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(.':) C) J- ~ '""'" ". -,.,. THE BIRTH OF COLORADO-BIG THOMPSON 73 we were challenged with, "Show us how so big a project can ever be put together and financed!" Procurement of right-of-way in many counties, from Summit to Phillips, for this far-flung project began in 1938. Water adjudi- cation proceedings also began in that year. Thence they had to be followed in seven state District Courts, Supreme Court and Fed- eral Court cases. I was the first attorney in this work. Thomas A. Nixon was added, at my recommendation, as responsible Chief Counsel, from the fall of 1933 to his 1940 health break. He resigned in May, 1941. I was then reappointed. I served without pay for the first three years. During the period of 193'9 and 1940, Tom Nixon, an able lawyer, handled the legal work alone, but it was becoming intense in right-of-way matters by 1941. A chapter closed after many years of contest has been the con- duct of water adjudication proceedings begun in 1942 in Summit County. Before various courts for years, the proceedings were car- ried to the Oolorado Supreme Court and transferred ultimately to the United States District Court. The proceedings culminated in a decree of Federal Court on October 12, 1955, wherein, satisfactorily for the district, the project's priorities were related from August 1, 1935, the date the Bureau of Reclamation engineers' survey began, This was ahead of several contending- large claims. It may be remarked that Weld and Larimer County names have received much mention in this recital. That is natural because I saw men from these counties in action most. Constructive men from everyone of the seven counties worked for the project. It began in Weld County. Its main office and direction were from Greeley from 1933 for 21 years, housed in The Greeley Trib?mebuilding. Weld County has the largest interest in the Oonservancy District water allotments. More than 50% of the district's allottees are Weld County farmers, who will pay the greater fraction of its allotment assessments. Weld County has about 31 % of the total district valu- ation on which to pay the one mill general tax. Larimer County is next with about 23%, and Boulder, since its latecomer annexation, brings that county up to about the equal of Larimer. The balance of general tax will be borne as follows: about 10% by Logan Connty, 11% by Morgan County, 3% by Sedgwick Connty and 3% by Washington Connty. Actual cpnstrnction by moving of earth and rock at Green Monntain Dam began in the fall of 1938. The Rec~amation Bureau was the constructing agency. The District now gets the agricultural and domestic water supply. The government gets the power, available since 1943. The project, now known as the Colorado-Big Thompson, with additional works, has cost about $160,000,000, three times what was ".". '" ~....