Show rv L colorado irrigation lakes full of finny tribe they are five in number and the water Is clear cold and spar kiang at small depth temperature pera ture Is icy kansas city north or lamar golo just across tho kansas line on the santa fe railway Is a series of irrigation lakes that have been made by building earthen dams across a creek valley these lakes are fed by a canal forty miles long leading from the arkansas river the lakes are there as a result of the suit over the waters of the arkansas which kansas lost to colorado several years ago up there on the colorado plains two thirds of a mile above sea level Is more than one hundred miles of shore line smooth soft green prairie slopes down to the blue water curving about into delightful little bays sweeping back in wide gulfs jutting up in bold headlands the world of flowers and grass meets and melts into the world of waters under the bright sunlight seen through that crystal air shimmering and shining these lakes almost compel the belief that they are a birago kit carson could be again ride across these old familiar plains would be tempted into trying to ride straight through what he would think must be only an appearance of water for he and his friends n ever saw any really wet lake here on a hot still day they have seen myriads of lakes but no real water covered these square miles in their day these lakes literally swarm with bsh at times they lie upon the face SQ thickly that as their fins move the whole surface is as it a breeze was blowing over it they are eo plentiful that when the water Is turned into the irrigation ditches the ash that have spawned and multiplied float down in schools and are carried out upon the fields of alfalfa and other crops and the farmers gather them up in wagon loads and salt down enough in a week to last them through whole year there are five of those lakes they were finished in 1898 and the fish bave been spawning and increasing in numbers ever since the lakes are seven miles north of lamar and to get there one must drive over the lei el prairie the largest of the lakes Is Nen seven miles long party of kansas city men went aut there recently to fish and one of hem wrote the accompanying account at their experiences the members of the party vouch or the truth of this atory in its entirety it was day ander a lazy sun that swung idly through a sky of A drop just after the water leaves the gates of the lake on the way to the irrigation ditches glorious blue about 10 art started for camp in the motor to bring out a hot dinner to pass what hun ger was making an hour dave proposed a swim the was warm and fine let yourself down to tread wa ter and your feet would almost freeze U any time cold drinking water is se cured by pushing a jug tied to the end of a pole deep into the water and jerking out the cork with a string one day a gig head was lost in eight feet of water one dive to the bottom after the lost spear quickly convinced the swim roer that colorado law against spearing fish should be strictly observed so far as he was concerned even at that depth the cold Is extreme the cold water and complete absence ot mud in these lakes explains the fine quality of the elsh |