The Grit-advocate., 1905-11-24
Platte River Water Rights.

The United States Department OF
Agriculture has issued, as Bulletin l51
OF the office of experimental stations
a report giving the results of an in
NeStlgatiOn OF interstate water rights
on the Platte river and its tributaries
and dealing with the water right prob
lens on this stream in Colorado, Ne
braska and Wyoming
Statistics We're gathered as to the
value of water, both as determined by
the rentals paid for its use and by the
value of the crops grown on irrigated
lands. The duty of the water was also
studied on a number of typical streams
in each OF the three states. Supple
mentinS the statistics regarding the
number of water rights and the vol
ume of water appropriated are alb.
stracts from the court decision defin.
ing the nature of these rights. The
influence OF water rights on develop.
ment within states is discussed by
Mr.. Mead and the interstate water
problems by Mr.. Teele.
The issues dealt with in this bul
letin are similar to those now being
lit.eated i'll the United States Supreme
Court with respect to the water of the
Arkansas river. They comprise: %
The relation between riparian rights
and those acquired by appropriation
in the same state; and l2) the rela-
ton between appropriations rights in
the different states.
The first ditch diverting the water
of this stream for irrigation was built
in 1859. This report summarizes the
results of the development since
that time and shows how i'm.
portant are the interests depend.
ing on the stability OF water titles.
The Platte river and its tributaries IT.
rsate 1,924.463 acres of land. Some
of the best farming land sells for $500
and none that is irrigated sells for
less than SO an acre. Fifty wears ago
this land WAS regarded as Il despr,
and was practically worthless. Ii the
right to use the water in irrigation
were taken away from it it would be
! practically valueless today
, More than 800, 900 people live in the
! irrigated territory on this stream. NOT
all OF them depend upon agriculture
! The city of Denver with 100000 poo.
/ pie, Cheyenne with $1,000 people, ar.
annie with 1000 people. North Platte
with 10000 people. and score o,
|
| habitants. with their machine shops
flour mills, paper mills, beet sugar fac.
tories and transportation interests, al,
! tend to augment the importance of
water, because not a city or town. n
! factory or railway can be assured of
/ the privilege of using the water of This
stream without securing riphr
thereto through Il definite legal pro
cedure.
The value of water rights for irriro.
tion has risen from 81 an acre to So
an acre. and stored water sells 70,
even higher prices. Water to irrisaff
an acre of land has been sold for sl5
a year.
! The average flow of water in the
South Platte and its tributaries is
2,16o cubic feet per second. Againsr
this supply rights to 3o.597 cubic Ynet
per second have been established in
Colorado and Nebraska The area ir
rieated from the North Platte and its
tributaries is about 900. 900 acres In
Nebraska riparian rights are recop
nized, as well as rights of apnronr,
alton. Being inherent in the land The
first.named do not require anv Iapa,
procedure for their establishment
The measurements of water usa,
ana the water returned to this stream,
bring out the fact that large ner
centase OF the water diverted by par
tlcular canal is not wholly lost. bur re
turns TO the stream and is used owe,
and over again Some of the measure
ments showed that in low water the
return seepaSe tends to increase the
now OF streams rather than Diminish
| it.
Applications for this report sbou,d
De made to the director of the Office
or experiment stations. United States
Department OF Agriculture. Washing
| ton, D. G.