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<br />districts for financing and operating large irrigation systems) and'
<br />follouing the enactment of the National Reclamation Act in 1902, for
<br />cooperating with the Bureau of Reclamation in repayment of construction
<br />costs,
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<br />The 1950 United States Census shows Colorado has 9,258 irrigation
<br />enterprises, representing a capital investment of $161,396,063, These
<br />enterprises include 7,713 diversion dams, 16,833 miles of irrigation
<br />canals, 1,105 reservoirs with storage capacity of 2,021,343 acre feet,
<br />6,437 wells, and 3,202,911 acres under irrigation.
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<br />Colorado also has eleven water development projects completed by the
<br />Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers at a total cost of
<br />',/55,771,132, All but two of these projects have been built since 1937,
<br />Several others are under construction or in various stages of~planning or
<br />authorization. .One of the largest of these is the Colorado-Big Thompson,
<br />which is now nearing completion and Vlhich has been in partial operation
<br />the past three irrigation seasons, The Canejos unit of the proposed San
<br />Luis Valley Project, the Platoro Reservoir, is ready for use, Many more
<br />projects must follow before we oan say irrigation development is complete,
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<br />Interest in irrigation and the conservation and more efficient use of
<br />our water resources increased yearly and as we approached the hundreth
<br />anniversary of the oldest priority for irrigation, interest and desire
<br />among irrigation men for proper observance of Colorado's Irrigat.ion
<br />Centennial were strong,
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<br />In response to this sentiment, Governor Dan Thornton early in the
<br />year (1952) appointed a committee of tlilenty-seven men, representing all
<br />irrigated sections of the State, to arrange for observance of "A Hundred
<br />Years of Irrigation in Colorado. II
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<br />This committee met in De~ver February 18, 1952, for organization,
<br />appointed committees on program and general arrangements, decided to hold
<br />the celebration in Alamosa in cooperation with the Colorado Irrigation In-
<br />stitute April 8 and 9, and in San Luis April 10,
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<br />The Committee accepted the invitation of Adams State College to use
<br />its facilities for its meeting, also the offer of the State Historical
<br />Society to furnish a br,nze memorial plaque. 11r. Delfino Salazar offered
<br />to build the monument for this plaque on the bank of, the San Luis Peoples
<br />Ditch,
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<br />Everyone requested to take part on the program by the program commit-
<br />tee accepted graciously, and the committee on arrangements had effective
<br />support, The Governor I s committee is able to publish the Proceedings of the
<br />Irrigation Centennial through .the generous financial support of Colorado
<br />.Agricultural and 14echanical College and the Colorado llater Conservation
<br />~oard, and is grateful for the splendid cooperation of all those taking
<br />part in the Centennial Celebration in giving due recognition for the out-
<br />o standing developments in irrigation agriculture, irrigation structures and
<br />their operation, irrigation law, and management of ~ur water resources,
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<br />This report includes two papers which were not
<br />sessions at Alamosa or the celebration at San Luis,
<br />round out, just a little, the historical picture of
<br />in this State,
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<br />presented during the
<br />They are added to .
<br />irrigation development
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