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development occurs around irrigated lands,and to explore possible opportunities for cooperation between municipalities and drainage districts in addressing shared drainage problems or concerns. 4. For Counties-better understanding how drainage affects future residential and commercial development,achieving better equity in the way lands are assessed for drainage, and improving the capability of counties to know the whereabouts of drainage infrastructure in unincorporated areas of the county where county government is responsible for monitoring and planning future growth. 5. For the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District-assessing possible benefits of improved drainage of irrigated lands in meeting interstate compact requirements,groundwater augmentation programs,water quality in the Arkansas River,and the protection of return flow rights currently filed by individuals and canal companies. 6. For the State-identifying ways to improve the overall approach to drainage infrastructure management in the state,and identifying cost-effective and beneficial ways to assist drainage districts to improve their systems by way of encouraging long-term financing of rehabilitation and/or installation of new systems. HISTORY OF DRAINAGE IN THE LOWER ARKANSAS VALLEY Drainage district acts were passed in 1911 and 1919 by the Colorado legislature authorizing the formation of drainage districts. Between 1911 and 1922,there were 25 known drainage districts organized in Water Districts 67 and 17 in the lower Arkansas Valley.6 Most of these were organized in Bent and Prowers counties,although several were also organized in Otero and Pueblo counties(see Map 1 and Table 1 and 2). The formation of drainage districts represented a considerable capital investment by growers in the lower valley, attesting to the importance of drainage to agricultural production then and now. Combining the infrastructure of the 25 drainage districts,approximately 84 miles of tile drains and 107 miles of open drains were constructed at a cost of$1.4 million dollars between 1911 and 1925. These drainage systems served a minimum of 99,872 acres. The original benefited acreage was estimated by Federal Land Bank engineer appraisers based on the number of acres reported as being assessed by the combined 25 drainage districts.' It is not completely understood what inspired such a large drainage district movement in the Lower Arkansas Valley,relative to other areas of the state that generally did not experience such a movement. Presumably, 50-60 years of irrigating in the Lower Arkansas Valley had demonstrated the need for adequate drainage.' In later years,drainage problems of a more or less serious nature were again reported for various points throughout the lower valley. Subdrainage problems were particularly notable in the area east of Las Animas, Colorado. In 1942,backwater and silting up of the Arkansas River was noted by the Federal Land Bank as causing problems with some of the drainage systems. This is also the case today. Elsewhere, some of the tile drains were observed to have settled over the years,generally leading to their removal rather than being rehabilitated.' Both backwater and silting up of the Lower 6 In preparation for this section,the Sociology Water Lab researched archives of the Federal Land Bank at the Farm Credit Services office in Wichita,Kansas. Thanks to Dexter Henderson,Engineer Appraiser and long-time employee of the Federal Land Bank. Engineering Report on Water Districts 17 and 67. John H.Griffin,Associate Engineer Appraiser and A.R.Owens,Assistant Engineer Appraiser,The Federal Land Bank of Wichita, 1943. 'Federal Land Bank report, 1943. 8 The previously cited Federal Land Bank study reports that irrigation commenced in the Arkansas Valley in the early 1860s,as it did elsewhere in Colorado. 9 Federal Land Bank report, 1943. 5