to that time has not had a dependable suppl;y of water by direct appropriation. Even earlier ditches have found it necessary to acquire storage water to supplement the flows of direct use rights in order to make it possible to produce the more valuable . row crops which have a long growing season. ThiB condition arises by virtue of the fact that the Platte River natural flow becomes so reduced ver.v: by the middle of July that only the/early ditches TIlH!f be sure of a supply when needed in dX,y weather after that period. 9lLZ