The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1900-08-17
Of Interest to Carson Valley Farmers.

The following facts concerning water
measurement and manipulation in Col
orado are taken from an illustrated
article in the last number of the Scien-
titic american written by H. A. Crafts:
Colorado cultivates more than 2, 000,-
600 acres of land, fact made possible
by irrigation alone. The State is
divided into eight water districts, and
each of these districts is subdivided in
to what are known as commissioner
districts. There is a State superin-
tendent of irrigation; but really above
Over each commissioners district pre-
sides water commissioner, who is APP
pointed by the Governor of the State
upon recommendation of majority of
the county commissioners of the coun-
ties through which the district extends.
1t is the duty of water commission
er to see that the water appropriated
for irrigation in his district is distrib-
uted according to the legal rights of
the owners of the bitches within his
district. These rights have been es-
tablished by DEGREES of the district
courts of the State, and the DEGREES
are printed in pamphlet form for the
guidance of water commissioners and
others in interest. The rights of an
irrigating ditch to water from natural
stream, with relation to the rights of
competing bitches, is based upon the
priority of appropriation. Appropria-
ton dates from the completion of
ditch and the taking of water through
it for irrigation.
The commissioners district, cover
ing the Cache la Poudre Valley, in
cludes cultivated area of about $780,
900 acres and ia ditch priorities. The
aggregate appropriation of all of the
bitches is 2,400 cubic feet of water per
second. The maximum flow of the
river is about 1000 cubic feet per
second. In 1884, year of high water,
it discharged for a period of twenty
consecutive days 5000 cubic feet of
water per second; and for period of
fifty-five consecutive days 5000 cubic
feet of water. The river is rated at
weir constructed for the purpose, just
inside of the mouth of the canyon.
From these ratings the water COM
missioner devised a scheme which has
proven quite satisfactory. AS it hap
pens. two of the largest bitches in the
district are of the latest construction
the Larimer and Weld, with an appro-
priation of 720 cubic feet per second,
and the Larimer county, with an APP
preparation of about 900 cubic feet per
second. The head gates of both are
within five miles of the rating weir,
and within four miles of each other.
In the bed of the river, near each of
these head gates, was set pole marked
off in inches, and by using the ratings
made at the measuring weir as basis,
a formula was established whereby the
amount of water being discharged by
the river at any given time could be
determined by glance at one of these
stakes. The Larimer and Weld being
senior to the Larimer county, and its
head gate lower down the river, the
stake located at that point is used for
observation in the first instance. If
sufficient water is flowing to supply
full appropriations to all the bitches
below, and which are also senior, then
any surplus is turned into the Larimer
and Weld until its appropriation of
720 cubic feet per second is filled, and
then if there still exists a surplus that
surplus is given to the Larimer county
ditch up to its full appropriation.
Above the Larimer county is still the
North Poudre Canal which is the
junior of all of the large bitches on the
stream, and which comes in for sup
ply when all the others have been
given their appropriation. AS the APP
preparations of the three bitches named
aggregate an amount about equal to
half of the appropriations of all, the
problem of distribution can, for the
greater part of the time, be solved by
cutting the total discharge about in
half. So long as there is sufficient
water passing the head gate of the
Larimer and Weld ditch to satisfy the
appropriations of the senior bitches,
the commissioner does not worry him.
self about them; each ditch gets its
full appropriation, and that is the end
of it. Occasionally there is complaint
that some ditch is taking more than
belongs to it, in which case the COM
missioner has to make an inyestiga-
Stion and correct the abuse, if there Is
one. But should the water fall below
the point mentioned, then he must call
down the junior bitches in their order,
until the senior bitches have their full
rights.
The larger ditch companies run their
bitches in sections, having a ditch
rider for each section. The water Of