Fruit Growers Dam Project

摘要

Since the late 1890's, the fruit growers and farmers in the region located just northeast of the town of Delta, Colorado, had grown high quality fruits and crops on lands irrigated by water stored in the small dam constructed by the water users in 1898. As the needs of the users grew, the dam was enlarged to meet those needs. The water users of the area cared for their fields and orchards comfortable in the knowledge that their system would provide them with a reliable source of water. In 1937, after almost 40 years of reliable operation, their system failed. The dam, which was poorly designed and constructed from inferior materials, washed away, leaving the users without a source of water for their fields. Faced with the loss of their livelihood, the water users turned to the Bureau of Reclamation for help.