IRRIGATION IN 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 IT 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 
