20 



BULLETIN 1026, U. S. DEPARTMEIfT OF AGEIC-LTL-TURE. 



quantity, and priority of their appropriations. The distribution of 

 the normal flow alone would be a diiRcult problem, in view of the great 

 daily fluctuation, but the problem is further complicated by the ex- 

 changes made, the foreign water and reservoir water carried in the 

 natural channels of the basin, and the seepage return to the stream. 



The present incumbent " has been water commissioner of the district 

 for more than 25 years ; and his long experience, good judgment, fear- 

 lessness, and unquestioned honesty insure a just distribution of the 

 water in the stream. He receives each day by telephone reports of all 

 activities within the district, including the flow of the river at various 

 points, changes in demands of the various canals, exchanges desired, 

 and foreign and reservoir water turned into the river for carriage or 

 exchange. With this information before him and his knowledge of 

 the amount of seepage return he is able to determine the amount each 

 canal may properly divert. If the flow in any canal must be increased 

 or decreased he telephones early in the morning to the headgate man 

 of the canal and gives him a new gage height at which the canal must 

 be run until further notice. 



With the object of keeping the gain or loss properly placed as the 

 river rises or falls, the order is sometimes reversed and the headgate 

 man is instructed to hold the river below his canal at a certain stage 

 and to divert the remainder of the flow. For instance, when the river 

 reaches the stage at which the appropriation of the Larimer County 

 Canal for 463 second-feet is entitled to draw, the commissioner will 

 direct the headgate man of the canal to pass enough water to keep 

 the river up to a gage of 3.7 at Shipp's bridge just below and to take 

 the remainder into the canal. By holding the Shipp's bridge gage 

 at that point enough water is sent down to suppl}^ all prior rights 

 below, and the rise and fall of the canal coincides with the varying 

 supply in the river to which the canal is entitled by that appropria- 

 tion. 



Table 6. — Diversions, in acre-feet, from the Cache la Poudre River in 191G. 





For storage. 





Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. Total. 



North Poudre Canal. 

 Poudre Valley Canala 

 Pleasant Valley and 



Lake Canal 



Larimer County 



Canal b 





 









 





 









 



3,472 

 







n 

 



1,712 

 



437 



370 

 





 







1,875 

 





 2,230 







2,421 

 





 1,400 







1,990 

 





 









 





 







2,746 

 



1,620 

 







2,812 

 



1,080 

 









 



310 S,194 

 3,630 



1 

 j 437 



12,214 



Jackson Ditch « 







a Storage of foreign water and Windsor Resen'oir exchange. Direct flow chiefly foreign water to lands 

 under North Poudre Canal. 

 * Storage practically all foreign water, 

 e Larimer County water held temporarily in Long Pond and then exchanged for river water. 



* John Armstrong. 



