The state herald., 1909-05-21
ENGLISH DITCH
CHANGES HANDS
NEW COMPANY COMPLETES DEAL
FOR HIGH LINE CANAL
NEAR DENVER.
HAS HUGE RESERVOIRS
INAUGURATEs ONE OF THE LARG-
EST IRRIGATION ENTER
PRIsEs IN COLORADO.

Denver-The Republican Friday
morning says: Contracts were signed
yesterday whereby the Antero Land
& Irrigation Company. new corpor-
alton formed Of owners Of land lying
Immediately east and northeast of
Denver, along the line of the English
High Line canal, purchased the An
tero reservoir and the High Line ca
nal for $1,50O.0OO, making one of the
largest transfers of suburban irriga-
tion property that has been made in
this city in a number Of years.
Added to this will be the cost of en-
larging and extending the canal and
constructing the main laterals, which
will amount, according to engineers
estimate, to 100000 more. The pres.
ent deal is one of vast Importance to
Denver from an irrigation standpoint,
and represents the outcome of trans
action whereby 35 Denver and Greeley
business men organized a close cor
poration known as the "Antero & Lost
Park Reservoir Company" for the
purpose of building reservoirs near
the headwaters of the Platte two
years ago.
Two sites were purchased at that
time, the Antero and the Lost Park.
The Antero reservoir. located near
Hartsel, about 100 miles from Denver.
is nearly finished and is an ideal site
for an irrigation dam. 1t is Is miles
in circumference. covers 1000 acres
and has storage capacity of So $780,
100000 cubic feet equivalent to about
$4,000 acre feet, or sufficient water
to irrigate $4,000 acres.
The Antero & Lost Park Reservoir
Company on Feb. 6 of this year. pur-
chased the holdings of the English
High Line Ditch Company for 5000 900
The English company owned the High
Line ditch. which extends from the
mouth of the Platte canyon to n point
about Is miles northeast of Denver.
n distance of 20 miles.
Inasmuch as some of the most val
liable farm lands in Colorado. for the
most part close to Denver. are under
the High Line. the purchase of this
canal furnishes the Antero and Lost
Park Company with an outlet for its
water. The English company had no
reservoirs and always experienced dif-
ficulty In securing enough water from
the Platte to irrigate the lands under
the ditch. As a consequence the land
had lain idle and unproductive. In
large portion. since the construction
OF the ditch as II had prior to that
time.
But the combination OF reservoirs
and ditch was a great spur to the
owners OF land along the High Line.
They saw their land greatly enhanced
In value. and Immediately began to
devise ways and means to secure wa
ter rights. They finally agreed to Or
sanize an irrigation district under the
district irrigation law OF Colorado, to
be known as the Denver Suburban IL
rigation district. so called because II
adjoins the city limits to the north
and east.
The next step was to finance the
enterprise and to issue bonds to carry
on the work. To do this the Antero
land a Irrigation company was or.
ganized. and II was this company that
yesterday purchased the Antero reser.
voir and the High Line canal for 81.
100000. The company has purchased
three additional reservoir sites along
the line OF the canal for storage pur.
poses. These sub.reservoirs will have
an additional capacity OF 1900 acre
feet. making a total storage capacity
OF $4,000 acre feet for the district.
The irrigation district contains but
10000 acres. making II apparent that
there will be ample water at hand. as
the United States government csti.
mates that only one acre foot OF water
In necessary TO irrigatc an acre OF
ground for one season.
The officers OF the Land Owners
Association OF the Denver Suburban
Irrigation district. and OF the Antcro
Land a Irrigation company are: II. A,
Morrison. president: a. d. Annis. vice
president. and A. d. Wall. secretary.
treasurer.