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<br />-42- <br /> <br />In 1860 about 35,000 acres of land were irrigated in Colorado. <br />From that time until 1909 development progressed at a fairly rapid rate, <br />the increase in irrigated l~d averaging over 60,000 acres per year. <br />During the decade from 1909 to 1919, the rate of increase dropped.to an <br />average of about 10,000 aores per year and from 1919 to the present the <br />increase has been negligible. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The decline in the rate of irrigation development since 1919 may <br />be attributed to a number of factors, one of which was the occurrence of <br />an agricultural depression in the early 1920's. However, the major factor <br />which, in most of the states about the year 1909, caused the sudden flatten- <br />ing of the curves representing the rate of irrigation development is the <br />fact that, up to that time, development was relatively easy and compar- <br />atively inexpensive. The basic water supply was being developed with <br />only nominal storage requirements. The land which was being developed <br />lay contiguous to the streams, or at least in the same basin where the <br />water originated, and was so situated with respect to the water supply <br />that the water could be readily applied through ditches by gravity. <br />Consequently, irrigation works were simple and relatively inexpensive, <br />and the financing of projects was within the ability of individuals, or <br />relatively small groups of individuals. <br /> <br />A new era in water development has commenced which involves the <br />construction of multiple purpose projects to supply new lands with irri- <br />gationwater and to provide supplemental water supplies for. existing <br />irrigated land and, in some cases, to make more useful the water that is <br />already being used. S~oh projects include not only features for supply- <br />ing irrigation water but also for generating hydroelectric energy, for <br />flood control, and for other benefits. <br /> <br />. The_~"m",iningHproj.ec.tstoJ;)ELC_onstructed are so exp-enei ve and so <br />Jrrv:olyed both from'), physical.standpoinl;;and from the stan:dpClii\:.1;;~'~of <br />human relations that they are beyond the ability of individual irrigation <br />aistr1Ct,s or mutual dHch--compa-iires--to' construct. It is -a:1so"beyolld <br />tl1e:tr'-abili-ty,"-acting-a:IOrie,"'to resOlve many of the human relations <br />problems which must be resolved before such projects can go to construc- <br />tion. Whole river basins or major portions thereof, including the <br />municipalities and all industries that will be benefited by such develop- <br />ments, will be called upon to pay their fair proportion of the oosts of <br />such projects. Both the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers <br />are being utilized to investigate such major projects in Colorado, and <br />to prepare plans and specifications and supervise the construction of <br />those which have been authorized for construction by those agencies. The <br />-- <br />Co1..~rl3._<:I.Cl3Iater Conservat.1.Cl..!1 .flogX'd, Yl.h.i.cJl was created by special..€ISl,t_j.n <br />1937, is actively cooperating with the Bureau of Reclamation, tl1e Corps <br />'''oFilngineers and other governmental agencies, as well as state agencies <br />and various local organizations, in planning the water development pro- <br />gram for Colorado. <br /> <br />(: '. The Water Conservancy Distr.ig1Lf&t of 1937, as amended, enables <br />large-area:s-to6Fg'arf~zelOr"tT;e purpose of financing and operating large <br />multiple purpose projects financed by federal funds in Colorado. Such <br />water conservancy districts are over-riding districts, and include with- <br /> <br />-, <br />