IKEIGATION IlSr NORTHERN COLORADO. 79 



of the Water Supply & Storage Co. In order to get a water supply 

 for it, Dealy entered into a contract with the Water Supply & Stor- 

 age Co. by the terms of which the company acquired half a share of 

 stock of the Jackson Ditch from Dealy and Dealy acquired the right 

 to a certain amount of water from the Larimer County Canal from 

 April 15 to September 15 of each year. The contract provides that 

 the amount delivered shall be approximately 17 per cent less than 

 the amount per half share delivered by the Jackson Ditch the same 

 day. When the Jackson Ditch draws all its appropriations a share 

 represents 120 statute inches ; therefore, the maximum amount Dealy 

 is entitled to draw is 50 inches. Shortly after Dealy finished his 

 reservoir the owner of an adjoining farm made a similar contract 

 with the Water Supply & Storage Co. and purchased from Dealy a 

 right to carry his water through the Dealy ditches. This water is 

 carried directly through the reservoir. 



During the season 1916, from May 8 to September 7, the Larimer 

 County Canal delivered to the reservoir 211 acre-feet at a rate not 

 exceeding 2.12 second-feet. This was sufficient to fill the reservoir 

 eight times. The loss in the reservoir during the season was 39 acre- 

 feet, or about 18 per cent of the total supply, including 4 acre-feet of 

 rainfall and run-off. During the season 176 acre- feet were drawn 

 from the reservoir for the irrigation of 99.3 acres of grain and al- 

 falfa. The rate of use ran as high as 9.20 second-feet but averaged 

 5.44 second-feet for alfalfa and 3.25 second-feet for grain. 



The difference in inflow and outflow noted above and illustrated 

 in Plate XXIV, figures 1 and 2, reveals the chief benefit derived from 

 these small reservoirs. A very high duty is obtained by storing 

 streams of ditch and seepage water entirely too small for practical 

 use and when the water is needed turning it -out in large heads for 

 effective and economical irrigation. 



SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. 



The characteristics of the climate of the valley are a light rainfall, 

 a wide range in daily and seasonal temperature, low relative humid- 

 ity, moderately high wind movement, and a comparatively low rate 

 of evaporation. The heaviest rainfall occurs in the spring and is 

 usually sufficient to start the crops growing under natural conditions 

 without resorting to irrigation to bring up the crops. 



The prevailing type of soil is a light sandy loam, which is generally 

 well drained. Excepting local phases, the texture of this soil is 

 such that it is easily irrigated and at the same time it retains mois- 

 ture well. The average depth of water applied for an irrigation 

 is close to .75 foot, but the average is raised somewhat by the heavier 

 irrigations applied when direct flow water is available in order to 

 reduce the later requirements of stored water, Considering the soil 



