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<br />. Table 1 <br /> Climatic Data <br /> Temperatures <br />City Anr1Ual January July <br />and Mean Mean Hean Mean Mean <br />County Precipitation Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum <br /> (inches) (degrees F) <br />Estes <br />Park, 15.9 37 15 78 46 <br />Larimer <br />Fort <br />Collins, <br />Larimer 14.9 40 12 84 54 <br />Greeley, <br />Weld 12.2 40 9 89 55 <br /> <br />DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMY <br /> <br />The Cache la Poudre River basin in the early days of settlement <br /> <br /> <br />was crossed by Indians, trappers, miners, emigrants, and soldiers. <br /> <br />During the 1860' sand 1870' s, agricultural "cDlonies" or cooperative <br /> <br /> <br />land settlement organizations accelerated local growth. In the <br /> <br />semiarid climate, only a limited number of cultivated crops could be <br /> <br /> <br />grown without irrigation. Canal irrigation was quickly begun in order <br /> <br /> <br />to assure good yields. The primary sources of water were the South <br /> <br /> <br />Platte River and the Cache la Poudre River, which are fed by mountain <br /> <br /> <br />snowmelt. Irrigation ditches and water storage reservoirs are now <br /> <br /> <br />numerous in the plains. <br /> <br />By about 1900, surface water rights were fully appropriated. <br /> <br /> <br />Transmountain diversion from across the Continental Divide was initi- <br /> <br /> <br />ated to import water into the area east of the Rockies. The major <br /> <br />diversion in this area is the Adams Tunnel of the Colorado-Big Thompson <br /> <br />project which was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation. <br />began supplying water to parts of Larimer and Weld Counties <br />and has helped to stabilize crop production. <br /> <br />The project <br />about 1953 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />5 <br />