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<br />Ol)Z!"~
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<br />COLORADO-BIG THOMPSON
<br />Il4dJ tUJtel' tc the qcldett 1f)eJt
<br />
<br />lBy RALPH [, JOHNSTON)
<br />
<br />It is Ii\unq and apprQprlcr1e !hol 1952"s Golden Tubileu 01 the
<br />signinq 01 the R"domotion Act shouid hnd rhe R&cI"",oilon Bu.
<br />reou'" Colorado-Blq ThompaOn proiael On the high Toad to com.
<br />p1etion.
<br />
<br />11 is lit\inq be=use Ihe IUCCO>>I5ful completion of lhis spedOC\l-
<br />lor and lnniquinq proJect In.U..... On oqrl<:u!lurol ..mplT... in Ncnh-
<br />eost<:", Colorado, a qold.m future: sol.. from dreaded waiN shor'>
<br />0'1<:>8 for farm land., 801.. horn waiN KOlcily for ItS rapidly qrow,
<br />inq cilias and lowns. and provid<td with abundant, low-cc>st ol..c-
<br />!,Ie power lor CI vl!C1L ",ow;ng ond eZjXlndinq economy.
<br />
<br />II 18 appropriote becauM the Colorodo-Blq Thomp50n project
<br />is lypicol 01 the "'lolden west" wn..re men neva, admit tr"t pout-
<br />blll!y 01 d"I&<I1. wheT.. ob.tades ar.. lumed Into Itepplng !Itonu.
<br />where men 01 v~ICln deli<;lhl in doin<;J tnlnqs thai have never oo..n
<br />done before.
<br />
<br />s..couo.e 01 Ih.. Cololado-BIQ Thompo.on ploiltd in whIch th..
<br />people oJ Colorado ioinOld hands with th.. 8ur..ou 01 Reclamation.
<br />Ihe P<<:Fle 01 Colorado and IhQ$8 01 neiqhborinq stat..." tole pleos.
<br />ur9 in unmnq wllh Ihe Bu.eau In oolebrohnq the Golden lubjle..
<br />01 the Ilqninq oy Pleslden, Theodo,e R.,.,..,velt 01 the I'.eclamalion
<br />Acr on lune 17. 190'2, Stqnin'l of the Act mnrked th.. inauqurollon
<br />01 a lederally sponsored prO<j.am lor Ihe con"",rvolion and uiiliZC'
<br />non 01 surplus Wolel5 and the d......"lopm..m 01 controlled. depend.
<br />able il1"l<;1al1on. hydlo-e!ocu;" power and ",laled oonelrts. indud.
<br />inq the enhancemenl oj recr8<Jllonal lacilities. whIch I" ployin'l a
<br />malor role III C'feation 01 Ihe <;Ireal neW ela that '" dawninq loe In"
<br />we.,em pall 01 the U",led S,otel.
<br />
<br />Gen..rallons aqo. Horace Gr...,ley. lamous eduor. said; "Go
<br />West. younq mOllI"
<br />
<br />If GIG<lley were olive today his advice would be lu"t as qood,
<br />lust OS sound OS it was Ihen, but he probably would amend II 10:
<br />"HurIY Wer.l. younq manl" The Colomdo-Biq Thompson PIOIec1
<br />would be one oj the weSleln d<welopmenll whidt would inCIte the
<br />lamous edllol ro advise .pee:d in ml<JIOI:nq inlO th.. wes!.
<br />
<br />A ~horl tim.. oqo. contll.lctl wltr.. awarded lor the lo~t malOI
<br />con.trudian work on the multj.purpaa.ozo Colarodo-Bi~ Thompeon
<br />P"llect.-Ihe completion 01 lWO q'80t hydro-c;actlj., power plan15_
<br />-Pole HIli P~wer Planl and Ir..a nouron Pow.... and pumpin'O
<br />Plan!. The"" are In" 1000t o! /lve 'lre,,1 ""wel pl(~nts. possibly SII.
