PROJ01836

• Contract/PO #: C153788
• Contractor Name: Greeley and Loveland Irrigation Company
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 3
• County: Weld
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Application

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THE GREELEY & LOVELAND IRRIGATION COMPANY

The first predecessor corporation of the Greeley and
Loveland Irrigation Company was formed in 1881. The present
corporation was formed in 1900 by the farmers under the system to
take over the operation of the system from the British interests
which originally developed it.

The system was built by British proprietary developers under
the corporate name The Loveland and Greeley Irrigation and Land
Company, later reorganized as The New Loveland and Greeley
Irrigation and Land Company. Its water was sold by "contract
rights" to farmers, and in 1901 the system was turned over the
Greeley and Loveland Irrigation Company organized by the farmers
who exchanged their contract rights in the canal for stock in the
new company. One vestige remaining today from the water
"contract rights" of the British developers are contract rights
in the Loveland and Greeley Reservoir, more commonly referred to
as Lake Loveland contract rights. The Company also recognizes a
total of 4 "canal contracts" that were never exchanged for shares
of stock. There are 1640 shares of stock in the corporation
owned by approximately 160 different individuals and entities in
addition to the 4 canal contracts and the 300 contract rights in
the Loveland and Greeley Reservoir (Lake Loveland).
Seven Lakes Reservoir Company was also formed in 1900 to
acquire storage reservoirs and reservoir sites. Seven Lakes
Reservoir Company does not have a delivery system and its water
has always been delivered through the canal system of the Greeley
and Loveland Irrigation Company. Seven Lakes Reservoir Company
has 400 shares of outstanding stock owned by approximately 60
different owners and entities, most also stockholders of Greeley
and Loveland Irrigation Company.
The two companies control 456 second feet priorities for
direct river rights on the Big Thompson River, the earliest
dating from 1865, and reservoir or storage rights of
approximately 66,700 acre feet. Approximately 18,000 acres of
land are under the system.
Two headgates on the Big Thompson River are maintained by
the Company, known as the Big Barnes Ditch and the Chuhback Ditch
(Greeley and Loveland Canal) with their respective points of
diversion. The Greeley and Loveland owns and controls Lake
Loveland, Boyd Lake, and the Equalizer and Houts Lake Reservoirs.
The Seven Lakes Reservoir Company owns and controls five
reservoirs; Horseshoe Lake, Westerdoll Lake, Heinricy Lake, and
Upper and Lower Hoffman Lakes. The interchange facilities of
the system to exchange water between the two companies has been
developed over the years to afford greater use of the water.