title:
Ditches and Reservoirs in Jefferson County
creator:
Jefferson County (Colo.). Clerk and Recorder. Recording
subject:
Water supply -- Jefferson County (Colo.) -- History; Maps; Water distribution -- Colorado -- Maps; Irrigation canals and flumes -- Colorado -- Jefferson County; Irrigation -- Colorado -- Jefferson County
description:
Plat maps and statements of claim to water rights for ditches, reservoirs and water supply sources located in Irrigation Division No. 1, South Platte River Basin, and recorded in the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Includes Water Districts 1 (South Platte: Greeley to Balzac); 2 (South Platte: Denver Gage to Greeley); 3 (Cache La Poudre River); 6 (Boulder Creek); 7 (Clear Creek); 8 (South Platte: Cheesman to Denver Gage); 9 (Bear Creek); and 23 (Upper South Platte).Plats show water sources, railroad lines, cities and towns and other geographical features. They also sometimes list property owners’ names.History Note:Colorado was the first state to provide for the distribution of water by public officials. In 1879, the state was divided into ten water districts, nine in the South Platte valley, and one in the Arkansas drainage. In each district, a Water Commissioner divided the water according to priorities of the various ditches within the district, in accordance with the Prior Appropriation Doctrine of first-in-time, first-in-right. The priority of each ditch was determined by the district courts based upon the date the ditches were constructed and the water placed to beneficial use.The Office of the State Engineer was created in 1881, whose primary responsibility was to measure the water in each stream from which water was diverted for irrigation. Three water divisions were created made up of water districts located within the South Platte, Arkansas and Rio Grande basins. Within six years, the remaining four water divisions were created. In 1887, the state created a Superintendent of Irrigation to supervise Water Commissioners within each division.By the beginning of the 1890s, many stream systems were over-appropriated. Ditch companies were actively constructing reservoirs to store winter flows and spring runoff. In addition, new sources of water were being pursued, which included transmountain diversions and pumping of ground water. Changes of water rights, exchanges, transfer of water rights and "loan statutes" were issues that had to be addressed by the Office of the State Engineer by the turn of the century. Today, all water rights are administered by the Colorado Division of Water Resources in division offices located in the seven major river basins of the state. Water commissioners in each office ensure the priority system is followed, enforcing the decrees and water laws of the State of Colorado.(Taken from the Colorado Division of Water Resources website athttp://water.state.co.us/SurfaceWater/SWRights/Pages/WRHistory.aspx, October 18, 2013.)
publisher:
contributor:
date:
1873-1971
type:
Text; Maps
format:
PDF; jpeg
identifier:
CoGoJCA-Series 177
source:
language:
en
relation:
coverage:
Jefferson County (Colo.); 19th century; 20th century
rights:
These resources are the property of the Jefferson County Archives and are intended for non-commercial use. Users of these resources are asked to credit the Jefferson County Archives. For information about obtaining high-resolution copies of items in this collection, please contact us using the Contact link at the bottom of the page.
