SKYSCRAPER RESERVOIR 
CROP INSURANCE 
Our customers in Colorado and neighboring states well know the dominant role 
irrigation plays in these semi-arid regions. Here in Boulder our rainfall varies from eleven 
to fifteen inches a year—only as much as some states receive in a month. 
Fortunately, the mountains at our back door receive heavy winter snows that drift 
deeply. Melting snowbanks feed the streams during the warm summer months. (Boulder’s 
domestic water supply comes from a living glacier owned by the city.) 
By diverting water from the streams through canals and pipelines it is possible to 
irrigate the naturally fertile land and harvest bumper crops. The expense involved is more 
than compensated for by being able to apply just the amount of water needed at the 
right time. This is especially true with our own specialty crops. 
Our regular irrigation sources are adequate most years, but occasionally sparse winter 
snowfall is a cause for concern. To correct this source of worry, I started some years ago 
to build a storage reservoir where water accumulated during a wet season could be held 
until needed in a dry year. 
Shown above is my dam creating Skyscraper reservoir. Located less than a mile from 
the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,105 feet above sea level and three miles 
distant from road’s end, my experiences building it were varied but too numerous to 
chronicle here. 
Supplies and machinery were first packed in on horses. Later an army-type Dodge 
four wheel drive truck took over. In some spots it was necessary to use a winch so that 
the truck literally pulled itself up the hills—hills so steep that all four wheels would spin 
without this aid. Work was carried on during the short summer seasons, with snowstorms 
a not infrequent occurrence. 
Despite difficulties, the project has been completed and with this additional water 
reserve—crop insurance in liquid form—we are prepared even better to provide dependable 
high quality bulbs and seeds year after year. 
aly; 
