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<br />Among other things, the State Engineer is charged with the duty of
<br />administerin2: five Inter-state River Compacts, or Treaties with sister
<br />States and three decrees of the Supreme Court of the United States, affect-
<br />ing the use of the waters of the State, He is also an ex-officio member
<br />of the State ';Iator Conservation Board, the State Planning Commissi"n, the
<br />S.tate Irrigation District Commission, the Public Irrigation District Com-
<br />mission, and the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers
<br />and Land Surveyors.
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<br />By Act of the Legislature in 1950, he is also charged with the duty
<br />of reporting to the ',Ieather Control Oommission, the results of all \-Ieather
<br />iiiodHication Activitiec; in the State,
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<br />It would be difficult if not impossible, to definitely establish the
<br />date of the first practice of irrigation in Colorado, The construction of
<br />our earliest ditches are almost coincident "lith the arrival of the first
<br />pioneers, There are evidences which are found in the Nesa Verde area, of
<br />canals or ditches "hich were in existence prior to the advent of the white
<br />man in Colorado, and which are said to have been built by Indian tribes
<br />that occupied the southerly and westerly portions of the State, Since
<br />Zebulon Pike, in.the history of his expedition 'into this territory in
<br />1806, makes no mention of either canals or settlements, it may be assumed,
<br />that with the exception of canals which may have been constructed in pre-
<br />historic times, no irrigation occurred in Colorado prior to 1306.
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<br />Fresentirrigation practices with few exceptions, were initiated
<br />immediately follouing the era of the trappers and fur traders and coin-
<br />cident with the gold rushes of 1858-59, Hhile there is substantial
<br />evidence which 1wuld indicate that there were instances of the practice
<br />of irrigation in a minor 1,ay, on the Purgatoire River and HardGcramble
<br />Creek in the Arkansas river basin and on St, Vrain Creek in northern
<br />Colorado in the early 18401 s, such were of a temporary nature and re-
<br />sulted in no permanent developments.
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<br />Al though three or four 6.itches were builtin the Arkansas and South
<br />Flatte River valleys as early as 1859, no fewer than forty ditches were
<br />constructed in the San Luis Valley prior to the latter date, by the early
<br />Spanish-American emigrants from the Terri.tory of Ne,1 HeJ(ico.
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<br />The ditch which has the earliest prior.l.' ty in this State is the San '-)
<br />Luis Feople's Ditch, the Centennial celebration of which, is the \
<br />~auspic:Lousand happy occasion for this gathering, This ditch was awar,i~ed ".
<br />a decree out of Culebra Creek for 21 second-feet and one out of Rito Seco
<br />Creek for 2 second-feet, both with dates of priority as of April 10, 1852.
<br />It has been asserted h01i1ever, that \<IOrk on these ditches was initiated
<br />as early as 1849.
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<br />When G, ll. Heap rode into thi.s Valley on July 4, 185.3, he is 'iuotad
<br />as having stated that he arrived at a small village in Culebra inhabited
<br />by He.xicans where there were "numerous farms" which were skillfully irri-
<br />gated, In his report of December 2), 1895, to State Engineer Sumner,
<br />Francis T,Anderson, Superintendent of Irri.gation in San Luis Valley,
<br />stated that "for variety of crops andfeltility of soil, Water District
<br />No, 24, is unexcelled," /
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