<br />that will q.m...o,e 177.6!'O lllowons 01 ..Ieoctficily Irom "new
<br />walel r;ascadtnq oown Ih" oostt>m honl cI tho mlqhty Cc,mlr.enlol
<br />Dh'ld...
<br />
<br />Truly. a "'Oolden lOla' IS now ahead lor Nonheustefn Colorado
<br />wlih wat..r and pow"r assured ''valer. anothef nome 101 prO$pe"IY.
<br />IS "in the bonk a>-J>:finst \&an doys rInd lhe d..rr:and lor el<"{"\lk
<br />POW"I. whIm 'lO<>S hand in hemd will'. cr<:onomle advancement. is
<br />l.."plnq oh"ad,
<br />fl<:>m :h.. days when Ine !"SI set:!.... Juq any dllches w:th
<br />hand sho....elll tQ lo<>d W"t~r ~'om the streams to their !h,lds. ~n
<br />ha..... lar-..or~ sWfIQl...J 10u,!,,1 jl!l~01oK!,--and .ven dl<>d, -lor
<br />the" ri~h!s 10 W,l1<~r. Over the ye-ors. :n NNt""",stern Colorado. :,y
<br />tna! orA ..flor ty IWec' =d loll. t"cy r-u,!' up 0 vast system cl
<br />lniqotion reserVCl:~ Qnj C'ano!s thm lI<1nr.lorrned " seml-<:dd land
<br />InIO " rich, lertll.. and ploou<:liv.. ..mplr... This ,YS'elD. mutually
<br />owned by the k:l",..rs thltrnse\'l..s, Indu<l...d 120 dit"h sYS"'ms and
<br />OVIt, GO Sloro.'!e :e"'""';O-"S. h:"'<;1In.. the mtraC\llous lauch 01 Wr;:er
<br />to some 6.000 falm.. Mere Ihon "",vltn hundred tr.ousord ocr..", w..r..
<br />brou-lht und", lItl<;jollon "nd :hey ploduce-<l frult!ully Ivl lhoi m~:
<br />pall l1ui"'lnq etU",,. - 40 Cla",s and 10w"'.6.--,jtl...~lopl>d In tr.e
<br />Olea mdud,,,<< GIHley. fon Colli,...!!. fOil !.Imq"n. tcngm"n1 Lov".
<br />land, SIMlUl<;l;>nd others
<br />
<br />The WOler lupplJe& 10' lfllq<l!i(,n la'''Ie1y p.o...ide-d by the
<br />snoWs and rains III the Rocky Mountollls. tirnmmq the western
<br />edqe eI thiS Ii<:h empllll'. w..re v",iab1ft. ut<><julm and In somft
<br />yea" de"p"rol"ly Inlu;!!c...n' 10 =1.. lor Ih. expandm" lrriqalftd
<br /><:Ireos. The U. S. Depamnent 01 Aqricu1tur.. estlmate<:! rhat m IOme
<br />years wOl<illhorloqel had =1 "s much 0& .$13 million in de-
<br />",eased form prodllClion and thaI OV6' a IO.yem pHioo. tf:e OVel.
<br />aqe d...:Tea.>19 was $7 milhon ol\nua!iy below .....ho1 lulli<:ienl lrrl-
<br />qation wOlel supplies would provide, The averaq" woler Yield
<br />was about 9-OO.aoo acrft.!"", annually. or sh"lhtly mole than one
<br />0<".1001 per acre al irrl~a'ed land.
<br />
<br />lrtlgmlon eXpo:ltll soy :h<:rt 1"1 Ihe Ullual tllverllfied ClOp plo-
<br />qlom on a......loqe soll aOout 2"" aCTo.!eet pel ocre 01.. needed and
<br />thai a ION" pollioll 01 Ihls water Ihould be stared waler sub!ec1 to
<br />call far USE! In malurln'l' lme <:Tops.
