18 BULLETIN 1026, U. S. DEPAETMEiSTT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



On July 6 the appropriation of the Larimer County Canal No. 2, 

 priority No. 57, was cut when the river was carrying approximately 

 1,000 second- feet. Eights prior to this appropriation aggregate 1,800 

 second feet. On August 1 the appropriation of the Lake Canal, 

 priorit}^ Xo. 54, was cut when the river was carrying approximately 

 TOO second-feet. Rights prior to this appropriation aggregate 1,600 

 second feet. On August IT the Greeley Canal Xo. 2 was cut when 

 the river was carrying 325 second- feet. The priority number of the 

 first right is 37 and prior rights aggregate approximately 700 second- 

 feet. On August 23 the Josh Ames Ditch, priority Xo. 25, was cut 

 when the river was carrying 250 second-feet. Prior rights aggregate 

 600 second-feet. 



From the preceding list of rights it will be noted that there have 

 been many transfers of appropriations from one canal to another. 

 Whether these transfers are of benefit or harmful to a community de- 

 pends on whether the rights transferred are bona fide rights wliich 

 have been properly used or whether they belong to the large class of 

 excessive decrees given before conditions were well understood. 

 AVhere a canal has a small excess of water which has developed from a 

 better use of water or the waterlogging of land which has been irri- 

 gated, the transfer of this water does not damage any other right, yet 

 extends the area irrigated and tends to increase the general pros- 

 perity of the community. On the other hand, where an appropriation 

 has never been used except for the sole purpose of establishing a so- 

 called right to it, its transfer is bound to affect adversely all rights 

 subsequent to it, and, therefore, to be distinctly harmful to the com- 

 munity as a whole. To illustrate : The Boyd and Freeman Ditch has 

 decrees for appropriations aggregating 99 second-feet, but its capacity 

 is only 25 second-feet. It irrigates 650 acres and, considering the 

 character of the soil, it is evident that 25 second-feet is much more 

 than sufficient to supply all the water needed. In fact, at least 60 

 second-feet of its first appropriation, priority Xo. 6, could be sold 

 without impairing in the least the chance of the ditch for full satis- 

 faction throughout the season. If it were possible, and this 60 second- 

 feet right were transferred to the Poudre Valley Canal, for instance, 

 every right subsequent to priority Xo. 6 would be adversely affected. 

 As the Boyd and Freeman Ditch has never, in fact, used the water, a 

 transfer would be equivalent to taking the water away from subse- 

 quent appropriators Avhose rights would, thereupon, fail a week to 

 three weeks earlier than the}' do at present. 



Some idea of the money value of water rights in the river is given 

 by the cost of water transferred, though it must be understood that 

 these transfers were made some years ago. Parts of priorities Xo. 

 2, 19, and 29 were acquired by the Xorth Poudre Irrigation Co. at the 



