The Fort Lyon Canal: The First 100 Years 1897 to 1997

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water rights located upon them, and the lands with wa- ter rights were mortgaged to various loan companies at an average valuation of $12.50 per acre, the funds thus raised being used for construction of canals and the improvement of the lands. To the settlers owning their own lands in the territory east of Horse Creek water rights were sold at an average price of $10.00 per acre, the allotment of water under such rights being 1.44 sec- ond -feet for each 80 acres, or $800.00 for an 80 -acre water right. These water rights are now worth $5,500.00 each, or more. Many thousands of acres were seeded to alfalfa in the spring of 1888, not only by the Company but by the farmers, and a fair stand was obtained notwithstanding the numerous breaks which occurred in the new canal banks, often depriving the lands of water or delaying its delivery at critical times. This was also partly due to inexperience of the farmers and to the lack of knowl- edge of how to irrigate and to handle water. During the winter of 1888 and 1889 settlers who had taken up lands north of Lamar induced Mr. Henry to extend his canal from its terminus at Gageby Arroyo to Big Sandy Creek, a distance of 73 miles, and about the same time, or before, that portion above Gageby to the river was enlarged to a capacity of 761.8 cubic feet per second of time. Following the completion of the canal and the application of water decrees of priority were obtained giving its first priority for 164.64 cubic feet per second, as of date April 1511, 1884, and its second prior- ity, for 597.16 second feet, as of date March V, 1887. The entire cost of the canal up to this time was about 12