|
<br />:<
<br />\,
<br />"
<br />
<br />-26.
<br />
<br />As disclosed by the records of the State Engineer's office, the fol-
<br />lowing six ditches, all in Water Distric,t No. 24, are the oldest ones in
<br />Colorado, the priority dates of which, range from April 10, 1852 to April
<br />1854: '
<br />
<br />Name of Ditch
<br />
<br />Creek
<br />
<br />Priority
<br />No, Date
<br />
<br />Amount
<br />Priority Decreed
<br />Second-feet
<br />
<br />San Luis People's
<br />Ditch
<br />San Pedro Ditch
<br />Acquia Madre Ditch
<br />Montez Ditch
<br />Vallejos Ditch
<br />Manzanar10 Ditch
<br />
<br />Culebra and Rito Seeo
<br />Culebra and Rite Seeo
<br />Costilla
<br />Ri to Seco
<br />Vallejos
<br />Costilla
<br />
<br />1
<br />2
<br />3
<br />4
<br />5
<br />6
<br />
<br />August
<br />March
<br />April
<br />
<br />April 10,1852
<br />April 1852
<br />1853
<br />1853
<br />1854
<br />18511
<br />
<br />23.00
<br />19.50
<br />22.50
<br />1.00
<br />17.00
<br />23.00
<br />
<br />I now come to the main. subject on which ,I am supposed to talk; that
<br />is, the "History of Administration of the Public Water Supplies of
<br />Colcrado. "
<br />
<br />The Legislature in 1879, following the adoption of the Constitution
<br />in 1876, realiZed that there had to be some authority to administer the
<br />water decrees of the Courts, so it created, a few Water Districts through-
<br />out the State and the 'office of Water CommisSioner.
<br />
<br />[; , The law provides' tha.t a Water District shall consist of all the lands '
<br />irrigated by the waters diverted frOll\ a designated stream. There are nOW
<br />sixty-nine water districts in the State. ' " ' '
<br />
<br />'I
<br />Fran time to time, the Legislature has created Irrigation Divisions,
<br />of which there are noW seven, each of ,which ino1udes the drainage basin
<br />of a major river system or an integral part thereof,
<br />
<br />In 1884,' the Legislature created the office of Irrigation Superin-
<br />tendent which name I~S later'changed to that of Irrigation Division Engineer.
<br />Each of these o.fficials have supervision over the water commissioners in,
<br />their respective irrigation divisions. '
<br />
<br />These division engineers and water commissoners have certain pre-
<br />scribed duties, all of which pertain to the administration of ths water
<br />decrees in their respective divisions and water 'districts.
<br />
<br />For the proPer correlation of the duties and acti vi :tieso.f these
<br />officials, the Legislature in 1881 created the office of, State Engineer,
<br />, with general authority and supervision over all of the public water '
<br />supplies of the State and the administration thereof.
<br />
<br />, '.there are eleven major stremn systems of our State consisting of the
<br />Arkansas, Rio Orande, San Juan, Animas, Dolores, 'Gunnison, Colorado, White,
<br />Yampa, North Platte and ,South ,Platte Rivers., '
<br />
<br />The Arkansas River produces an average of 1,150,000. acre-feet of
<br />,water per year, of which 880,000 acre-feet are actually consumed within
<br />, the State,
<br />
|