Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-04-13
NEW LAWS WHICH
INTEREST FARMERS.

structures required to be approved by
the state engineer. the charges will be
S1.OO for each 5000 or fraction there.
of Of the estimated cost of such struct.
ures; the fees so collected will be uti-
lized In the gauging of such bitches as
In the Judgment of the state engineer
require gauging, and for making seep-
age measurements In the fall. Here
after 1t will be possible for the state
engineer to have n ditch rated when
ever he believes II ia drawing more
water than it IL entitled to. and parties
injuriOusly affected by excess diver
sions will no longer be required to pay
to have their neighbor's ditch rated.
Senator Ehrhart's bill. No. 100, pro-
vides for the turning over of all state
reservoirs TO the counties In which the
same are situated, the counties bec0m-
ing responsible for my damages result
ing from the brenkage of dams and
such repairs as are necessary; the
water stored In the reservoir to be used
only to reinforce the demands, for
water during the scarcity. and the
water IL not to be disturbed In accord
ance with priOrities. but to he pro rated
among the different consumers need
ing water, without expense to the coll
Sumer.
The, most important bill, probably, is
Senator TaylOr's bill. No. 420. In rela-
tion to the exchange and transfer of
water from one ditch to another; here
after when the change of the point OF
diversion is sought 1t will be necessary
for the owners to petition the District
Court from which the original decree
was issued. praying for such exchange,
and the practice and procedure will be
the same as for the original decree:
should the court determine that such
change does not injurlously affect 9TH
er appropriations he will issue new de-
cree allowing the change and without
forfeiture of his original priority. Ac-
curate maps, must be prepared. show
ing the old and new difclles and sur.
rounding lands. and the lands Of other
owners in the vicinity: sectiOn'3, how
ever, provides that the owhers of ditch 4
cs and winter rights taking wafer from
the same stream may loan each other
for limited time the water to which
each is entitled. for. tho. purpose OF saw
Ing crops or using water In more eco
nomical manner: notice in writing,
however. must be given of such ex-
change. signed by all the owners par.
ticipating In such exchange. stating for
what length OF time the same shall con-
tinue: upon the notification having
been given. the water commissioner
shall recognize the same In his distri-
button OF water.
The state engineer Is of the opinion
that this Is the most important net
passed by the General Assembly In re.
lation to agriculture and irrigation. and
he believes It will tend to stop the In.
discriminate transfer OF water. and
will prevent the using of the excessive
DEGREES which We're recently granted
and never used except in part.
A great deal OF the trouble OF recent |
years. he says. has arisen from the fact |
that the amount OF the older dccrees |
were largely In excess of wlnf they |
needed. or what the ditch would carry;
the owners would either |
sell and transfer part of their decree. +,
or would enlarge their ditch so as to |
carry the full appropriation. thus rem |
dering later DEGREES almost valueless In |
times Of scarcity, which later DEGREES |
In the beginning for all practical pur- |
poses had been ms good as the later |
ones. The law also relieves the office |
Of the state engineer OF great amount |
OF responsibility, and while II lessons |
his judicial powers. 1t will make more |
effective his administration of the |
laws, ard render easier the carrying
out Of the decrccs Of the court.
While some OF these bills have not |
yet been signed by the Governor. there |
liz every reason to believe they will he. |
as they are what has been needed for |
n number of years.