The Monte Vista journal., 1908-02-22
DITCH MERGER PLANNED.
Owners Of Northern Colorado Rsssf
volrs In Conference.


Owners Of Northern Colorado Rsssf
velrs In Conference.
Fort Collins.-An important meeting
Of the owners OF q number OF the grea.
storage reservoirs Of Northern Colo
RADIO was held here Monday, to con
slider the merging Of their several
properties into one giant company.
with q capitalization equal to their
combined value. Briefly stated the
situation II ~ follows:
The Poudre Valley Reservoir Com
pany owns the ditch Of that name.
whose headgate and intake is located
on the north side Of the Poudre river
above La Porte, and occupies the
strategic position OF being the high
est up Of any ditch on the river. An
extension Of this ditch from Its pres.
eut terminus would cover an immense
area north Of Ault and above the Lar.
inner county ditch. which, until the
construction Of the Poudre Valley. en-
joyed the distinction Of being the
"highest up" ditch on the Poudre.
About $3.50, 900 has been expended
ON the Poudre Valley ditch and its
reservoir, Lake Douglas, at its present
owners. the farmers Of Larimer and
nized u the gateway" to an immense
In the world. estimated At 10000
acres and upward. lying, As stated.
above Ault and on both sides OF the
Union Pacihc-land that with an ade-
quate water supply would be worth
Just AZ much As the valuable land in
the vicinity Of Eaton and Ault, or 500
an acre and upwards.
But the owners Of the Poudre Valley
ditch and reservoir system have not
enough water Of their own to supply
the new empire, nor have they the
capital to extend their great ditch.
whose carrying capacity At the head
10 1000 cubic feet . second.
On the other hand. reservoir con-
structiOn In northern Colorado has
been pushed to such an extent that
there II at present an actual surplus
OF stored water in many OF the storage
reservoirs In that section yearly, water
not needed by the older and estab-
lished ditch systems. To md profit
able market for this surplus water and
provide the necessary capital to COM
plete the great Poudre Valley ditch by
means Of . merger. 10 the problem the
owners Of the various properties have
undertaken to solve.
They have an exchange system In
this section dimcult for any but expert
irrigationists to understand. but TO
give something Of an idea Of the way
II IL managed. 1t may be stated thus:
A ditch company with q limited sup
ply Of water constructs . storage reser
voir which II can MI. but the water
from which II cannot use direct. be-
caust the reservoir IL below the ditch.
But another ditch. below the reser.
voar. can use II, % trade II made.
the ditch that draws the Watsr out Il
the reservoir permitting the ditch own.
ing the sams and hllinR It to use the
river water Of the ditch that draws the
reservoir water. Or. the water from
the reservoir may be emptied into the
river at . point lower down. and for
every foot turned into the river the
ditch company making the delivery
will be permitted to divert the same
quantity at its intake At point higher
up.
This exchange system has been car.
ried to such an extent that soms Of the
Oldest ditches on the river seldom re-
ceive their river water. bat In lieu
thereof the stored water Of Junior
bitches with late appropriations.
The properties represented at the
coufereace today were: The Poudre
Valley Ditch 4 Reservoir Conpany's
ditch and reservoirs. the reservoirs Of
the North Poudrs Irrigation Company.
Nos. 5. 9. I and >: Fossil Creek an.
neg: Boyd lake aad some ninor prop
erties. Attending the conference and
Participating IN IT. deliberations were:
B. d. 6aabosa. 9. H. 0outhard and
Jesse Wyatt. Greeley: Christopher
Mon, gomesy. Datoa: Horace q. Clark,
Deuver: ,. N. Scott. ~. J. Fitzpatrick,
2. D. Wsadelken. w. =. Waddle. J. L.
Purdv and c. n. LsGeett. Fort Collins
Preliminary committseo were ap.
potnie6 and an adjournment taken to
February 27th.