The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-23
FLOW IS GOOD
GOVERNMENT REPORTS ON
WATER IN PLATTE RIVER
Water, However, Appropriated
Many Times Over.-Number
of Irrigated Acres and
the Population

The results Of an investigation of
interstate water rights on the Platte
river and its tributaries by the gov
ernment have been made public in a
bulletin just issued. The report
deals with water right problems on
that stream in Colorado, Nebraska
and Wyoming. According to the
bulletin statistics were gathered as
to the value of water, both as deter
mined by the rentals paid for its use
ana by the value of the crops grown
on irrigated lands. The duty of
water was also studied on a number
of typical streams in each of the
three states. Supplementing the
statistics regarding the number OF
water rights and the volume of water
appropriated are abstracts from the
court decisions defining the nature
of these rights. The influence Of
water rights on development within
states is discussed by Mr. Mead and
the interstate water problems by Mr..
Teele.
The issues dealt with in this
bulletin are similar to those now
being litigated in the United States
supreme court with respect to the
water of the Arkansas river. They
comprise: O The relation be-
tween riparian rights and those ac-
quired by appropriation in the same
state: and (2) the relation between
appropriations rights in the different
states.
The first ditch diverting the water
OF this stream for irrigation was
built in 1859. This report sum-
marizes the results of the develop
ment since that time and shows how
important are the interests depend
ing on. the stability of water titles.
The Platte river and its tributaries
irrigate 1924, 463 acres of land.
Some of the best farming land sells
for $500 and none that is irrigated
sells for less than $40 an acre.
Fifty years ago this land was regard
ed as desert and was practically
worthless. If the right to use water
in irrigation were taken away from
1t, it would be practically valueless
today.
More than 100000 people live in
the irrigated territory on this
stream. Not all Of them depend on
agriculture. The city of Denver
with 200, 900 people, Cheyenne with
Is. 600 people, Larimie with 1900
people, North Platte with 10000
people, and a score of other towns
having from l. 900 to 10000 inhabi-
tants, with their machine shops,
flour mills, paper mills, beet sugar
factories. and transportation inter-
ests, all tend to augment the I'M
portance of water. because not city
or town, factory or railway, can
be assured of the privilege of using
the water of this stream without
securing a right thereto through
definite legal procedure.
The value of water rights for irri-
cation has risen from S4 an acre to
s35 an acre, and stored water sells
for even higher prices. water TO
irripate an acre of land has been sold
for $l5 year.
The average flow of water in the
South Platte and its tributaries is
3, 765 cubic feet per second. Against
this supply rights to 3o,5s' caoic
feet per second have been established
[ in Colorado and Nebraska. Ihe
area irrigated from the North flatle
and its tributaries is about 800, too
acres. In Nebraska riparian rights
are recognized, as we'll as rights OF
appropriation. Being inherent IN
the land, the first named do not re-
ouire any legal procedure for their
establishment,
The measurements of the water
used and the water returned TO Ihis
stream bring out the fact that
large percentage of the water or
yerted by u particular canal Is hou
wholly lost, but returns TO li'e
stream and is used over ana over
again. Some of the measurements
showed that in low water the return
seepage tends to increase the ho" ol
,+h,r tb,p diminish it.