Description

Confluence: The Story of Greeley Water covers 150+ years of a modern water utility which began with a single irrigation ditch in 1870. Today, the system provides award-winning water to overs 150,000+ residents, and takes water from four different river basins in the state of Colorado. It is a water system with a rich heritage both in Colorado and in the West. It is also a story about a people who both developed and impacted water law, engineering and agriculture on the semi-arid plains of the Front Range. Native Americans, fur trappers, and Army expeditions were the first to arrive, followed by irrigators and permanent homesteaders. Soon to follow would be the Union Colonists, a group of settlers who had organized in New York City. They wanted good ground, reliable water and new homes. This book follows the chronicles of Milton Seaman, Delph Carpenter, W.D. Farr and many others who faced the trials and challenges head on. Their efforts, combined with leadership, helped provide the foundation of today's Greeley Water System.