WSP07166

• File Number: 8509
• Description: San Luis Valley
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 8/1/1941
• Title: History of the Irrigation from the Costilla River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

History of Irrigation from the
Costilla River

In the year 1853 the Aoequia Maure was con-
structed or at least its construction was begun..
This, of course, was long prior to the establishment
of what is now the boundary Un", between the states
Of Uew Mexico and Coloradol but, for convenience,
we will refer to the presen'& state line as though
same had been in existence at tho ti~~ of the con-
struction of all 'the ditches herein mentioned.
The Acequia Madre is a large ditch and heads
on the north ban.'c Of the CostUla Rive". _at'a.point
where the river emerges frOm the mountains onto the
plains. It runs in a generally northerly direction
.,

across the state line and irrigates lands in both new
Mexico and Colorado.
During the next yeal' (lSS4) the construction

of two more ditches was begun. One of these was a ditch
almost as large as the Acequia Madra. It is known as
the Manzanares Ditch. Like the Acequia Madre it heads
in new Mexico and flows across the state line into
Colorado. Nearly all or the land ir-rigated, however, by
the Uanzanares Ditch lies in Colora10.

The other ditch begun In 1354 was the Cerrito,

which is a small ditch wholly ~ithin New Mexico.

The third large ditch from the Costilla was

the Yadriles constructed wholly in Colorado and begun

",

in the year 1856.
Tte con.tr'Ictlon of the Car-rit" Ditch was

~~.
~,'

.:;

"

"

~,

<',,",.