IRRIGATION IN NORTHERN COLORADO. 37 



as potatoes and sugar beets. At times of extreme shortage runs of 

 5 to 8 days are made, at intervals of 5 to 8 days, and 20 to 30 inches 

 are delivered to the share. 



Records kept include frequent readings of all reservoir gauges, 

 from which the available supply may be determined ; records of dis- 

 charge of the main canal at the head and of the various mountain 

 ditches of the system ; records of water delivered to each stockholder, 

 and records of all water received or delivered in exchange. The 

 records of delivery are on cards and show for each user each day of 

 the season the number of shares he drew water on, the rate in inches 

 per share, and the depth over the weir. 



GREELEY CANAL NO. 2. 



The Greeley Canal No. 2, known also as the Union Colony Canal 

 No. 2, or the Cache la Poudre Canal, was built by the Union Colony 

 at Greeley. Preliminary work was done in 1870 and the first con- 

 struction was completed in 1871. Enlargements were made in 1874 

 and 1877. In 1878 the Cache la Poudre Irrigation Co. was organized 

 by the farmers under the canal to take over control from the colony, 

 and a large sum was spent in improving the headworks and in better- 

 ing the alignment of the canal. The present company, the New Cache 

 la Poudre Irrigation Co., was organized in 1890 to undertake various 

 improvements of the system. The company has a capital stock of 

 $100,000 divided into 2,500 shares of a par value of $40, of which 

 2,496 have been issued. Each of the original rights is represented 

 by 8 shares of the present company. In 1916 rights sold for $2,800, 

 which is equivalent to an increase of 900 per cent in value. 



The entire cost of operation and ordinary maintenance of the 

 canal has lately been met by charges of the company for carrying 

 reservoir water, and assessments were levied on the stock only for 

 special expenses. • Thus in 1916 current expenses were $6,736, while 

 tolls for carrying reservoir water amounted to $7,961. The average 

 cost of operation and maintenance is at the rate of approximately 

 20 cents per acre irrigated. 



The main canal heads in section 11, T. 6 N., R. 68 W., and ends 

 26 miles below at Lone Tree Creek, but an 18-mile extension tails in 

 Crow Creek. At the head of the canal it is 34 feet wide on the bot- 

 tom, carries water to a depth of 4 feet, and is on a grade of 3.2 feet 

 per mile. The maximum head carried during 1916 and 1917 was 

 558 second- feet. There are 40 companies owning and operating the 

 larger laterals and the total length of laterals is estimated to exceed 

 300 miles. 



The water rights of the company are shown in the tabulation on 

 page 15, and the area irrigated in 1916 in Plate XII. 



