[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S423-S424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  RECOGNIZING LEFT HAND DITCH COMPANY

 Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, today I honor the Left Hand Ditch 
Company, based in Boulder County, CO, on its 150th anniversary. Left 
Hand Ditch Company was founded on February 27, 1866, 10 years before 
Colorado became a State. It provides an essential resource for water in 
the Boulder and Longmont region of the Northern Front Range.
  Left Hand has played an important role in the history of water law in 
Colorado and the American West. In the case of Coffin v. Left Hand 
Ditch Company in 1882, the Colorado Supreme Court upheld Left Hand's 
right to continue its use of the water supply in the area. This 
``first-in, first-right'' decision became the basis for water law in 
the West, known as the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation. As one 
historian

[[Page S424]]

has said, ``The story of the Left Hand Ditch is the story of water in 
the west.''
  Water is a foundational aspect of Colorado's history and is a primary 
driver for agriculture, commerce, and community development in the 
State. Left Hand's contributions have helped spur growth in this region 
and set an important precedent for our Nation's water laws. 
Congratulations to the Left Hand Ditch Company on reaching this 
significant milestone.

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