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<br />expressed U,y the legislature or tested in the ,courts. ~. C. ~eeker spcke
<br />for Greeley when, in a Greeley Tribune editorial, he outlined a policy.
<br />First the principle of prior appropriation must be recognized. Until it
<br />is, capital invested in irrigation cannot be secure, he wrote.
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<br />"It looks to us as though it would be much better to consoli-
<br />date the interssts of every ditch owner and to make the river an
<br />irrigation canal, subject to such superintendence as is establish-
<br />ed on our ~lumber Two; for by this means everyone would have his
<br />rights, the supply of water would be constant, and all would know
<br />what to depend on."
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<br />On July 15th, a deek after the Publication of the Meeker editorial,
<br />a meeting of Poudre Valley irrigators was held at the Eaton school. 'Fort
<br />Collins ditches were taking all the water frem the river and the Greeley
<br />ditches were dry. David Boyd in his History of Greeley and the Union
<br />Colony of Colorado has left a highly oolored picture of tlie meeting.
<br />Greeleymen advocated the principle of prior right at the meeting. Fort
<br />Collins 1II9n argued for the ,appointment of a commissioner who would divide
<br />the water according to the greatest need, throughout the current season.
<br />While no agreement was reached, the meeting ended amicably with the
<br />promise on the part of Fort Collins, to let some water down the river,
<br />a promise, David Boyd asssrts, that, they never intsndsd to ksep. A heavy
<br />rain a few days after the mssting savsd the situation for that season,
<br />but the irrigators in the Greeley community were firmly united in a
<br />,determination to secure recognition of ths principle of prior right. Less
<br />than 2 years later the Colorado Constitutional convention reco~ized ths
<br />Greelsy position. The cominittee on irrigation, agriCulture, and manufac-
<br />turing consisted of nine mSmbers, two of whom were frcm Greeley, wrote
<br />the constitutional provisions.
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<br />'liThe right to direct the unappropriated waters of any
<br />natural stream to beneficial uses shall never be denied.
<br />Priority of appropriation shall give the better right as
<br />between those using the water for the same purpose . . . ."
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<br />The first legislative session was too 'preoccupied with the organiza-
<br />tion of state government to attempt to implement the constitutional PrO-
<br />visions concerning water. Ths Greeley irrigators did not rslax. They,
<br />realized that the courts were too slow'to offer protection to 'growing
<br />crops. They got new converts from the Fort Collins area When, in 18"{8,
<br />_Ben ""tQn began construction of, the Lilrimer and Weld ditch. This ditch
<br />was to come out of :the Poudre at the mouth of the Poudre Canyon and it
<br />,was designed to irrigate-1-O,ooo acres of ,land above, and north of all
<br />other ditohes on the 'river. It was to have s' capacity of 571 second- <
<br />feet, large ,'E!II.Qugb, to ,~J<<U!g.. the poudre' water throughout most of the
<br />irrigating se.ason. - ..---..,-..-.... ....,--,,'.. ,.. ..'
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<br />In OCtober 1876, J. L. Brush and L. C. Mead, representatives frOm
<br />Weld County, and Silas B. .~. Haynes, senator, called' a meeting of )Veld
<br />County irrigators to discuss needed' irrigation legisiation. A small
<br />number of farmers attended, but. they included repre.sentatives !rem both
<br />the Poudre and st. Vrain. L. C. Mead of the st. Vrain was elected chair-
<br />man. (luickly the meeting dec1..c18d that three problems needed legislation.
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