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THE AMITY MUTUAL IRRIGATION COM'AN' 1563 PRESIDENT'S REPORT TO The Amity Mutual Irrigation Company 'l'O THE DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS: .', It Is dlfUcult to m.ake a report to the stockholders On the operation of the Amity in a year when their 'Prime resource, water, was 80 BCa.rCe. Most of you aNI Hvlng bere and have observed trom day to day the acute condition caused by the drought locally and ,by the aIb- sence af wattlt in the Arkansas River. OD'}Y 31, 629 acre feet was diverted from tbe rIver throughout the year and only 46,245 a.t. pass- ed this beadgate 'tor the use of earlier appropriators down stream. The 31,6,29 a.t. this year compares with 72,97'6 a.f, In 1962 and a six year average of 86,031 a.t. Last year we were short of water .but local rains and the timely arrival of flood waters made up tor the lack of water 8IPPlied. and produced a good. crop. This year the IOCM rains were much les8 and the flood water In.suUlclent to meet the CTQI1) needs. Only a rain of from llh" to 2" In late August saved ma.ny acres at row crop trom beIng a complete tallure. }'aIr to -average soil moisture J'D the Spring permitted plant- Ing ot row crop and good germlnArtlon 9tarted good stands In most localities. Dronth in Apr13. a.nd May and lack of lrr!.gation left much at these plantlngs dwarfed and backward. .Had IrrigatIon water been plentftul Jater, some growers .say, f.t would have ta'ken more than nOT. mal supply to Iproouce good crops this season. Water was rele.a.sed 'from John MarUn Reservoir on April 1st. 23,US9 a.t. had accumulated in the 'fIve months of storage. Thla was depleted by AprU 12th. Due to the absence ot SDOW In the moun- tains no water was avaIlable untll May 23rd, then 8 combination at snow and raIn lasted only to June 6th for the Amity. On September 22nd aome wa.ter had accumulated behind the Dam but was declared empty agaIn on September 25th. Less than 15 days water was avail_ able this year of regulated. supply from John MartIn -Reservoir. Irrigation water In the Arkansas Valley In 1963 was av~ll. a.ble 8. large par-t of the season only to those ditches with very early priorities. The Arkansas River was extremely low most ot the season. The snow run off waB hardly noticeable In the lower part of the Val- ley. Ra.lna In the local area on June 15th caus-ed. brea;xs in the Canal but they also helped start some row crop that had not been Irri- gated. The brea.ks In the Lamar .area where most of tbe damage oc- eurred were repaired 80 tbat the water. that was available. was back In the Canal on JUD-e 18,th. ThIs storm did not produce very mucb run oU ulpstreatn and no storage in Jobn Martin Reservoir. TbIs ,year the Arkansas River at Las Animas was measured at 43,338 a.t. a-Dd the Purgatoire at Las Animas at 36,'47'1 a.f. mak1nc & 'total of 79,808 a.f. inflow. The outflow at John Martin Re8enolr .p.,. ,.