IRRIGATION IN NORTHERN COLORADO. 39 



On the debit side the number in the second colunm refers to the 

 page in the order book, and the third column shows the number of 

 units carried. On the credit side the second cohimn shows the source 

 of the water, the last two credits being- Windsor Keservoir water 

 rented from W, Lang. The third column carries references to pages 

 in the journal. The last column shows the units credited, and as the 

 charge per unit is $1, also dollars paid for carriage. 



At 1 o'clock each day the secretary begins the preparation of a list 

 of demands for the following day, showing the name of the user, the 

 rights or units ordered, and the lateral to which the water is to be 

 delivered. A copy is furnished to each rider and from it he figures 

 out the amount which he must turn to each lateral the following 

 morning. As in the case of the Larimer and Weld Canal the reser- 

 voir from which the supply for a particular day is drawn will depend 

 not so much on the demands for its rights as upon the requirements 

 for the most satisfactory operation of the canal. 



THE NORTH POUDRE CANAL. 



Surveys of canals to irrigate the territory now covered by the North 

 Poudre Canal were made in 1878 and 1879 by local men, but they 

 could not raise the funds necessary to carry their projects forward, 

 and nothing came of their efforts. In 1881, F. L. Carter-Cotton and 

 others organized the JSorth Poudre Land, Canal, & Reservoir Co., 

 secured the financial support of the Travelers' Insurance Co., and 

 began work on the canal. By 1884 construction had been completed 

 to Boxelder Creek, but no water could be obtained from the river that 

 year and very little in the 2 years following. In 1887 the promoters 

 cjuit and control was assumed by the insurance company. This com- 

 pany operated the system until 1896, when it sold out to F. C. Grable. 

 In 1901 the system passed into the possession of the present owner, 

 the North Poudre Irrigation Co. This company was originally 

 capitalized at $400,000, but in 1913, to absorb the Mountain Supply 

 Ditch Co., the capital was increased to $500,000, divided into- 10,000 

 shares of a par value of $50. In 1916 these shares were selling at 

 $112. Both land and water rights were sold by the company, and 

 with each 80-acre right went 25 shares of the company. Holdings 

 now vary widely and range from 10 to 35 shares for 80 acres. 



The company has outstanding over $500,000 in bonds and short- 

 time obligations of from $25,000 to $50,000 have lately been carried 

 from year to year. Regular assessments are levied on the capital 

 stock at the rate of $5 per share and occasionally an extra assessment 

 IS levied for some special purpose. In 1917 the cost of operation and 

 laintenance was about Jt527,000, or close to 80 cents per acre irrigated. 



