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I I Ii I I I, I I I I I I I I I I I I I', 2. FORT LYON CANAL COMPANY 2.1 History Irrigation under what is now known as the Fort Lyon Canal began in 1860 when an engineer employed by the United States Government constructed a small ditch for the use of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians. The ditch was only a mile or two long and apparently was not used to a great extent os it had been completely abandoned by 1868. In 1868, George T. Reynolds, a Texas cattleman, purchased a land claim under this ditch, filed upon the land as a homestead, and proceeded to reconstruct the abandoned ditch. Native grasses and corn were the principal crops irrigated. In 1874, Mr. Reynolds sold to Abraham Armentrout, who continued to use the ditch for irrigation until 1883 when he sold to the Arkansas River Land, Town and Canal Company. In about December of 1883, the Arkar1sas River Land, Town and Conal Company was incorporated to construct ditches and other works for irrigating lands in the Arkansas Valley. This company acquired from Mr. Armentrout all his interests in the ditch system, with the consideration being 0 perpetual water right for 640 statutory inches (16 cfs) free of any assessments or charges. Construction of m enlarged ditch was begun in February 1884 and continued through 1889, but not without several changes in ownerships and management. The system was acquired by the Arkansas River Land, Reservoir, and Canal Company in 1885, by the La Junta and Lamor Canal Company in 1892, and finally by the Fort Lyon Canal Company in 1897. By about 1892, the Fort Lyon Canal had been constructed for its full, present day length, but it was not until after the turn of the century that it was constructed to its full present day capacity. In October of 1897, the Fort Lyon Canal Compmy entered into a contract with the Great Plains Water Storage Company. The Great Plains Water Storage Company was developing the Greot Plains Reservoir System md was given permission to enlarge the westernmost 42 miles of the Fort Lyon Canol in order that it might divert and transport water from the Arkansas River to its Kicking Bird Canal for delivery to the Great Plains Reservoir System. Eventually, the Fort Lyon acquired a right to 5,483 acre-feet of water out of Queen Reservoir os part of the compensation under this contract. The Fort Lyon began the development of its storage system in J 90 I. Initially the stream flows of Horse and Adobe Creeks were to be regulated. In 1906, the Fort Lyon began expanding the system to divert and regulate the Arkansas River stream flows. Thurston Lake, near the lower end of the canal, was purchased and developed as a useful reservoir in 1905. 3