Private irrigation storage proves powerful in Colorado’s Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson valleys, boosting farm yields and stability.
This bulletin documents how small to medium reservoirs, built and operated by irrigators with private capital, transformed water use and irrigation in the region.
The report explains the scope, construction details, and operation of storage works, highlighting their value, challenges, and the lessons learned. It focuses on two major streams in the arid West, showing how stored water supports crops, livelihoods, and regional development, with data drawn from the early 1900s.
- How reservoirs were located, sized, and put into service across the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson valleys
- How private farmers manage their systems and share water in practice
- Crop and economic results from 1901 and 1902, illustrating the impact of stored water
- Legal and operational considerations shaping storage and exchange of water
Ideal for readers interested in irrigation history, water storage, and regional development in the American West.