<br />
<br />All this added up \0 one thinq All lite wot." was used up.~
<br />or opplOprlaled.----on th.. Eolltern Slope of rho Rocklel tram .....hkh
<br />Ihe area oblain.-d Its waler. No mOle iniqu!lon walel could 00
<br />obtained Irom Ihe Codle 10 Paudre RIVel. the Bi'l and Unl." Thomp-
<br />son Rivell. lhe SI. Vroin Rlv.... Boulder CI_l. or from the vall..y
<br />01 th.. South Plane River from 0 point above Plattevtll.. to th..
<br />Nobralka Stale line.
<br />
<br />-"'here was lher.. anothel"wa1erhole"?
<br />
<br />11 WOl no1 en th.. emir lid" 01 Ihe sly.scraplnq Coolin.",tol
<br />D1Vtd". Eo.""" Slope waler .....Os -::ll in use, all approprlal..d lor
<br />benehcial use except ....all" !lood wat...s. dithcuh 01 cc"rtol and
<br />expenslv" to store in peak supplies.
<br />
<br />Whal aboul Ihe '......st..rn Slope.' the other Slda 01 th. bocH,one
<br />01 the Nation? rar.IOOuud Winds dlop~d th"lI" bu,dens of Inow
<br />ortd I<:Iln mo,e abundantly on Ih.. WeIIIN" Slope 01 the Divtde
<br />wh.m the mOlsture.lad..n clouds collided with th.. peaks. Weltern
<br />Slop<' wal..r. headed fOI the Gut! Of Collfornia and the Pocilr"
<br />Ocvon by way 01 Ihe Colorado River. was "01 all ~"'tnq put to use.
<br />Ther.. WQS your "last '''''<It... hol..... But the 'OlOnI!e backbone aJ
<br />lhe Nalion lay bat.........n lhe Eoste'n Slope landa and Ihe "water
<br />hol.....
<br />
<br />I
<br />
<br />Vias it posxibl" 10 Ii!! wal..r hom a "-""1" drolnaqe area QI th..
<br />heod....m<:>rs 01 Ih.. Cololooo River <;rC'fo.l-S th.. Conliflltnlol 0i"'''19 10
<br />rhat Watltr. orIginally head<1d 1m ,he Gu~ 01 Cohtcrllla would b"
<br />Jehnlle!y used 10' 'fliqcl;on III Cololado !OIm !Ields?
<br />
<br />Colo<odrxms did not quit by cskinQ 11 It was possIble They
<br />ar.~ed, 'Wha: ia the best way 10 do ,,? And they wenr ahead ood
<br />did It!
<br />
<br />They 'lille-d" 427 aquare mll..s ot t"mlolY across ihe Conlin.
<br />e"'ol Divld.. 50 that th.. ....-:,t..r pl:>dUCed 110m rain OIld snow would
<br />flow eastward 10......C1ld ~he Atlo:mtic Q.::&an "'!\lead cI roward the
<br />Pactli" Oc<<>n. 01 thUl 427 $qume mil... o! land. 322 w...re at the
<br />headwa~"" oj -he fomous Cok'lado RwO'r and IO~ squa,.. miles
<br />.......,.. Ihe dtmnaa.. Oleo cl .NlIla.... Creek, 0 irtbutary 01 the Colc>-
<br />r:Ido !'liv..r. ir... Colorado Rive, temtory proo:luc"d 822 ocre.fe-et 01
<br />W01'" p<;1 ""UOle ,,,,ie n!>nually. whlle ~n.. Wrllo..... Creek basin
<br />I-'rooucM (UI uvera"., cl 4~~ ocr...f.." d ...."'<,, Pill sqUat.. rot:e.
<br />The Cvlorado thv.., land produced I 28 ace.!_t d wa~..r per
<br />ocr.., Ihe Willow en...k bas," p,oducwd 72 aCle-le,,1 01 wal"l
<br />per oc"annually.
<br />
<br />AI~er sC'U\lyinq all Wesi Slope flG"h!s it 011 added up to <lbout
<br />300.000 acre-lee' 01 wat..r annu,,!Iy cvallable ICf Eastern Sic?"
<br />lUol' by packm<;j' 427 squate mi:... oi land :JC'f0$l Ih.. Cont,nental
<br />Divioo.
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