Ditches and Reservoirs in Jefferson County

Object Type: Folder
In root of archive

▲

Expand to show object metadata

Ditches and Reservoirs in Jefferson County

Plats, maps and statements of claim to water rights for ditches, reservoirs and water supply sources recorded in Jefferson County, Colorado. NEW! Ditch Companies Photo Album, 1908-1909

Dublin Core Metadata

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.

Show more ▼

Title ▲ ▼

Description

Date

Ditches and Reservoirs in Jefferson County

Brookside Ditch Statement and Plat, File 9

Broomfield Reservoir, File 012

Standley Reservoir Showing Lands to be Appropriated, Roll 29

Agricultural Ditch Company

Arnett Ditch Company

Bancroft Reservoir

Bayou (Slough) Ditch Location Map, Roll 10

Bergen Ditch and Reservoir Company Property Plat, File 006

Bowles Reservoirs

Brock Reservoir

Buckeye Ditch, File 10

Ditch Companies Photo Album

Dry Creek Valley, Great Western Outlet and Graves and Dollison Ditches, Roll 30

Eiselstein Spring, Roll 11

Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Co. Canal and Reservoir System, 1922

Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Co. Canal and Reservoir System, 1935

Francis Smart Reservoir

Golden Ditch and Flume Company

Harriman Ditch Company

Henry Lee Reservoirs Map and Statement, File 236

Leyden Water Supply

Mill Creek Ditch and Reservoir

Mountain Meadow Pipe Line, Roll 13

Smart Reservoir Enlargement No 3