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SYSTEM OVERVIEW <br />The Bijou Irrigation System (System) is comprised of two entities, the Bijou Irrigation Company <br />(Company) and the Bijou Irrigation District (District). The System is located downstream of <br />Empire Reservoir and includes Empire Reservoir storage water and direct flow diversions from <br />the Bijou Canal. The Empire storage system consists of the Empire Intake Canal, the reservoir <br />and the Empire Outlet Canal, which conveys storage water to the Bijou Canal. The Bijou Canal <br />also diverts direct flow water from the South Platte River and is the only System canal to make <br />irrigation deliveries to those lands within the System. The System is also responsible for <br />diverting the direct flow rights for the Corona Ranch and the Putnam Ditch Company (Putnam) <br />via the Bijou Canal. <br />In 1900, the Company was formed and purchased the water rights of the South Platte Land, <br />Reservoir and Irrigation Company. Construction of the Bijou Canal began in 1904, and with the <br />extension to its present length, was completed in 1910. Irrigation water derived from the <br />Company is considered to be direct flow water and must be applied directly to the crops. <br />The District was formed in 1905 and commenced construction on the Empire storage system. <br />The first fill of the reservoir occurred in 1909. Irrigation water derived from the District is <br />considered to be storage or reservoir water and is diverted via the Empire Intake Canal for <br />storage in Empire Reservoir. Releases from the reservoir supplement direct flow diversions and <br />are conveyed to System lands via the Bijou Canal. Additional storage for the lower portion of <br />the System was attempted with the construction of Bijou No. 2 Reservoir in 1909. Due to sandy <br />soils, however, it has never been able to efficiently hold storage water and is now used as an <br />augmentation facility. <br />Key structures identified in the Bijou Irrigation System are as follows <br />1) Empire Intake Canal <br />2) Empire Reservoir <br />3) Bijou Canal <br />4) Bijou No. 2 Reservoir <br />These infrastructure components are owned by the Highland Ditch Company: <br />Bijou Irrigation District & Company <br />229 Prospect Street <br />Fort Morgan, CO 80701 <br />Contact: Kathy Samples <br />Phone: 970.867.2222 <br />The general locations of the Bijou Irrigation System and associated structures are shown on <br />Figure 1. <br />Bijou Irrigation System 2 of 13 <br />