34 BULLETIN 1026, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



turned out to the various laterals as ordered and the cards are tacked 

 on the lateral gates to serve as a guide for distribution by the riders 

 of the laterals. The system of distribution from the laterals is prac- 

 tically the same as for the main canal, the water being measured 

 over weirs except in a few cases where division boxes are used. 



The copy of the order sheet sent to the superintendent reaches him 

 the same afternoon, thus giving him 36 hours to increase or decrease 

 the supply in the canal to meet the demand. To assist him with this 

 part of the work the canal employs an expert hydrographer who 

 measures all the water received by the canal for carriage and keeps 

 a record which shows the number of cubic feet delivered direct by 

 each reservoir or its account by exchange and the number of rights 

 of that reservoir delivered by the canal. At the end of the season 

 these quantities must balance, but the economical and satisfactory 

 operation of the canal requires that there be much " swapping " of 

 credits during the season, as in 1916, when Douglass Eeservoir rights 

 had been supplied for over a month before any Douglass water was 

 received b}" the canal. In general, the supplies in Curtis, Kluver, 

 and Douglass Reservoirs are drawn at a uniform rate, while the 

 fluctuation in demand is taken care of by increasing or decreasing 

 the outflow of the others, chiefly Terry Lake. On Sundays and at 

 other times when there is a short demand, instead of cutting off 

 at its source the reservoir water being received through Dry Creek, 

 it is turned into Terry Lake and, under proper credit, held there 

 for later use. On account of the long inlet canal and the difficulty 

 of filling, the greater part of the surplus reservoir water, at the end 

 of the season, is usuall}^ left in Windsor Reservoir No. 8. The lands 

 irrigated are shown in Plate X. 



LARIMER COUNTY CANAL. 



The Larimer County Canal was initiated in 1880, when the Lari- 

 mer Count}^ Ditch Co. was incorporated to build a canal and sell 

 water rights under it. Arrangements were made with the owners 

 of the Smith Ditch by which the Larimer County Ditch Co. acquired 

 their right of way and in the spring of 1881 actual construction work 

 on the canal was begun. From the start it was realized that the 

 water supply directly from the river would be insufficient, and the 

 construction of reservoirs to increase the supply was begun soon after. 

 The company did not prosper, and in 1892 the system was taken over 

 by the Water Supply & Storage Co., which had been organized by 

 holders of rights in the ditch. This is a cooperative compan}- Avith 

 a capital stock of $60,000 divided into 600 shares of a par value of 

 $100. The present value is close to $6,000 per share. 



Expenses of this company are met by assessments levied on the 

 capital stock. These assessments average about $100 per share, pro- 



